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!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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.
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!
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!
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