Consumers are uncomfortable in the kitchen, says a dietician in explaining why they latch onto food trends.
Laura Pasut said the popularity of the low carbohydrate diet and the fact most people don’t understand simple food rules have led to a drop in the consumption of flour and grains.
Pasut said it is a common misconception that bread and potatoes are fattening. In fact, it is the toppings and additions that add calories, not the actual grain or vegetable.
Research shows there is a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes in people who eat whole grains versus those who don’t, she added.
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“Any increase in consumption of grains is healthy.”
Pasut has been hired by the Baking Association of Canada, the Canadian Pasta Manufacturers Association and the Canadian Wheat Board to lead a campaign encouraging people to eat more grains.
The Barrie, Ont., dietician said the first benefit of grain is the energy it gives via carbohydrates and protein. Whole wheat and enriched white flour have a similar content of iron and B vitamins. And whole grains also offer fibre. Enriched white flour has been refined to remove the bran and coarser parts of the kernel, but then nutrients are returned to it.
According to Statistics Canada, each person in Canada consumed almost 71 kilograms of flour in 2001, which was the peak year.
In 2004, the average Canadian ate just under 64 kg of flour.
Of the grains that Canadians consume, 82 percent are wheat based.
Pasut said people should get used to eating grains since they are the biggest part of a recommended diet under Health Canada guidelines.
One of Pasut’s plans is to build a website extolling grain.
The website will be launched this fall at www.grainsessential.ca and will include recipes for unique ways to serve grains including new pasta ideas, plus flatbreads, bulgur and couscous.
“People are always looking for quick fixes in things.”
