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Priority One: setting the record straight about diet fads In
1998, per capita flour consumption dropped four pounds, and it's apparent that nutrition confusion has contributed to the decline in wheat foods consumption, says Alta Engstrom, nutrition department director of General
Mills cereal division, and 1998/99 chair of the Wheat Foods Council. The Council and the American Bakers Association's 1999 Gallup Poll results demonstrate the damage of this nutrition fog as consumers are
reaching for weight-loss quick-fixes while cutting out foods they need most—grain foods found at the base of the Food Guide Pyramid. More than half of consumers polled dieted to lose weight, and of those dieting,
many tend to cut back and even eliminate grain foods. Thus, a key focus of the Wheat Foods Council's educational efforts across the country is an aggressive program aimed at negating anti-carbohydrate fad
diets. This includes a "Harvest the Energy" grains retail seal to help consumers identify grain foods as healthy choices at the point-of-purchase. The seal generated successful consumer awareness in Memphis
food outlets, and a national launch is tentatively set for 2001. WFC leaders are also participating in a national debate on dietary guidelines, stressing the healthfulness of grain foods and the importance of 6 to 11
servings daily. Among the components of the Council's national consumer education effort is an online PowerPoint Presentation, "Setting The Record Straight: A Look At Nutrition Confusion" which can be found at the
Council's website: www.wheatfoods.org.
NFL among audiences WFC reaches In addition to reaching media and opinion leaders, the Council is
capturing the attention of outside audiences such as the National Football League. Complex carbohydrates and athletes go hand-in-hand, and the NFL has ordered numerous copies of Council materials. Grains trivia
Grains: Food of the Gods The Roman goddess Ceres, who was deemed protector of the grain, gave grains their common name today: cereal. Of the seven cereal grains that largely sustain and nourish humankind,
six are part of primitive history. From oldest to youngest are millet, oats, barley and wheat, followed by rye and maize (or corn). The ability to cultivate grain marked the beginning of civilization. Once
people settled in one place, crafts, arts and communication flourished. Religious practices, economic and political power and even wars resulted. The availability and control of wheat became a vital part of human
history. Wheat is now the principal sustaining grain for people all over the world. |
