Packaged Foods with Your Nutrition In Mind

Last Thursday, I wrote an article with a Focus on Nutrition. In it I mentioned that it is possible to buy gluten free products that are rich in whole grains. Today I have some suggestions of products to look for if you are wanting to add more whole grains to your grocery cart.

Pasta

I’m going to start with pasta, because it’s something I can’t do without! It seems that when I first went gluten free (way back in 2008 :) there were not many options in my grocery store as far as pasta is concerned. I had the choice of white rice pasta or corn pasta. Luckily, this is no longer the case!

I discovered early on that, aside from not liking the flavor, rice pasta did very little for me nutritionally. Brown rice pasta, on the other hand, is fantastic! This whole grain goodness is better for both my body and my tummy. There are also many whole grain varieties of pasta available now which feature ingredients like flax seeds, spinach, millet, teff and vegetable extracts.

Look for these brands online or at a store near you:

• DeBoles-Gluten-Free-Multi-Grain-Spaghetti-Style-8-oz-Each?csrc=GPF-087336528842">Deboles Multigrain Pastas

• ProList.htm">Tinyada- They make brown rice pastas in every shape imaginable and add veggies too!

• Hodgens Mill

Bread

As I see it right now, you have two options when it comes to bread: Udi’s whole grain bread, or make your own. In all honesty, making your own is the best option. A friend who runs a gluten free bakery told me that if you add 1/4 cup of teff flour to your baked goods it adds about five grams each of protein and fiber! That’s huge!

An in-between option here is making bread from a mix. If you are looking in this area, Bob’s Red Mill has a plethora of gluten free whole grain bread mixes.

As far as the Udi’s bread goes (I believe I’ve mentioned it in prior posts) there is no better whole grain gluten free bread on the market. Not only does it taste and feel like regular wheat bread, it is also accessible in most retail markets.

Breakfast

Breakfast offers the perfect time to add whole grains to your diet. Many of the General Mills cereals that are gluten free also offer whole grains. For hot cereal, try Quinoa Flakes or Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. You can easily make whole grain pancakes or waffles if you are wanting a heartier breakfast.

A Word of Caution

Though there are many great offerings for gluten free whole grain products available, ‘whole grain’ on packaging often means wheat. Be sure to check every label again and again to ensure that you are getting gluten free whole grains.

Note: Added 1/28/10

I have inserted links to purchase the products listed in this post. To buy them locally, check with your favorite retailers.