NUTRITION HOTLINE
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
QUESTION: "I heard that some 'whole wheat' pastas do not have enough fiber. Are the labels misleading?"
S.H., via e-mailANSWER: With increasing evidence of the health benefits of whole grains, food labels are much more likely to include information about whole wheat and whole grain than they did even a few years ago.
In February 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft guidance on use of the term “whole grain” at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flgragui.html. This guidance says, by law, food producers can use terms like “100% whole grain” or “10 grams of whole grain” as long as these statements are not false or misleading. The FDA recommends that products indicating “whole grain” or “whole wheat” are labeled as such when they contain whole grains or whole wheat flour and no refined versions of these ingredients.
The FDA has not defined “whole grain,” so you may find some packages with misleading labels. Some products labeled “whole wheat” or “whole grain” have no more fiber than similar products made with refined white flour. To see if a product labeled “whole wheat” or “whole grain” is a good source of fiber, check the Nutrition Facts part of the label. Refined pasta averages approximately 1 gram of fiber per serving. A good whole wheat pasta should have between 3 and 6 grams of dietary fiber per 2-ounce serving. You can also check the ingredient listing to be sure that the first listed ingredient is whole wheat.
Thanks to Blythe Tucker, a dietetics student at the University of Houston, for his help in responding to this question about food labeling.
QUESTION: “I just found your site today and was reviewing the protein information for vegans. I am trying to eat vegan, but I am having some difficulty. My question is this. The information from the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) says that 1 cup of cooked lentils yields only 18 grams of protein. My organic green lentils say on the package that 1/4 cup is 11 grams of protein; thus, a cup would be 44 grams. What is going on here?”
C.H., via e-mail
ANSWER: There are a couple of possibilities that could explain the difference between the values. It’s most likely that the package values are for raw lentils while the USDA values are for cooked lentils. Since lentils increase in size with cooking, the protein in 1 cup of cooked lentils will be lower than in 1 cup of raw lentils.
If you are buying uncooked lentils, and the Nutrition Facts label does not specify that nutrient content is for cooked lentils, chances are that the values are for uncooked lentils. There’s a small possibility that differences in the type of lentil or in processing or growing conditions could lead to different protein values.
See an article on The VRG’s website at www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm for more information on protein.
