How can we help our kids learn through nutrition? Part 2

Okay we’ve talked about the importance of protein, especially for breakfast. Another food that’s just as important to include are whole grains. The problem here is we often substitute whole grain, (which our children’s growing bodies desperately need) with refined wheat flour which is not only void of nutritional value but also quite unhealthy.

Whole grain is all three parts of the grain (germ, endosperm, and bran). Refined flour is what it’s called after the whole grain is refined and only one part of the grain is left (endosperm). It is unhealthy for our children because the refining process removes all essential nutrients like vitamins, fiber, and protein (yes, there really is protein in whole grain just not enough to use it as our only source). Some of the vitamins that are removed are the B-vitamins. B vitamin deficiency can manifest in a multitude of ways such as depression, lack of energy, irritability, anemia, light sensitivity, dry skin, and memory loss. Wow, these symptoms could really make it hard on our kids to learn!!!

The fiber that is removed is what helps stabilize our blood sugar level, and when our blood sugar level rises too high or drops too low, this can cause our children to have a hard time focusing, hyperactivity, and fatigue. Fiber also allows the body to get rid of toxins; by getting rid of these toxins, it will drastically lower the risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and other increasingly common diseases. God put these nutrients in our grains because we need them! Refining them out only serves to make them last longer on the grocery store shelves.

You might be thinking yeah but they enrich it or add back in those nutrients (check your bread label – bleached, enriched flour?). Yes, but… they only add back three B-vitamins, but you lose the fiber, magnesium, vitamins E and B-6, copper, zinc, and who-knows-what phytochemicals that are in the whole grain.

Good sources of whole grain can be found in bread, cereal, tortillas, muffin, crackers, rice, and pasta. You have to be careful when shopping for them, because some of the labels can be misleading. To be sure you are really getting whole grain you need to look at the ingredients. The very first ingredient should say whole wheat (grain) not “bleached” or even “unbleached” “enriched” wheat flour or “enriched flour”. You also should check the grams of dietary fiber; it should read 2 g or more per slice for bread and 4 or more for cereals. Watch out for labels that say whole grain, multi-grain, or 100% wheat; this does not mean it is all whole grain. Look for labels that read 100% whole wheat (grain). I like “Nature’s Own” Bread (available at many grocery stores). You might shop at a health food store for some items like pasta and crackers. Try whole grain brown rice pastas, the taste and texture are like the semolina white pasta that most of us are use to. I like to use whole grain spelt, barley, and/or oat flour in recipes. This way my family gets more variety of grains.

Michelle