The Whole Grains Council Blog
July 26, 2010
From time to time journalists ask me where I see the Whole Grain Stamp five years from now. My answer is always, “I hope the Stamp is out of business. Retired and resting on a beach in Florida.”
Now, it’s not that I want to do myself out of a job. And it’s not that I don’t believe in the Whole Grain Stamp with every ounce (gram!) of my being. But the fact is, Oldways and the Whole Grains Council created the Whole Grain Stamp in 2005 because it was really, really hard then, to find the few whole grain products that existed in a sea of refined / enriched grains. Now, as whole grains become the norm in more and more cases, I can see, on the distant horizon, a day when it’s no longer necessary to flag whole grain products the same way. (“Look! Right here! Wow! A real whole grain food!”)
July 21, 2010
Some days, I catch myself thinking
“Le sigh, another day, another salad.” Don’t get me wrong, I
love my leafy greens – love, love, love! I don’t think I ever turned up my nose at “green stuff” as a kid, and I have quite a few memories of sneaking out to my grandfather’s garden in the summertime to snatch a few leaves of Boston or Red Leaf lettuce. But there are only so many times you can sit down to the same assortment of greens without feeling the need to shake things up.
July 14, 2010
“Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce. Special orders don’t upset us. All we ask is that you let us serve it your way!”
Burger King started using that slogan in 1973, and since then the chain really did let you “have it your way” – if what you wanted was to choose your favorite fixings on a white bun. But starting last month, Burger King has begun offering their burgers and sandwiches our way – on a ciabatta roll containing 8g of whole grain.
The whole wheat ciabatta comes automatically on Burger King’s TENDERGRILL® Chicken sandwich, which has also been reformulated to be lower in calories (470, down from 520) and sodium (a still-high 1100mg, down from 1410mg). When I went to order one (that's me below) at our local BK in Portsmouth, NH, they assured us that the same whole grain ciabatta is also used on their Ciabatta Breakfast sandwich – and that you can request the whole grain option on any of their sandwiches.
July 9, 2010
Those sunflowers can only mean one thing… It’s JULY!!!!! I’m not normally a “counting down” kind of person, but there are times when it’s good to check off the days that have passed as you look towards a big events heading your way. Have a big work conference looming in the not-so-distant future? It’s probably safe to keep track of the time you have left so your deadlines don’t take you by surprise. Maybe you’re getting married in a few months – with all the details to coordinate and logistics to consider, your head might explode if you don’t keep track of the days and weeks you have left! (And in case you’re wondering, yes, I’m talking about me. Eeeeee!!)
Imagine my surprise when I turned the calendar to July last week and realized 2010 is half over! The nerve of this year, to speed by with little more than a “Hey, ‘sup?” I mean really! All kidding aside, crossing the year’s halfway mark gave me a moment’s pause and prompted me to take a look back to see what I’ve accomplished so far this year. I may not make broad-sweeping New Year’s resolutions, but as I detailed in this post, there were a few small changes all of us here at Oldways were hoping to make throughout 2010.
So let’s see how I’ve done…
June 29, 2010
Salmon Caliente with Quinoa… Shrimp Sauté with Creamy Polenta… Seared Salmon with Asparagus and Carrot Brown Rice Risotto…
These sound like menu choices at one of New York City’s top restaurants, but in fact they’re the creations of New York City middle school teams, from Harlem and the Bronx, participating in the Iron Go! Chefs Competition on June 11.
The junior chefs had just one hour to cook and plate the meals, using recipes they had researched and chosen themselves. The challenge posed by the Children’s Aid Society, which organized the competition, was to prepare a delicious, balanced, and healthy lunch or dinner including
At least one non-meat protein (fish, beans, cheese, eggs)
At least two vegetables or fruits of different colors
A whole grain
June 21, 2010
Sorghum Month is still chugging along, and we certainly hope you’ve been enjoying the focus we’ve put on this sweet-tasting, nutritious whole grain. My favorite part of this particular Grain of the Month celebration has been introducing so many people to this little-known grain. Maybe different regions of the U.S.
June 7, 2010
It's not an official part of my job responsibilities, but I carry a stash of Just Ask for Whole Grains pins in my pockets wherever I go. They're handy at trade shows, where I pass them out with a little thank you to companies that are showing good whole grain products. I've had fun perplexing the kid stocking shelves in the bread aisle at my supermarket, when I give him a pin as he shelves the whole grain bread.
And sometimes I go even further afield. Recently, Oldways led a culinary adventure trip to Normandy, which included a visit to a typical French market in Bayeux. The baker shown here had amazing breads, many of them whole grain, which of course caught my attention. Baguettes are all well and good, but this guy was taking French bread to a whole new level.
May 28, 2010
As May draws to a close, we end our month-long salute to Amaranth with today's delectable Guest Blog by Suzanne Bowland, founder and executive producer of GF Culinary Productions, Inc.
Thanks to the gluten-free food movement, Amaranth is being rediscovered and celebrated for its strong nutritional profile and versatility in cooking and baking. Unlike other popular gluten-free grains such as quinoa and rice, amaranth does not fluff up when cooked. Rather, you'll find that after cooking amaranth, the size of the seeds remains tiny and they become soft and tender, yet maintain a bit of a crunch. Even more unique than its consistency is its appearance - amaranth glistens, almost translucent, and visually presents itself with a shimmer interestingly reminiscent of caviar.
May 20, 2010
Shakespeare, in Hamlet, complained about something rotten in the state of Denmark. I’m just back from visiting our colleagues at the Danish Whole Grain Campaign, and I can gladly report that things have changed in four centuries: Denmark is a wonderful country for many reasons, not the least of which is its great momentum in the realm of whole grains.
Three years ago, in April 2007, Morten Strunge Meyer of the Danish Cancer Society emailed us, saying “We are very inspired and impressed by your WGC efforts. If possible we would love to start a dialogue with you.” At the time, Morten was laying the groundwork for a planned whole grain campaign in Denmark, and that email blossomed quickly into a rapid-fire exchange of ideas, and into a solid friendship.
May 13, 2010
I have some news: next week I will be leaving the Whole Grains Council to pursue my dream of teaching. I have been accepted to
Teach for America, and will spend the summer in training to prepare to teach elementary school in New York City in September. I’m incredibly excited about this new opportunity, but of course, also sad to leave this wonderful organization.
I thought that as a final reflection of my time here, I would write about what I’ve learned about whole grains over the past months – things that no normal person knows!
1. Bread is 40% moisture. Fun fact, right? Here at the WGC this is a very helpful little tidbit, because it helps us to calculate grams of whole grain in a serving of bread. I mentioned this to a friend once, and she looked at me like I was a total weirdo. Just one of many pieces of trivia that make me annoying to grocery shop with!
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