Page 44 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

hangry partner waiting on dinner or screaming kids who
need shoving out the door for school. Counterpoint: Know
there are good reasons why you’re spending an extra few
minutes. Brown rice is brown because it still has the bran;
that’s also what gives it and other tasty intact grains like
farro a wonderful nutty flavor. To get around the time
crunch, many people find that batch-cooking intact grains
on Sundays does the trick. That way you can use them in
meals throughout the week. Overnight oats are another
antidote to the morning mayhem.

Point: Whole grains provide carbohydrates. People with
diabetes or prediabetes need to be careful about how
many carbs they eat. And low-carb diets were/are/will
always be a thing. Counterpoint: Not all carbohydrates
are created equal. Yes, potato chips, white rice, sugary
beverages, refined-flour pastries and cakes, and similar
ultra-processed foods aren’t worth the carb intake because
of how they spike blood sugar, which overstimulates
the pancreas, which leads to insulin resistance, which
increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. So, although most
people can and should enjoy whole-grain foods, those
with prediabetes or diabetes need to be extra vigilant in
reading labels and spending their carbohydrate budget
carefully. You can’t tell from the Nutrition Facts panel how
many whole-grains servings are in a product, so check for
the Whole Grains Council’s stamp and the ingredients list
to see if the first ingredient (or even only ingredient) is a
whole grain—such as quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat
flour, and so on.

Stuff that Comes from the Ground 33