• The notion that bread is fattening is a myth. On average, a single slice of bread contains only 1 gram of fat and 75 calories, the majority of which comes from complex carbohydrates, the body's preferred source of fuel.

• Consumers are confused when it comes to understanding that complex carbohydrates and starches are the same thing. Seventy-one percent believe that complex carbohydrates are good for you; nearly half (45%) believe that bread is fattening and starches should be avoided. (Gallup survey).

• Grains fill you up (not out) because gram for gram, carbohydrates contain less than half the calories found in fat.

• We're not getting enough bread and grains. National surveys by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that Americans average a little more than six servings of bread and other grain foods a day. However, the Food Guide Pyramid recommends a range of six to 11 servings - depending on age, gender and activity level. That means most of us are falling short of the recommendation.

• Bread is a great source of energy because it is rich in complex carbohydrates.

• There are more than 1,000 varieties of bread on the market - enough to please any palate.

• Refrigeration increases the staling process. To keep bread fresh, store at room temperature in a dark, dry place such as a breadbox or kitchen drawer. If you're not going to eat the loaf within a week, freeze it in its original packaging.

• Folic acid enrichment of grain foods can potentially decrease risk of neural tube birth defects, cleft lip and cleft palate, and heart disease.

• South Carolina was the first state to require enrichment of grain foods to curb nutrition deficiency.

• Cereals and breads rich in whole grains can advertise that those foods help fight heart disease and cancer. Foods containing 51 percent or more whole grain ingredients by weight can use the following health claim on labels: "Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers."

• A recent food consumption study published in the October 1998 Pediatrics journal found that bread is among the top fiber sources. Yeast bread, contributing nearly 14 percent of total fiber intake, is the largest fiber contributor for children, with white bread supplying about half of that amount. (Researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Information Management Service, Inc. authored the study.)

• Enriched grain products are "enriched" with iron, folic acid and other B vitamins, including niacin, thiamin and riboflavin. Over the years, enrichment has helped to nearly eliminate nutrition-related diseases, such as beriberi, pellagra and severe nutritional anemia. New research is proving that folic acid appears to help prevent heart disease. Women of childbearing age also need folic acid because getting adequate amounts of this essential nutrient, 400 micrograms each day, is a primary way to prevent birth defects of the spinal cord and brain.


source: www.grainpower.org