You Ask, I Answer: Fiber

I eat fresh veggies and hardly any processed food, whole wheat bread, fruit, salad, etc.

Since logging my food intake daily on the Daily Plate.com, I see I am significantly under my daily requirements for fiber.

How can I increase fiber without adding a lot of extra calories? I already know about eating brown rice, whole grains, etc. I also eat steel cut oatmeal often as well too.

-- Laura Lafata
Miami Beach, FL

Since fiber is free of calories, replacing low-fiber carbohydrates with ones higher in fiber will not increase your caloric intake up.

I am not sure what your totals are, but I will say that if your diet is low in calories, you will find it difficult to reach your fiber goals.

However, here are some tips on increasing your daily fiber intake.

If you are a cereal person, grab one that provides 4 or 5 grams of fiber per serving.

When it comes to bread (whether it's for toast or a sandwich), always go for whole grain varieties offering at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.

For quick on-the-go snacks, try out Lara, Clif Nectar, Pure, or Gnu bars (Gnu bars offer 12 grams of fiber; this may be too much at once for some people, so you can try having half a bar with breakfast and the other half after lunch.)

Beans and legumes are great sources of fiber. If you're having soup, opt for black bean or lentil rather than minestrone, tomato, or chicken noodle.

Similarly, add half a cup of chickpeas or kidney beans to salads and wraps.

For an extra fiber boost throughout the day, sprinkle ground flaxseed on soups, salads, yogurt, smoothies, and cereal.

Two tablespoons provide 4 grams of fiber and more than a day's worth of Omega -3 Alpha Linolenic Fatty Acids in a 70-calorie package.

Due to the presence of these polyunsaturated fats, be sure to keep ground flaxseed meal in the refrigerator to slow down rancidity.

Numbers Game: Answer

Forty percent of adults in the United States consume a grand total of ZERO whole grain servings every day.

Not the most encouraging of statistics.

Although whole grains are increasingly more available, I suspect this has to do with a lack of education and knowledge.

Many people, for instance, think multigrain bread is a whole grain. It's not.

Additionally, the overwhelming majority of new whole grain products come in the shape of sugary cookies or cereals "made with whole grains," which can mean that as little as 5% of the total wheat flour used is whole.

Not the best approach.

If your whole grain consumption isn't up to par, here are some ideas.

-- Whether at home or at a restaurant, opt for brown rice. Kitchen-phobes have no excuse. Many companies now offer brown rice that cooks in 10 minutes in the microwave. Nutritionally, it is equal to regular, longer-cooking varieties.

-- Enjoy whole wheat pasta, like DeCecco whole wheat fusilli (pictured at right). If you are brand new to it, make your dishes with half regular pasta and half whole wheat.

-- Eat whole grain bread (at least 3 grams of fiber per slice and 'whole wheat flour' as the first ingredient).

-- Experiment with alternative grains like quinoa and whole wheat couscous (they cook the exact same way as rice. All you need is a pot and water).

-- Add barley to your soups.

-- Start your morning with plain oatmeal (sweeten it up with fruits; add fiber and protein with walnuts or almonds)

-- Make sure your morning cereal is whole grain (again, look for whole wheat or oat flour as the main ingredient).

-- Snack on popcorn (air pop it or make it at home in a pot with a little bit of olive oil).

-- Make waffles and pancakes with whole grain mixes. If you buy frozen varieties, make sure they are whole grain.

Remember, whole grains offer more health benefits than non-whole grains with extra added fiber.

If you need more assistance, check out the Whole Grains Council's amazing and extensive list of whole grain products. It's the perfect supermarket assistant!

Perfect Pickings: Sliced Bread (Calling Them As I See Them!)

Earlier today I received a comment from a reader named Mel, who shared how difficult it is to find a "truly whole-grain bread that does not have high fructose corn syrup."

I empathize.

So, let's cut down your time in the bread aisle and name names.

The following "approved" breads have at least 3 grams of fiber, are 100% whole grain, and contain NO high fructose corn syrup.

Please note this is by no means a definitive list, as it does not include lesser-known brands.

A random sampling from a New York City supermarket led to these results.

Small Bites Approved Breads:

* All varieties of Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Flourless Sprouted Grain Breads
* Arnold 100% Natural Whole Wheat Bread
* Arnold Natural Flax/Fiber Bread
* Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural 100% Whole Wheat Bread
* Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural 9-Grain Bread
* Pepperidge Farm Golden Harvest Grains
* Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread
* Vermont Bread Company Soft Whole Wheat Bread

Names Can Be Deceiving...

* Arnold 12-Grain Bread (contains High Fructose Corn syrup and white flour)
* Arnold Double Fiber Whole Wheat Bread (contains High Fructose Corn Syrup)
* Arnold Healthy Multigrain Bread (contains white flour)
* Arnold Hearty Whole Wheat Bread (contains High Fructose Corn Syrup)
* Arnold Whole Grain Health Nut (contains High Fructose corn syrup, only 2 grams of fiber per slice, and contain white flour)
* Dutch Country Stroehmann 100% Whole Wheat Bread (contains High Fructose Corn Syrup and only 2 grams of fiber per slice)
* Healthy Life Bread (contains High Fructose Corn Syrup)
* Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Soft 100% Whole Wheat Bread (contains High Fructose Corn Syrup)
* Wonder Bread 100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Bread (contains High Fructose Corn Syrup and only 2 grams of fiber per slice)

When in doubt, always read the label!

Perfect Pickings: Sliced Bread

You would think something as simple as nutritious bread would be easy to pick out.

Guess again.

The sliced bread market brings in approximately $18 billion a year, meaning consumers must sort through a maze of brands, health claims, and expensive marketing campaigns.

Alas, Perfect Pickings is here to save the day!

As far as calories are concerned, commercial sliced breads range anywhere from 60 to 120 calories per serving.

These figures mainly depend on the thickness and weight of a particular brand’s slices.

Some clock in at 1 ounce, while another weigh in at an ounce and a half. Some lower-calorie “light breads”, though, constitute a single serving as two slices.

Most standard commercial breads, though, are very similar when compared ounce to ounce.

Don't focus too much on calories -- the differences aren’t that significant, and there are more important values to consider.

Sodium amounts are also fairly consistent across the board, ranging from 120 to 190 milligrams per slice (unless you specifically buy low-sodium varieties or sprouted grain breads, which contain no sodium).

Fiber is the main figure to be on the lookout for. Aim for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Don’t be fooled by varieties consisting of 9, 12, or 15 grains. It is very possible all 15 grains are refined and stripped of their fiber.

You must check the nutrition facts and ingredient list to ensure you are getting a whole grain product.

If “whole wheat flour” is not the first ingredient and each slice provides less than 3 grams of fiber, you are eating white bread (you can thank the addition of molasses for that brown color) with seeds sprinkled on top.

If you see “enriched wheat flour” as the first ingredient, you are not buying whole grain bread. “Enriched wheat flour” is a nice way of saying “white, fiberless flour.”

Keep in mind that Although pure rye bread – popular in Scandinavia – is a whole grain food, the overwhelming majority of rye breads in the United States contain a significant amount of white flour.

Another tricky tidbit – careful with low-calorie “light” breads.

Many boast a fiber content of 5 or 6 grams per serving, but this is mainly due to the addition of cellulose or soy fiber.

Although they operate like insoluble fiber (by helping everything move quickly and smoothly through the digestive system), they do not provide the same health benefits as fiber derived from whole grains.

I recommend avoiding varieties containing high-fructose corn syrup (bread requires a pinch of sugar to soften texture, but HFCS skeeves me out).

Mission: (Semi) Impossible!

More Numbers, More Problems

As if selecting healthy options at the supermarket didn't already involve sufficient figures and calculations, a curveball has been thrown into the mix -- "grams of whole grains".

When this trend first started in early 2007, I inwardly cringed and hoped for its quick disappearance.

Far from it -- I keep seeing it on more and more products!

It is my suspicion that with whole grains and fiber being the latest hot topics, food manufacturers hope to confuse shoppers looking to increase their fiber intake by boasting about the grams of whole grains in their foods -- two very different concepts.

So, consider this your "advertiser proof" tutorial on whole grains.

Let's start at the beginning.

More specifically, the United States Department of Agriculture food pyramid (which was reborn as MyPyramid in 2005 after Public Relations firm Porter Novellis -- which has also collaborated with McDonald's & Mars Co. -- had its way with it).

According to that food pyramid, healthy adults on a 2,000 calorie diet should consume 6 servings of grains.

The USDA defines a serving of grains as one ounce (28 grams). Remember this tidbit, it will come in handy very shortly.

MyPyramid distinctly calls for half of those 6 grain servings to be whole (i.e: oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat cous cous, barley, etc.), rather than enriched (i.e.: white bread, white rice, etc.)

Strangely, the recommendation isn't "three or more," but simply "three."

This is where it all starts to get confusing.

If one ounce is equal to 28 grams, and we are asked to make three grain servings (AKA three ounces) whole, then it logically follows that our whole grain intake should add up to 84 grams (28 x 3).

Well, not quite.

Look up whole grain serving recommendations, and you'll see a daily suggestion of 48 grams.

Perform some simple math and you figure out that one whole grain serving is equal to 16 grams (48 grams divided by 3 servings a day = 16 grams per serving).

Wait, but isn't a one-ounce serving of grains equal to 28 grams, according to MyPyramid? So shouldn't one ounce of whole grains also be 28 grams?

Yes, but the majority of grain products weighing 28 grams (1 ounce) contain a variety of ingredients; not just flour.

It turns out, in fact, that a single one-ounce grain serving packs in approximately 16 grams of flour.

So, although that entire slice of whole wheat bread clocks in at 28 grams (1 ounce), 16 of those grams are flour.

The rest? A combination of salt, sugars, water, and other miscellaneous ingredients.

Although food labels do not list grams of whole grains, you have two ways of finding this information out.

One is by claims on the packaging (such as the "Now with 5 grams of whole grains per serving!" stated on boxes of Teddy Grahams).

Usually, though, these claims are made by products that sprinkle a little whole wheat flour on top of a product that is virtually refined grains.

Considering that you need at least 48 grams a day, 5 grams is a pretty pathetic figure to bother writing about in such large font.

The other is via the Whole Grains Council stamp (pictured at top left), which specifically lists the grams of whole grains per serving in a product.

Some companies are still using old versions of the stamp, which classified foods as "good" (8 - 15 grams of whole grains per serving) or "excellent" (16 or more grams of whole grains per serving).

I love the Whole Grain Council stamp -- it really separates the real deals from the wannabes.

With it, you can spot the cereals providing almost 48 grams of whole grains in just one serving! Talk about bang for your buck.

By the way, starting this year, the Whole Grains Council is teaming up with restaurants across the country to help you spot whole grain dishes!

What about fiber? How does it tie into all this?

An item high in whole grains is high in fiber, but products high in fiber are not necessarily high in whole grains.

An Atkins chocolate peanut butter bar, for instance, contains a whopping 10 grams of fiber.

Since this is a low-carb bar, you certainly won't find whole wheat flour anywhere on the ingredient list.

So how is this value achieved? Thanks to a polysaccharide known as cellulose.

Keep in mind that while this kind of fiber helps keep things moving, there are specific substactes in whole grains that have been targeted in nutrition research as helpful in reducing the risk of several diseases.

So, how do you put all this together without going insane?

Simple. Try to consume 25 - 30 grams of fiber every day, and make sure you are including at least three servings of whole grains to your day.

You can keep it simple by thinking of each serving as a half cup of oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat cous cous, whole wheat pasta, or one slice of a bread which has "whole [insert grain here] flour" as its first ingredient.

If you're ever lost, look for the Whole Grains Council stamp to guide you.

Whew!

You Ask, I Answer (On YouTube!): Healthy Eating Outside The Home

How do I start onto the path of eating and living more heathfully? Hopefully, there are others who, like myself, know what they "should" be doing, but don't know where to begin or what to pay attention to the "most."

For example (speaking only for myself here), here is a glimpse of all the food-related thoughts running through my mind daily:

"Watch your calories, fat, salt, refined sugar, and flour intake.... no fast food/chips/soda/Starbucks mocha whip lattes (sob!).... pay attention to the glycemic index/volumetrics/South Beach/Weight Watcher/Zone Plan... eat your largest meal early and your lightest meal later... get your daily serving of fruits and vegetables (ha!), fiber, and protein... don't forget to take your vitamin/calcium suppleent... and put down that ice cream/cookies/cake!!"

I currently work full-time and go to grad school part-time, so 3 days out of the week I leave my apartment at 8:30 am and don't get home until after 11:00 pm.

I work either Saturday or Sunday each week to make up my school hours.

My eating schedule is seriously out of whack -- many times I've eaten cold pizza at midnight.

I struggle with the "healthful vs. convenienc" battle every day.

And as for cooking? I use my oven as storage space for pots and pans that never get used -- I just don't have the time.

Any advice?

-- Amie Lemire
(Location Unknown)

Great question, Amie.

People tend to overcomplicate nutrition. If you focus on the basics, though, the rest of your concerns will fall into place.

Rather than write out a lengthy response, I thought I would use this as an opportunity to debut Small Bites on YouTube!

You can view my answer below. Be sure to bookmark the Small Bites channel on YouTube, too!

Readers: I would like to post a YouTube clip every 7 to 10 days.

Let me know what you would like to see on the channel. Product reviews? Questions and answers? Fad diet critiques? Let your voices be heard!

You Ask, I Answer: Fiber

I've recently been drinking Naked Juice because I love the taste of it.

I know full well (from my last question) that it isn't a replacement for healthy eating, so I still try to round out my diet.

However, fiber seems like something I still probably am not getting enough of, and I would love to add, like, 10 grams a day mixed into my juice.

Do you know if any of those pure "green" juices include fiber?

If not, do you know of any powdered fiber supplement that isn't marketed as a laxative?

I know it shouldn't stop me, but as a healthy 21 year-old, I can't bring myself to go buy Metamucil.

Until I can afford to drop $500 on a crazy blender that blends whole fruits, I'm hoping adding some powdered fiber to a juice will help.

-- Andrew Carney
Richland, WA

I'm assuming your desire to add ten grams of fiber is based on some sort of calculation (i.e.: you are 10 grams below your recommended intake).

The "problem" I have with your question is that you're essentially trying to find a pint of ice cream in the oven.

Allow me to explain.

If your goal is to increase fiber consumption, skip the powders and liquids and go for a much tastier -- and plentiful -- source: food.

I personally don't understand the decision behind taking Metamucil as a fiber supplement.

It has an unpleasant taste and texture, doesn't offer more fiber than food (one serving offers 3 grams, the same in 6 whole grain Triscuit crackers,) and doesn't provide the naturally-occurring nutrients and phytochemicals in fiber-rich foods.

So, if 10 grams is what you seek, enjoy your juices as they are and consider the following instead:

Snack on one Gnu Flavor & Fiber, Lara, Pure, or Clif Nectar bar every day.

Add a half cup of legumes (chickepas, kidney beans, lentils) to a meal. Some easy options? Heat up some lentil soup or add legumes to a salad, wrap, or burrito.

Complement your breakfast with a cup of whole grain cereal or two slices of whole (or sprouted) grain toast. For an extra fiber boost, start off your morning with fruit as well (a medium banana provides 3 grams of fiber).

If you're making smoothies at home, add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed. You'll get Omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, and 4 grams of fiber in a 70 calorie package.

Like pasta? Next time you make some, mix a regular variety with a whole wheat one. A cup of cooked whole wheat pasta packs in 5 grams.

By all means, try to get your fiber from food first.

There's no reason why anyone -- young or old -- should be spending money on fiber supplements.

You Ask, I Answer: Fiber

I just looked at the fiber I add to my meals and noticed it has calories. 2 tablespoons add up to 72 calories. Is that worth it?

I take it because I was told that when you eat fat with fiber, you absorb less fat.

In addition, I want additional fiber in my meals without additional calories or food. I need to reduce the size of my food intake.

-- Marta (last name withheld)
Miami, FL

It is indeed true that fiber can decrease the absorption of fat (to a certain degree) by forming viscous gels that trap fat particles in, preventing them from being stored in tissues.

There are, however, other important reasons why fiber plays a huge role in weight management.

Soluble fiber -- the only component of oat bran, and partially found in fruits, vegetables, and some whole grains -- helps slow down transit time of digested particles, thereby helping us feel satiated for long periods of time.

This is why a cup of oatmeal in the morning sprinkled with a few fruits and nuts makes you feel hungry later in the day than if you were to eat two Pop-tarts (which, despite having more calories, are completely lacking fiber).

Keep in mind that insoluble fiber -- which wheat bran is entirely made of -- has no calories.

The fiber in whole wheat bread (and the skin of fruits and vegetables) does not add calories to your day.

This is partially why I always recommend people get fiber from whole foods, as opposed to supplements (another reason being that when you eat a fruit or vegetable, you are also getting important vitamins and minerals not found in a fiber pill).

Having fiber-rich meals will help you reduce your caloric intake. A 600 calorie meal providing 15 grams of fiber will keep you fuller longer than a 900 calorie one with 6 grams of fiber.

A cup of lentil soup, for instance, provides 9 grams of fiber and 150 calories (along with 8 grams of protein, which also helps you feel full). This is a much better meal component than a 120 calorie cup of tomato bisque, which only provides 2 grams of fiber (and 2 grams of protein).

The tomato soup will leave you feeling hungry a lot faster than the lentil soup, resulting in you taking in more calories soon after.

You Ask, I Answer: White Whole Wheat Breads

I personally am kind of sketched out by ["white with the same goodness of whole wheat" products] because if they're not actually whole wheat they've got to be missing something somewhere, right?

-- Vincci (via the blog)

I assume you are referring to whole wheat breads that are white in color.

If so, I'm happy to report that they are just as healthy and nutritious as regular whole wheat breads.

The only difference between them is that while standard whole-wheat bread is composed of red wheat, white whole wheat breads are made using albino wheat.

Remember -- determining a bread's whole grain content by its color is often inaccurate.

Many brown breads are made of refined white flour and have molasses thrown in for color. And, in the case of white whole wheat products, their color does not represent a fiberless bread.

You'll always be sure of what you are getting by reading the label.

If "whole wheat flour" is not the first ingredient, you are not getting a whole grain bread.

In fact, if the second ingredient is "unbleached wheat flour," you are not getting as many whole grains as you could. The ideal whole wheat bread should have one kind of flour -- whole wheat.

If your question is in reference to breads "made with whole grains" (or those labeled "multigrain"), then you have every reason to be suspicious, since they are not whole grain breads.

Numbers Game: Answer

According to figures by Consumer Insight, the average Thanksgiving dinner (three ounces of turkey with gravy + one serving of mashed potatoes + one serving of cranberry sauce + one serving of candied yams + one serving of green bean casserole + a slice of pumpkin pie + two bread rolls with butter) adds up to 2,777 calories and 90 grams of fat.

Yes, just one meal provides approximately a day and a half's worth of calories and fat for most people.

It isn't too far-fetched, then, to say that on Thanksgiving Day, many people can take in almost 4,000 calories.

One huge mistake I see many people make on holidays like Thanksgiving is starving all day (or follow non-sensical rules like "I will eat nothing but celery sticks until dinner") in anticipation of a huge meal where high-calorie foods are at their disposal.

End result? Gorging and bingeing all through dinner (and taking in more calories in one sitting than they would have had they eaten sensibly throughout the day) followed by some unrealistic diet goal announcement like, "that's it. Tomorrow it's nothing but chicken broth and grapes."

The best thing you can do before sitting down to a meal where overindulgence seems imminent is to prepare yourself.

Approximately forty five minutes to an hour before dinner, snack on foods containing fiber, healthy fats, and protein.

Some good pre-Thanksgiving dinner snacks include a handful of nuts, a Lara/Clif Nectar/Pure bar, whole grain crackers with hummus, and a bowl of whole grain cereal with raisins or a banana.

If you can make it to the dinner table without starving and wanting seconds of everything, you can enjoy your meal without overloading on calories.

Besides, you know as well as I do that slices of those tempting pies -- along with every other dish -- will be in the fridge tomorrow (and the day after, and the week after that). There is no need to shove it down if, by the end of dinner, you already feel like a Macy's parade balloon.

Also, find ways to make classic dishes healthier.

Serve whole wheat rolls with trans-fat-free margarine, opt for oven-roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes drizzled with olive oil and topped with chopped rosemary in place of mashed potatoes, and check out this delicious low-fat pumpkin recipe made with a whole grain crust!

You Ask, I Answer: Spelt

Are bread products made with spelt healthier than ones with whole wheat?

-- Patrick Wrengton
Palo Alto, CA

Spelt -- which is actually part of the wheat family -- is a whole grain -- a healthy choice when it comes to your carbohydrate consumption, but by no means one that leaves its counterparts in the dust.

It is definitely a smart choice, since it offers plenty of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, thanks to a tough outer husk that does a good job of retaining nutrients.

If the majority of your bread products are whole grain, you are doing just fine from a nutritional standpoint. Whether you choose whole wheat cous cous, quinoa, or brown rice is entirely up to you.

Personally, the bread products I have tried with spelt flour haven't wowed me. I recently had frozen bagels made entirely of spelt flour and found them to be too dense.

If the flavor and texture of spelt suit your palate, though, there is nothing wrong with enjoying it.

However, think of it as a healthy option, rather than the "superfood" some proclaim it is.

It's also wise to keep spelt -- or any other whole grain -- within an appropriate framework.

I recently saw chocolate chip cookies made with spelt flour, marketed as if they were the equivalent to a cup of plain of oatmeal. Nice try, but not quite.

You Ask, I Answer: Multivitamins

What is your response to Dr. Willett, who suggests a multi-vitamin as an inexpensive form of insurance in his book Eat Drink & Be Healthy? My understanding is that a multi-vitamin is a good idea regardless of diet since aside from providing the daily minimum amounts of vitamins it also provides certain things like minerals which even for a smart eater can sometimes be overlooked?

-- Guy Betterbid
New York, NY

For those of you who don't know, Dr. Walter Willett is a professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard's School of Public Health as well as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

A renowned medical researcher, Dr. Willett is perhaps most famous for his revised dietary pyramid, which places exercise and weight management at the base, plant oils and whole grains on the second level, and red meat, butter, and refined grains as neighbors at the tip.

Along the side, Willett borrows from the Mediterranean food pyramid by including alcohol (in moderation) but then adds his own touch by including multi-vitamin supplements.

I'm not quite as gung-ho as Dr. Willett on the thought of people popping a Centrum once a day.

First off, there is so much fortification in today's food that getting most vitamins and minerals is not too difficult. Even the sweetest and least nutritious of children's cereals provides 100% of many of these nutrients.

On top of that, we have beverages -- such as Vitamin Water and even Diet Coke Plus -- as well as "energy bars" that also throw in a day's worth of vitamins and minerals.

It's crucial to realize that it does not take extreme amounts of food to get a daily supply of certain vitamins and minerals. As I recently posted, just half a cup of red peppers provides 100% of our vitamin C needs.

Meanwhile, half a cup of baby carrots provides 300% of our vitamin A requirements, one cup of raw spinach packs in 181% of the Vitamin K we need each day, and a sandwich made with two slices of whole wheat bread contains 60% of our daily manganese needs.

It is true that the recommended intakes for minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium are only achieved by having a combination of foods rich in them.

That being said, I believe it is important to recommend people get as much of their vitamins and minerals from real food as possible.

When you eat a carrot, you aren't just getting Vitamin A. You are also getting fiber, phytonutrients, carotenoids, and antioxidants that are not available in pill form.

Additionally, increasing dietary potassium often correlates with a reduction in sodium intake. That's two birds killed with one stone if vitamin and mineral consumption is first tackled via diet.

I also believe that relying on supplements tends to give people false security, thinking that popping a multi-vitamin in the morning is a free pass for going through the rest of the day without paying attention to the food they are eating.

I think it is much wiser to take a look at what vitamins and minerals one tends to be deficient in and then tackle that problem specifically (ideally by altering one's diet first).

Vitamin D is not readily available in many foods (and most people in the world do not get enough from the sun during winter months), so I do not see anything wrong with supplementation. I also think calcium supplementation is important if the diet does not provide sufficient coverage.

Additionally, people on restricted diets often need to supplement their diets appropriately (i.e.: vegans and vitamin B12).

While we're at it, I would like to clarify that vitamins do NOT provide energy. Calories provide energy. Vitamins do not contain calories.

Yes, the B vitamins are necessary for energy pathways to work properly, but they do not give a boost of energy in and of themselves.

Back to the original question: people eating balanced diets do not need to pop a multi-vitamin every day.

They are better off seeing what nutrients they are actually deficient of, see if they can get them by altering their diet, and, if that's not possible, look to supplement that specific vitamin or mineral by means of a pill.

You "Ask", I Answer: Food Courts

Unfortunately, I think [the shortage of healthy options at the Bronx Zoo and other food courts is] due to convenience. I bet it's much easier (and cheaper) to keep frozen hamburger meat than fruit/veggies/dairy. There's less of a chance the frozen stuff will go bad. As for the hamburger buns? No idea. I worry what kind of preservatives are in it to keep it "fresh."

-- Anonymous

A great point to bring up. It is true that frozen items with long shelf lives are preferred over foods that spoil in a matter of days.

That being said, here is some healthy fare that shouldn't cause any problems for the zoo's business model.

Fruit smoothies (using frozen berries -- no ice needed! -- and long shelf-like milk)

Soy patties (frozen, just like hamburgers)

Healthy stir-frys (frozen chicken breasts + frozen vegetables. Added bonus: brown rice, which has a long shelf life).

Whole wheat hamburger buns (most people can't tell the difference, and the extra fiber won't hurt them)

Small boxes of raisins and small bags of pre-sliced apples (just like Subway sells)

Plain unbuttered popcorn

Healthy energy bars (i.e.: Lara, Clif Nectar)

Nutrition History: Healthier Breads

Look at the food label for any grain product (even the most refined of breads) and you’ll always see 4 B-vitamins (thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folate) and iron listed.

Thiamin(B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3), are bread's enriched vitamins, while iron is its enriched mineral. Meaning, the flour lost these nutrients while undergoing the milling process, so they are added back in.

The requirement of replenishing these nutrients stems from the Enrichment Act of 1942, an initiative to lower the rates of vitamin and mineral deficiencies at the time.

In February of 1996, the Food & Drug Administration required that folic acid (the bioavailable version of folate, another B vitamin) be added to all grain products,in an effort to lower rates of neural tube defects (research unequivocally demonstrated that babies of women who consumed low levels of folate during the first trimester of pregnancy had a higher risk of being born with neural tube defects.)

Folate is not originally found in the endosperm of grains (which is the only part white bread is made from), so it is put in via fortification (added on), rather than enrichment (added back).

Since folate is a B vitamin (which is water soluble), it is crucial to get the required amount every single day.

Whole grains naturally contain folate, so they do not need extra amounts.

Quick lesson on whole wheat vs. white or regular wheat bread:

• Whole wheat breads use all 3 parts of the wheat shaft: the germ, bran, and endosperm
• Refined wheat breads only use the endosperm (thus completely missing out on nutrients found exclusively in the bran and germ, such as vitamin E and selenium).

Fortunately, the folate initiative has worked! Since the fortification of folate to breads, cereals, and pastas, neural tube defects have decreased by 25 percent in this country.

Why bread products? They are widely consumed by people in the United States, regardless of age, socioeconomic level, or ethnicity.

That being said, commercial breads are not the best sources of folate. Spinach, asparagus, and all sorts of legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, etc.) provide more substantial amounts of this crucial B-vitamin.

You Ask, I Answer: Fiber

The release of a Small Bites issue is often followed by reader questions sent in via e-mail.

Since I decided to keep each edition solely focused on the article at hand, I now have several never-before-published (tantalizing!) reader questions.

The following (along with my answers, of course) are all in reference to the premiere issue on fiber.

You mention whole grain breads being good sources of fiber. What about multi-grain breads?

Multi-grain breads sure have good PR! Their healthy-sounding name makes them seem like nutrition superstars, but in reality, they leave a lot to be desired. All multi-grain really means is that a bread is made up of several different grains (i.e.: wheat, barley and oats).

Unfortunately, the vast majority are but a mere combination of heavily refined (and therefore, fiber-free) grains. Just because a loaf of bread is sprinkled with sunflower seeds and soy dust does not make it a healthy choice.

If you are looking to get fiber from commercial breads, go for ones whose first ingredient is "100% whole (insert grain here) flour".

Finding whole grain breads at restaurants is difficult, unless you are going to establishments that are centered around healthy eating. Otherwise, prepare for waiters who think that "wheat" and "whole wheat" bread are the same thing (they aren't; wheat bread is white bread with food coloring, whereas whole wheat bread is the fiber all-star).

I didn't know fruits contained a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber. Do some fruits have more of one type than another?

Not really. Most fruits' fiber breakdown ends up as half insoluble and half soluble. However, most insoluble fiber is found on skins, whereas soluble fiber is in the actual fruit.

This is why I highly recommend thoroughly washing fruits with edible skins and taking a bite. Don't commit a nutrition crime; put the knife down and let the apple keep its skin!

If the goal is to get more fiber, why not just take a few Metamucil pills each day?

Do you also ask your dentist, "if the goal is to have a brighter smile, why not just whiten my teeth once a month instead of brushing them every day?"

Not only do Metamucil pills turn fiber into a "foreign thing I force down with water", they also lack the benefits of fiber-rich foods -- nutrients! Foods high in fiber offer plenty of vitamins and minerals, which you absolutely can not get from a fiber supplement.

Besides, why gobble down a capsule when you can get your fiber in the taste of chickpeas, raspberries, or oatmeal?

The other day at the supermarket I saw Teddy Grahams made with whole grains. The box even mentioned "5 grams of fiber per serving". Does that mean Teddy Grahams have more fiber than an apple?

Those food companies sure are smart. The more they confuse you, the better off they are.

What you saw was indeed Teddy Grahams made with whole grains. Can you catch the misleading statement?

Some people may read that and think, "a healthy cookie," when it could simply mean that whole grain flour makes up one percent of each cookie (literally making the product one "made WITH whole grains" as opposed to "a whole-grain product").

As for the "5 grams of fiber per serving", what you actually read was "5 grams of whole grains per serving".

One gram of whole grains is NOT equal to one gram of fiber. We should ideally be getting at least 48 grams of whole grains a day, but nobody thinks on these terms because food labels don't provide this information.

This is just Nabisco attemping to confuse consumers while making a nutritionally empty product seem like a healthy choice.

The only factor you need to be thinking about is grams of fiber (you ideally want anywhere between 35 and 50 grams a day).

And, trust me, if you're looking to get your fiber fix from a box of Teddy Grahams, you're in deeper trouble than you think.