McDonald's: We're Talking to You

Dear McDonald's Corporation,

Thanks for saying "NO" to a recent request to carry a whole grain option. It was the motivation needed to re-affirm our commitment to move forward with The Whole Grain Campaign. You are now officially the subject of our first petition. Congratulations!

This is possible. It is feasible. We are out here, in significant numbers, wanting to eat your food, but needing a 100% whole grain choice so that we can. We hope you will make that possible.

Sincerely,

The Whole Grain Campaign

************************************************

To our fellow "whole-grainers", here it is: your first petition requesting that a major restaurant chain offer you one whole grain option, as a substitution of any regular sandwich bun on their menu item. How great would it be to be able to join the family at McDonald's and have that double cheeseburger and not have to discard the bun, or suffer the consequences of eating the standard enriched bun? Those of us who embrace a whole grain way of life have a clear understanding of what that would mean, and hope that McDonald's will choose to lead the way in creating this option for the millions of people who choose not to eat white flour, whether at home or away. So now is the time for action, but just a tiny action, it won't even hurt - sign the petition, and pass on the link. There is no reason for anyone to NOT sign this petition. Even if they don't specifically want or need the whole grain option for themselves, they care about YOU, and showing McDonald's that this option is important to so many people CAN make a difference.

Click HERE to sign the petition asking McDonald's to offer a 100% whole grain option. Then copy and paste the following words into a new email and send it on to anyone else who might sign it and pass it on - this only works if we sign it, and if we inform other people that THEY can sign it too:

**********************************************

Hi! Please click the link and sign this petition! It's not political, or religious, or controversial - it just asks McDonald's to offer ONE 100% whole grain option on their menu. Nothing would be removed or changed on their existing menu, but they would begin offering a substitution for anyone wanting a 100% whole grain bread option when frequenting their restaurants.

This petition WILL be forwarded on to McDonald's Corporation USA - they WILL see your signature and know that you asked for this change, and that can make a big difference. If you don't want to sign it, that's OK, but would you pass this email on to anyone who you think might sign? We need your help, and it costs you nothing to sign, and to pass it on. Thanks!

To sign the "McDonald's Customers Want A 100% Whole Grain Option" petition, click on the link: http://www.petitiononline.com/wgcp001/petition.html
Thanks!


**************************************************

We are excited to be pursuing this, our first concrete goal, and are hoping you'll join us on the path to accomplishing it. It's so easy, and takes just seconds. Please let us know if you have questions or comments - and we hope to see your name on the signature line of our petition!

Trailblazing

The Whole Grains Council is, as a whole, my hero. They have done so very much to contribute to the presence of whole grains you find available to you in your everyday life. And they've been doing it since long before I ever knew or cared what the difference between enriched and whole grains was!

Any time you see the Whole Grains Council stamp on a food you buy, you know they've verified that the product is whole grain. It's a GREAT way to know you're eating something at home that has whole grains, and that's a good thing as always. Their guidelines state this regarding how they qualify products from manufacturers: They check their formulations to see which products are eligible to use the Stamp. Products must contain at least 8g of whole grain per labeled serving to use the basic Whole Grain Stamp. Products containing at least 16g of whole grain, and where ALL the grains are whole grains, may use the 100% Whole Grain Stamp.

If you're just starting out on the whole grain path, you may still be stocking your home with whole grains. Even if you're a WG pro, the Whole Grains Council has a STELLAR list of products that meet their qualifications that can help you make good choices. You can find that list here: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/find-whole-grains/stamped-products

Also (and this was SUCH an exciting find for me), they have a list of restaurants who currently offer whole grain options. It's such a great, comprehensive list that I encourage you to check it out before you eat out next time: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/find-whole-grains/find-restaurants.

They have so many other great resources as well, including information on whole grains (which I hope to post or link here soon), tools for you to use as you go out and start asking yourself for your local restaurant to carry whole grains (see their Report Card), and ways to make the whole grain journey a better, more tasty, and more fulfilling one! Check them out today!

History of the Whole Grain Campaign

I failed to expound upon, in my first entry, the beginnings of the Whole Grain Campaign, when we came up with the name, how it came to be.

Last year, in 2007, my mom and I embraced a way of eating (or a way of life, really) which excluded all white flour. We found how much better we felt, found that it was how we knew we wanted to eat for the rest of our lives, and found that at home we had so very many ways to make that happen. Whole grain choices are readily available for home consumption, no question. A quick trip through any grocery store makes that clear. Where we struggled to find whole grain choices was during family trips out to eat. After the n-th time out of having no choice but grilled chicken salads, hold the crutons, at any given establishment (without performing surgery on our meal to remove the offensive white stuff) we started asking ourselves "Why isn't someone asking restaurants to offer whole grains?".

The longer we talked, the more I started asking myself more specifically, "Why not me?" So in that thought process, in October of 2007, the Whole Grain Campaign was born. That's when I first wrote it out on paper; when I first believed it to be an entity all its own, one worth developing and seeing through to an end that gives us healthy choices wherever we are, not just at home.

WGC Kudos - Papa John's Pizza

Before I could even get the ball rolling on this awesome, important project and ask for it, one of my favorite pizza restaurants has gone and done just what we are going to be asking for here at the Whole Grain Campaign - they are now offering a 100% whole wheat crust! From their website:

Our hand-tossed, 100% whole wheat crust is made from the superior-quality ingredients you expect from Papa John's. It’s prepared using 100% whole grains and clear-filtered water to create a delightfully authentic crust that’s delivered to our stores fresh, never frozen. The result is a full-bodied, always fresh crust that’s a perfect balance of flavor and texture.

So a BIG, HUGE, SUPER-EXCITED THANK YOU to Papa John's!!! Please support their great choice to add this to their menu by ordering Papa John's 100% whole wheat crust when you order pizza from them - we'll be doing it at our house today!

Why The New BLOG?

As promised in my other blog, I am working toward establishing, promoting, and growing "The Whole Grain Campaign", and this BLOG is a step in the right direction. As I obtain new information, take steps toward the goal, it will be documented here and I hope you'll read and pass on any information you find that can benefit this campaign.

I have been pondering this for months and months, and after a great talk with my good friend Peg recently, I am renewed in my passion to get this off the ground.

The premise is simple. Whole grains are better for you. 100% whole grain products are proven to be leaps and bounds above any "enriched" products, and have significantly different impact on your health, your weight, and your well-being. Restaurants need to offer at least ONE whole grain alternative to white, enriched bread products.

Making those choices at home is relatively simple. You stock your pantry, you make your meals, and you decide what you have available to you when it's time to eat. But when you are dining out, the good options often become nearly impossible to find when one desires a whole grain choice. While I understand that not everyone has this concern, there is a significant movement in our society where people are educating themselves about, and choosing to seek out, sources of whole grain in their diets. To have that option even when eating out would be a significant benefit to anyone for whom that is the case.

A good example - we recently ate at Valentino's "Grand Italian Buffet". And grand it is. More food, and more variety than anyone could ask for. And five or six types of pasta. White pasta, all of it. I had none, knowing what white pasta does for me, which is exactly nothing good. But had their been just ONE whole grain option, I would have been ecstatic! Don't get rid of all the white pasta (although that really would be BEST), that's not what I'm suggesting - but offer one or two options that ARE whole grain. An exciting side effect of this - some people, who might not think to try it at home, might even try a whole grain pasta, (or bread stick, or pizza crust), and find they like it just fine! What a great opportunity for a restaurant to contribute positively to someone's health for once!

The long-term goals of this campaign are simple. I hope to approach the large chain restaurants, and independently owned businesses as well, and ask them to make a change for the better, but I'll need support and backing to help them see the importance of this campaign. And I'll be asking you to read, and to consider signing and passing it on. I'm not trying to take any one's white flour options away, I'd just like to see there be some whole grain options thrown in along the way. Thanks for reading!