For my article in September GI News I’ve written about health halos. Those foods that appear to have a saintly, healthy glow if you look at the front of pack message, but in fact have a deeper, often devlish story, when you read the nutrition information panel or ingredient list. You can read my full article here from 1 September.
And it got me thinking about the best ways to avoid health halos? Well you can study for 5 years at university for a Masters Degree in Nutrition & Dietetics. Or you can become an avid label reader and learn to decipher the numbers and codes (stay tuned for our how-to guide). But by far the easiest solution is to go for more whole foods. More foods close to their natural state. More foods without a loooong ingredient list full of non-food sounding names. And there’s no better place to start than with wholegrains. Especially those ancient grains like freekeh (free-ka) and quinoa (keen-wa) that are the buzz around town.
If you want more on scientific research on wholegrains, check out this latest research review – The Grains And Legumes Health Report. And for tips on how to reach your daily wholegrain target visit www.gograins.com.au You may also like to read more about chia seeds here in our archive post.
There are a whole field full of recipes if you google around that use ancient grains in place of rice, pasta, oats, couscous and more. Australian grown, Greenwheat Freekeh has some for inspiration in the recipe booklet in-pack and also on their website.
So how about it? Is it time to makeover your pantry for more wholegrain goodness? Are you keen on quinoa? Freaking out over freekeh? Love to hear your comments and tips below: