The American Bakers Association (ABA) wants people to know that maintaining a commitment to being healthier in 2011 is easier when you incorporate grain foods, both whole and enriched, into your daily diet.
“Grain-based foods deliver essential fuel the body needs – whether at the gym or playground, at work or at school,” observed ABA President and CEO Robb MacKie. “Leading health organizations recommend grain foods as the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. Americans are encouraged to eat six to ten servings daily.”
Enriched grain products are not only a good source of important nutrients including iron and B vitamins, they can also protect against many chronic conditions. MacKie pointed to recent research showing that people who consume a medium-to-high percentage of carbohydrates in the diet have a reduced risk of obesity. Likewise, a greater whole grain intake is associated with decreased levels of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, all factors that increase the risk for heart disease and stroke.
However, noted MacKie, Americans still fall short on meeting recommendations to make half of grain servings whole. “Bakers are doing their part to help change that,” he stressed, “with more than 1,000 good-tasting, nutritious whole grain products introduced to the marketplace in recent years as part our constant innovation to meet consumer preferences and demand.”
Lee Sanders, ABA senior vice president, government relations and public affairs, emphasized the tremendous benefits of enriched grains for women and their families. FDA mandated policy in 1996 that enriched cereal-grain products be fortified with folic acid. “Enriched grains are the primary source of folic acid in Americans’ diets. Since this policy was implemented, there has been a 25-35 percent decrease in neural tube birth defects in the U.S. This is truly an amazing success story,” observed Sanders. She further noted that folic acid has been linked to decreased risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, and some cancers.
“We also encourage Americans to incorporate more physical activity into their daily routine,” advised MacKie. “Exercise is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle whatever your age.” Among the many resources available to help families get started is the Presidential Active
Lifestyle Award Challenge (www.PresidentsChallenge.org), which challenges Americans to get moving at least 60 minutes a day, five days a week.
“The complex carbohydrates in grain foods help provide the energy to tackle a more active lifestyle, so it’s a win-win combination,” said MacKie. “Incorporating more grain foods into your daily diet is an easy resolution to keep and one that will pay off health-wise as we all strive to eat smarter and live healthier.”
The American Bakers Association (ABA) is the Washington D.C.-based voice of the wholesale baking industry. Since 1897, ABA has represented the interests of bakers before the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, state legislatures & international regulatory authorities. ABA advocates on behalf of over 200 companies – both baking companies and their suppliers. ABA members produce bread, rolls, crackers, bagels, sweet goods, tortillas and many other wholesome, nutritious, baked products for America’s families. The baking industry generates more than $70 billion in economic activity annually and employs close to half a million highly skilled people.
Source: The American Bakers Association