Whole Grains on the Rebound
Whole grains are great for the food industry. They’re versatile, resilient and go into just about every single processed product on the grocery shelves, from cold cereal to cake mix, and even beverages (satiety smoothies are but one example of that).
Like probiotics and antioxidants, whole grains are giving Americans a leg up in the fight against obesity and poor diets. Even better, they’re being added as ingredients to foods without changing the food itself. So, we can eat sliced bread with “double the fiber” or whole grain muffins (OK, that might be a stretch) without having to do anything ourselves. The scenario reminds me of those cookbooks with recipes for sneaking vegetables into kids’ meals.
According to a new report out from Packaged Facts, U.S. retail sales in core grain foods that included rice, flour, oatmeal and dry grains reached just over $5 billion in 2008, a whopping 17% increase over the previous year. Manufacturers we’ve spoken with, such as Alvarado St. Bakery, make loaves with healthful sprouted wheat and other grains; French Meadow Bakery is introducing breads made with spelt and hemp, or specially formulated with grains and ingredients like plant sterols that promoting heart health.
Companies like Bob’s Red Mill and Hodgson Mill offer plain grains, including some interesting ancient grains that are making their way back into the American lexicon (and onto the dinner plate). Choose aramanth, quinoa, kamut or even chia.
Retailers are doing their share, too, building promotions around grains (could you imagine such a thing even 5 years ago?). Just yesterday, Kroger Co. announced a partnership with the Grain Foods Foundation to benefit the nation’s food banks. According to officials, Kroger will promote the effort chainwide, in all of its 2,500 supermarkets, using floor decals slapped down in the commercial bread aisle.
(photo courtesy of swimboy1/Flickr)
April 10th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
This is a great article about a significant trend. It shows how people are significantly improving their diet. The absence of dietary fiber is a major contributor to chronic illness in this country. I hope this trend accelerates as people become more aware of the healthfulness of whole grain and the food industry responds to consumer demand.
April 10th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I agree, Jeff. Any consumer reading the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will see that whole grains are a critical part of a good diet — they have been for years. But somehow, whenever people think “grains,” they conjure up images of brown rice and other bland, chewy masses that are about as appealing as, well, plain brown rice. I think that’ll change now that manufacturers are starting to branch out and utilize new grains, and rediscovering ancient varieties like aramanth. It doesn’t hurt that they’re tucking these gains into loaves of bread, side dishes and cereals so that people don’t have to make an intentional effort to eat them.
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