Sound Bites
April, 1996
by Dawn B. Olcott
Information on nutrition
and health selected from a variety of publications for your enjoyment
and edification.
Wheat Germ vs. Wheat Bran
What is the difference between wheat germ
and wheat bran, and which is better? Well, neither is "better."
Both are part of the wheat kernal and together account for most
of wheat's nutritional value. It is the wheat germ and bran that
are removed in the production of common white flour, which has little
nutrients left.
Wheat germ is the embryo of the kernel, and
contains a high proportion of polyunsaturated oils. One ounce contains
100 calories, 9 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 3 grams
of fat. It also contains about one-third of the RDA for thiamin
and vitamin E, as well as 10% of the RDA for iron and riboflavin.
Defatted wheat germ is available, but it's a trade-off because it
is much lower in vitamin E. Wheat germ should be refrigerated because
of its oil content.
Wheat Bran is the outer shell of the wheat
kernal and contains a whopping 12 grams of insoluable fiber per
ounce. One ounce also contains 40% of the daily RDA for both niacin
and magnesium and 15% of the RDA for iron, along with 60 calories,
5 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat.
Wheat germ and wheat bran can be added to baked
goods and casseroles, sprinkled on cereal and salads or used as
a coating for baked chicken or tofu.
Note: There are two kinds of dietary fiber,
soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber, the kind found in wheat
bran, adds bulk and helps keep the elimination system regular. It
is the kind that appears to protect against colon cancer and other
colon maladies. Soluble fiber is the type found in oat bran and
soy products which helps lower blood cholesterol and absorbs toxins,
carrying them out of the system.
Organic
Dairy: a Fast Growing Industry
The consumer demand for organic milk and other dairy products has
been growing considerably as organic companies expand distribution
capacity, according to Organic Food Business News. The growing concern
over antibiotics in milk and hormones such as rBst in non-organic
milk products has fueled this demand. Many organic dairy farms are
expanding their operations. The herd owned by the Organic Cow dairy
of Vermont has grown to 150 cows (that's a lot for a small operation).
Stonyfield Farm, who purchases their milk, reports booming sales
on its line of low fat organic yogurt. Organic Valley from Wisconsin
teamed up with Land O' Lakes last fall for national distribution
purposes. The president of Organic Horizons Yogurt says they expect
to double their business in the next year. He states that more consumers
are purchasing organic milk products, and once they start purchasing
organic products, "they typically don't go back."
Why
that muffin was tough
Did you know that overmixing muffin and
quickbread batter can make baked goods tough? Mixing the batter
causes the production of gluten in the flour. Gluten forms elastic-like
strands that develop when the proteins in flour are mixed with liquid.
This is not all bad: it's the gluten that holds the baked product
together. Yeast doughs are kneaded for a long time specifically
to develop the gluten. But quick breads (baking powder breads) are
meant to be light. Tough or heavy muffins can result particularly
when adding flour to reduced-fat recipes (such as when using fruit
puree or extra egg whites in place of oil). Fat in a recipe coats
gluten strands and helps keep them from sticking together, which
makes the baked goods come out lighter. Overmixed low-fat baked
goods therefore come out particularly tough. For light-textured
low-fat baked goods, mix the batter just until the ingredients are
barely blended to minimize the overdevelopment of gluten.
Dawn Olcott is Publications
Coordinator at Harvest.
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