NoOption5L
Fri, Jun-23-06, 17:16
Just like diversity/variety is good in your diet,
diversity/variety in your grain consumption is also good.
---
Amid the aisles of spaghetti and canned peas, cereals and
breads made with mysterious-sounding grains like amaranth and
quinoa are sprouting up at major supermarkets.
Wheat is still king of this country's whole grains, but the
appearance of such alternatives indicates consumers are
beginning to expand a niche market once relegated to the
obscure corners of health food stores.
"People are realizing there's a benefit to eating a diversity
of grains - and these grains have some incredible nutritional
properties," said Carole Fenster, an author of numerous
cookbooks that incorporate wheat-free grains.
New federal guidelines recommending three servings of whole
grains a day have put a spotlight on wheat, but exposure to
barley, brown rice and other options has also grown, said
Alice Lichtenstein, chair of the nutrition committee at the
American Heart Association.
According to the marketing information company ACNielsen,
sales of products with whole grain claims on their packages
for the year ending April 22 increased 9.5 percent from the
previous year.
Wheat free grains skyrocket: NuWorld Amaranth, one of the
country's main buyers of amaranth, reported a 300 percent
increase in sales in the past three years. Bob's Red Mill,
which sells alternative wheat-free grains, saw a 25 percent
increase in sales in the past year, with quinoa driving the
bulk of the growth.
Amaranth, grown for millennia by the Aztecs, has twice as much
iron as wheat and is higher in protein and fiber. Quinoa, an
ancient Andean crop, has less fiber but more protein and iron
than wheat.
It may take some time for the unfamiliar grains to find broad
acceptance. The American palate is still adjusting to whole
wheat, and amaranth's distinct, slightly nutty taste could
take some getting used to.
Gluten-caused celiac disease: One reason for the fledgling
demand is a growing awareness of celiac disease, which is
triggered by gluten, the protein found in wheat. Symptoms
range from severe cramping to chronic fatigue and even organ
disorders. The condition is believed to affect about 2 million
Americans, with others sensitive to the protein.
There is also a growing crossover market of health-conscious
shoppers in search of the most nutritious grains, said Diane
Walters, spokeswoman for NuWorld.
ConAgra Mills is working with farmers to expand the supply
of sustagrain, a type of barley with a 30 percent fiber
content, said Don Brown, vice president of business
development at the company.
While products made entirely of amaranth and quinoa may not
hit the mainstream anytime soon, the demand for such grains as
ingredients will likely get a boost as multigrain products
proliferate, said Robert Myers, executive director of the
Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, a research center in
Columbus, Mo.
"Once they get past corn, wheat and oats, they'll eventually
get around to picking up grains like amaranth," he said.
A limited supply: Alternative grains also benefit from the
popularity of organic goods, Fenster said - Whole Foods even
has a line of bakery goods devoted to gluten-free diets.
"As people go into those stores, they can't help but notice
those products," she said.
Supply of some alternative grains is still limited, however.
Estimates of U.S. farmland devoted to amaranth, for example,
range from 1,000 acres to 3,000 acres - compared with 50
million acres for wheat, according to the Thomas Jefferson
Institute.
But the supply of white wheat in the country was also
limited until Sara Lee recently launched its white wheat
bread, said Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition
at the Whole Grains Council. To ensure adequate supply,
ConAgra began contracting with farmers about five years
before the product launch.
The same thing could happen for other grains that are easy and
inexpensive to grow, Myers said.
----
Patrick
diversity/variety in your grain consumption is also good.
---
Amid the aisles of spaghetti and canned peas, cereals and
breads made with mysterious-sounding grains like amaranth and
quinoa are sprouting up at major supermarkets.
Wheat is still king of this country's whole grains, but the
appearance of such alternatives indicates consumers are
beginning to expand a niche market once relegated to the
obscure corners of health food stores.
"People are realizing there's a benefit to eating a diversity
of grains - and these grains have some incredible nutritional
properties," said Carole Fenster, an author of numerous
cookbooks that incorporate wheat-free grains.
New federal guidelines recommending three servings of whole
grains a day have put a spotlight on wheat, but exposure to
barley, brown rice and other options has also grown, said
Alice Lichtenstein, chair of the nutrition committee at the
American Heart Association.
According to the marketing information company ACNielsen,
sales of products with whole grain claims on their packages
for the year ending April 22 increased 9.5 percent from the
previous year.
Wheat free grains skyrocket: NuWorld Amaranth, one of the
country's main buyers of amaranth, reported a 300 percent
increase in sales in the past three years. Bob's Red Mill,
which sells alternative wheat-free grains, saw a 25 percent
increase in sales in the past year, with quinoa driving the
bulk of the growth.
Amaranth, grown for millennia by the Aztecs, has twice as much
iron as wheat and is higher in protein and fiber. Quinoa, an
ancient Andean crop, has less fiber but more protein and iron
than wheat.
It may take some time for the unfamiliar grains to find broad
acceptance. The American palate is still adjusting to whole
wheat, and amaranth's distinct, slightly nutty taste could
take some getting used to.
Gluten-caused celiac disease: One reason for the fledgling
demand is a growing awareness of celiac disease, which is
triggered by gluten, the protein found in wheat. Symptoms
range from severe cramping to chronic fatigue and even organ
disorders. The condition is believed to affect about 2 million
Americans, with others sensitive to the protein.
There is also a growing crossover market of health-conscious
shoppers in search of the most nutritious grains, said Diane
Walters, spokeswoman for NuWorld.
ConAgra Mills is working with farmers to expand the supply
of sustagrain, a type of barley with a 30 percent fiber
content, said Don Brown, vice president of business
development at the company.
While products made entirely of amaranth and quinoa may not
hit the mainstream anytime soon, the demand for such grains as
ingredients will likely get a boost as multigrain products
proliferate, said Robert Myers, executive director of the
Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, a research center in
Columbus, Mo.
"Once they get past corn, wheat and oats, they'll eventually
get around to picking up grains like amaranth," he said.
A limited supply: Alternative grains also benefit from the
popularity of organic goods, Fenster said - Whole Foods even
has a line of bakery goods devoted to gluten-free diets.
"As people go into those stores, they can't help but notice
those products," she said.
Supply of some alternative grains is still limited, however.
Estimates of U.S. farmland devoted to amaranth, for example,
range from 1,000 acres to 3,000 acres - compared with 50
million acres for wheat, according to the Thomas Jefferson
Institute.
But the supply of white wheat in the country was also
limited until Sara Lee recently launched its white wheat
bread, said Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition
at the Whole Grains Council. To ensure adequate supply,
ConAgra began contracting with farmers about five years
before the product launch.
The same thing could happen for other grains that are easy and
inexpensive to grow, Myers said.
----
Patrick