There are nine elements of the Mediterranean diet that can help you make significant changes in your nutrition. Choosing more whole grains is one of the basics and is a pretty easy change to make part of your life.
When choosing ingredients made with grains or cereals the key is to choose the least processed products that you can. While this is the best basic advice I can give to folks for their overall diet, it really applies in this case. Having cereal for breakfast is a great choice and choosing the more basic the better. For instance, oatmeal is better than shredded wheat, which is better than corn flakes. The least processed the better. An easy way to make this choice is to look at the nutrition facts and pick a cereal with higher fiber and lower sugar.
There’s no doubt that whole grains are really good for you. Research has shown that at every age–childhood, as an adult and even as we get much older–eating high-fiber whole grain foods can help keep weight and body fat down. Making careful choices can even help you lose weight. Starting those changes in your diet slowly can help make it much easier for you.
Remember that brown is better. If you usually choose white starches like pastas, white rice and white bread, make the transition slowly. You can find “light” whole wheat breads in the grocery that taste great, for example. While they’re not as high in fiber, this is a great place to start and then move toward whole grain breads. A great example is using whole wheat hamburger buns in place of regular.
Whole wheat pasta tastes so much better than plain. Interestingly, like whole grain breads, whole wheat past is much more authentic. Refined white flours that strip away all the fiber and nutrients are a relatively new creation. Pair up some whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite sauce and you’ll be so much healthier.
Another whole grain is brown rice. It’s simple to use brown rice in your recipes to increase your fiber intake. Wild rice is another great choice with tons of fiber–and even better, lots and lots of flavor. Bulgur wheat is another great choice for side dishes, goes well in soups and is wonderful for making salads.
Regular Idaho or new potatoes are good but a great substitution is to use sweet potatoes or yams. Folks don’t often think of corn as a whole grain but it is, and snacking on popcorn is a good choice to increase your intake of whole grains.
This is one of the easiest ways to make a change in your diet and improve your health. Slowly but surely begin choosing more whole grains when you go to the grocery.
Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!
Timothy S. Harlan, M.D. aka Dr. Gourmet
www.DrGourmet.com
About this Author
Timothy S. Harlan, M.D., is a board-certified internist and Associate Chief of General Internal Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He started out in the restaurant business, however: he was the chef-owner of his own restaurant at the age of 22. His website, www.DrGourmet.com, presents the current best practices of health and nutrition in an easy-to-understand, straightforward way.
