Whole Grains and Your Heart
Ask our expert how to add them to your diet
- My doctor says whole grains are good for my heart. What foods have them?
- I already eat oatmeal. Why should I try barley?
- How much barley should I eat to protect my heart?
- How do I know that a food contains a heart-healthy dose of barley?
- How can I add more barley to my diet?
- Does the malted barley in beer count toward my daily fiber requirement?
- I'm not much of a cook. How else can I add barley into my diet?
Q: My doctor says whole grains are good for my heart. What foods have them?
A: From popcorn and oatmeal to graham crackers and corn tortillas, whole grains naturally come in many different 'packages' that make it easy for you to eat healthy every day. Whole wheat and oats can actually help lower blood cholesterol; research has now confirmed that barley can, too. To know if a food is – or isn't – a good source of whole grain, check the label and look for the words 'whole grain.'
Q: I already eat oatmeal. Why should I try barley?
A: Barley has a sweet, nutty flavor and chewy texture, and it has more soluble fiber than oats. Soluble fiber grabs onto cholesterol and removes it from your body before it can stick around and damage your heart and blood vessels. And soluble fiber helps control runaway blood sugar. Barley fills you up so you're less likely to overeat and gain weight.
Q: How much barley should I eat to protect my heart?
A: About 1½ cups a day. That amount will cover the 3 grams of soluble fiber it takes to lower your cholesterol count.
Q: How do I know that a food contains a heart-healthy dose of barley?
A: The label will tell you. Thanks to a recent FDA ruling, barley products that add significant soluble fiber to a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can say on its packaging that it may reduce heart disease risk. You've likely seen similar wording on other whole-grain foods.
Another way to know is to check the ingredient list - chances are that foods listing barley near the top are heart-healthy. They're even better if the Nutrition Facts panel also reflects at least 5 grams of dietary fiber per serving or details soluble fiber separately.
Q: How can I add more barley to my diet?
A: There are lots of ways! Instead of that breakfast oatmeal, sample a hot cereal made from barley flakes or grits. Add some pearl barley to your lunchtime soup or salad for a satisfying, healthy meal. At dinner, try some barley mixed into meatballs or meatloaf, in a casserole, stew or pilaf, or let barley stand in for rice or potato as a side dish. You can even bake with it: barley flour can replace one-quarter of the flour in yeast bread recipes and one-half of the total flour in quick breads, muffins and cookies.
Q: Does the malted barley in beer count toward my daily fiber requirement?
A: Sorry - there's no fiber in beer.
Q: I'm not much of a cook. How else can I add barley into my diet?
A: Not to worry. It's never been easier to find healthful amounts of barley in brand-name boxes. For a ready-to-eat cereal, try Post's new Grape-Nuts Trail Mix Crunch. It's easy to bake your own bread with Hodgson Mill bread mix. Even Rice-a-Roni has a new line of whole grain side dishes made with barley. Pay attention to serving sizes, though - they'll help you control calories, fat and sodium intake.
This page last updated 1/6/09 03:38 PM
