"whole wheat" news and stories

Avoiding being left in the dust of the new health wave, as propelled by Mrs. Obama's meeting with major food markets in May, Kraft announced Monday that it will be pumping up its whole grain content in more than 100 of its products over the next three years.

This move comes after four years of development, the company says, in an effort to increase the use of whole grain without sacrificing the taste consumers have come to know. Despite industry skepticism, Kraft and other major food companies, including ConAgra and Del Monte, recently claimed they've made reductions in sodium; others, in sugar. Last June, Kellogg claimed it would increase fiber by the end of 2010 and last week introduced a line of FiberPlus cereals.

The term "whole grain" signifies an unadulterated product of wheat, something that became less common as major food companies realized that stripping the grain's kernel of its bran, endosperm and germ (all of its nutritional fiber, iron and vitamin content) would produce a finer texture and increase shelf life.

Last spring, I volunteered to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids' table at a church potluck. Knowing that not all kids like the dark, nutty whole wheat bread I grew up on, I bought a loaf of plain country white at my local Trader Joe's. As I stood in line, waiting to pay for my purchases, I wanted to shout out to all the people standing around me, "The white bread isn't for me! I swear I don't eat this stuff!" I was sweating by the time the loaf was tucked into my handled brown paper bag.

Bread is one of those staples most households like to keep around. Over at UrbanMamas, they are having an interesting conversation about how you pick the sliced bread that you buy for your family. I thought it would be an fun question to bring over here. What guides your choices when it comes to the regular loaves you keep on your counter or in your fridge (we were always bread in fridge people in my family)? Do you read labels or have a regular brand? Do you feel the same sense of shame that I have when you buy white bread, or do you wave your white bread flag proudly? Do tell, inquiring minds would like to know.

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Alright, full disclosure time: I made this rockin' buckwheat waffle from *cough* a mix *cough*. But the cinnamon-sugar apples? Totally my own.

I wanted to supplement the waffle with something from the fruit and veggie group, hence the apple addition. I rough-chopped and simmered the apple (an organic Gala) in a 1/4 cup of water until the pieces were soft, and then sprinkled it with a pinch each of nutmeg, cinnamon, granulated sugar and cloves, and them simmered for another minute or two. I drained the apples on a paper towel, lest the waffle get soggy.

Obviously, dear readers, I am in desperate need of a mix-less recipe for whole wheat or buckwheat waffles. Any suggestions?

Today's featured image is a gorgeous, half sliced loaf of homemade whole wheat sourdough bread. Being the sucker for bread that I am, this image makes me wish I could catapult myself through my computer screen and land next to this loaf. Sad that we haven't discovered a way to make that happen yet. If you want a little history on this particular loaf of bread, check out Jenn's blog entry about it. Apparently she's discovered a recipe that uses all whole wheat flour to excellent results.

If you want to see your picture featured here, head over to the Slashfood Flickr group, join us and add your pictures to our pool.

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Like the Cranberry Bread I posted about last month, this recipe also comes from the back of a children's book. Appropriately, these cookies are from Cranberry Christmas, and they are indeed perfect for the holiday season. I did deviate from the recipe in a couple of places, choosing to use slivered almonds in place of walnuts and replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour. The result is a cookie that is tart and sweet.

If your favorite cookie is the type that is gooey with chocolate or caramel, then these are not the cookies for you. But if you want a cookie that dips nicely in tea and would make a really satisfying afternoon snack, then I recommend baking a batch of these up. One last point in their favor is that they are really pretty and would make a nice addition to a dessert buffet.