Know Your Cereals

Whole grains-the basis for granola, muesli and other healthful cereals-are on the nation's nutrition radar as heart- and diet-friendly sources.

Granola, as it was conceived in the 1960s, is made from toasted whole-grain rolled oats to which various other ingredients and sweeteners are added. The basic recipe calls for oats, oil, nuts, seeds, raisins and other dried fruits, sweetened with honey or maple syrup. But today's granola has moved beyond the decades-old version. With flavors ranging from cappuccino to pumpkin, taste has become as important a determinant as nutrition. Popular flavors include French vanilla almond, pumpkin flax and strawberry vanilla hemp.

Muesli is basically a cereal made from uncooked oats and dried fruits that is eaten with milk or yogurt. Although the ingredients resemble those of granola, the flavor and eating experience is vastly different. Muesli is more of a highly textured porridge that can be eaten hot or cold; it is soft and easily digested, often with no added sugars.
Inside the Cereal BoxMuesli

Grains are the edible seeds of a variety of hardy grasses. Starch is the main energy component of whole grains, but they are also a significant source of complex carbohydrates, protein, essential fatty acids and other nutrients. Whole grains are so called because they are not ground, or milled, into flour or meal. Wheat and oats are the whole grains most commonly found in granola, muesli and other multigrain ready-to-eat cereals, but other less familiar varieties are showing up.

WHEAT: The world's largest cereal crop, grown and consumed primarily in temperate regions. Wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel, the part that is highest in insoluble fiber, important in lowering the risk of colon cancer. Bran is also highest in minerals and vitamins. Wheat germ is the nutrient-dense embryo of the wheat plant, rich in iron, vitamins B and E and selenium, an antioxidant. Wheat berries are the whole kernels of wheat, which can be cooked an eaten like rice. Bulgur wheat is a form of cracked wheat in which kernels are cooked, dried and cracked into a coarse grain used in cereals or pilaf.

OATS: An optimal source of complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber, the latter of which helps lower blood cholesterol levels. Oats carry more protein than either bulgur (cracked wheat) or brown rice. Rolled oats are grains that have been heated and flattened with steel or sometimes stone rollers. Oat groats are oats with the outer hull removed; they must be presoaked and cooked to be edible. Irish oats, Scotch oats and steel-cut oats are minimally processed chopped groats. Oat bran is the outer casing of the oat, high soluble fiber. Instant oats are made with precooked groats that are dried and rolled.

RICE: The primary grain of tropical regions; highest in carbs of all the grains, making it a popular energy source; intestinally friendly and gluten-free. Brown rice has more than 15 times the vitamin E of white rice.

MAIZE: What we call corn; a grain native to the New World that is a staple crop of North and South America and Africa, both for people and livestock.

MILLET: Staple grain of Asia and Africa; exists in many protein-rich varieties.

BARLEY: Easily digestible grain containing some gluten; popular in cereals and baby cereals.

AMARANTH: Not technically a grain, but similar. High in folic acid, calcium and vitamin E, rich in the amino acid lysine.

SPELT: Easily digestible, nutritious grain found in cold and hot cereals.

KUMUT: An ancient relative of modern durum wheat with a mild nutty flavor; grown in the U.S. only with organic certification; present in many specialty cereal product lines.

TRITICALE (trita-kay-lee): A cross between rye and wheat.

Seeds often found in healthful cereals:

PSYLLIUM: A plant seed whose husk supplies soluble fiber, useful in reducing cholesterol; aids intestinal health and regularity.

FLAX SEED: High in Omega-3 fatty acids; must be ground to be absorbed.

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