Helps Diabetic Mom
Learn about Whole Grains
BOSTON, January 6, 2010 — Everyone makes New Year’s Resolutions, but only the very fortunate, like Cynthia Beaumont of North Bergen, NJ, see their goals come to life just five days into the new year.
Beaumont, who wanted to learn how to cook healthier whole grain meals, welcomed award-winning chef Paul Lynch into her home for a day-long cooking spree on January 5. Chef Paul’s services were the Grand Prize in a nationwide photo contest called “I Love My Whole Grains,” sponsored by Oldways and the Whole Grains Council.
“My Mom has diabetes,” explained Cynthia Beaumont when she submitted her winning entry. “I am always telling her how important it is to eat whole grains and how whole grains break down slower and help to regulate and stabilize her blood sugar. I do not have diabetes but it runs in the family so I am very aware of what I eat. To have a chef come in and cook for Mom, Hubby and [me] would be a wonderful learning experience for us all.”
Under the watchful eyes of Beaumont and her family, Chef Paul prepared broiled salmon with asiago polenta cakes, beef barley soup, country style ribs with whole grain risotto, and chicken all’arrabbiata with whole grain pasta. One surprise, for Beaumont, was that almost all the ingredients came from her local PathMark supermarket, instead of from a high-priced health food store. “We wanted to prove that delicious, healthy restaurant-quality food can be accessible to everyone,” commented Chef Paul, who is Executive Chef at the FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar in Minneapolis.
Cynthia Harriman, Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies for the Whole Grains Council and for its parent organization, Oldways, assisted Chef Paul. At the end of the cooking session, Harriman presented the Beaumonts with a grocery gift certificate and two cookbooks, so they can continue to try new whole grain dishes. “I hope my Mom will be with us a lot longer, because of what we’ve learned,” said Beaumont as she thanked Chef Paul.
Ms. Beaumont and 47 other contest winners also received a wide range of whole grain product samples donated by leading manufacturers, including Anderson Trail, Annie’s Homegrown, Arrowhead Mills, Barbara’s Bakery, Barilla, Grupo Bimbo, Bob’s Red Mill, ConAgra Mills, Corazonas, DeWaffelbakkers, Dr. Kracker, Essential Eating, Flowers, FritoLay, Kashi, Mestemacher Bread, Nature’s Path, Nestle, Quaker Oats, Riviana Foods, and Shiloh Farms.
“Our ‘I Love My Whole Grains’ contest attracted passionate whole grain lovers from across the country,” reported Harriman, “many of whom use our Whole Grain Stamp to help them find new whole grain options. All our 48 winners tell us they loved trying all their prize samples.”
Studies show that eating whole grains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, with some studies showing reduced risks from as little as one serving daily. Other benefits include reduced risk of asthma, healthier blood pressure levels, and better weight control.
Please contact Alison Clancy (aclancy@oldwayspt.org or 617-896-4888) for more information, including hi-res graphics. Further information about the “I Love My Whole Grains” contest, including a link to all winning entries and prizes, can be found at on the Contest Winners page on the Whole Grains Council website.
About Oldways and The Whole Grains Council
Oldways is an internationally-respected non-profit, changing the way people eat through positive and practical programs grounded in science and tradition. The Whole Grains Council (WGC) is an Oldways program working to increase consumption of whole grains for better health. The WGC’s many initiatives help consumers to find whole grain foods and understand their health benefits; help manufacturers and restaurants to create delicious whole grain foods; and help the media to write accurate, compelling stories about whole grains. You can learn more about both at oldwayspt.org and at wholegrainscouncil.org