“Are white foods bad for dieters?”

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Are White Foods The Wrong Foods?
By Susan L. Burke, MS, RD/LD,CDEeDiets Chief Nutritionist
April 14, 2005

One of the questions sent to me recently really piqued my interest. The writer asked, “Are white foods bad for dieters?”

Some foods just have no place on my table. I worked too hard to get the extra weight off, and now I want to maintain. One of the principles I follow to achieve a healthy diet is to eat a colorful variety of foods, including red, green, orange and purple. And yes, brown for whole grain.

Colors mean more nutrition. White foods, especially grains and rice, are processed to remove the perishable kernel and germ. This extends the shelf life but decreases the nutritional value. Color your diet by eating less refined white sugar and processed or bleached white flour. You may also want to cut back on added fats in the way of mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese and other whole milk dairy products.

Because whole grain products aren’t bleached and refined, they contain the entire germ and bran layer, which is perishable. So, they need to be stored in the refrigerator. Buy only what you will use in a couple of weeks. They are worth the trouble, because the taste and nutrition are so much better than that of white foods.

Some white foods, however, are good for dieters: nonfat dairy and fortified soy products including soy milk, yogurt and tofu provide protein, calcium, vitamin D and more. Substitute nonfat mayonnaise and sour cream for regular.

When planning your diet, replace these common white foods with their more nutritional counterparts:

1. Rice: White rice has been stripped of the bran layer and left with just simple carbohydrate. Vital nutrients, including fiber, most of the B vitamins and important minerals are removed. It is then “enriched” with minute amounts of replacement nutrients. Both brown and white rice have about 230 calories per cup and about 50 grams of carbs, but the brown has three times more fiber (3.5 grams versus 1 gram). It also has 10 micrograms of folate versus only 4.1 micrograms for white and 72 micrograms of magnesium versus 22 milligrams for white. Replace white rice with whole grain brown rice and wild rice, which is actually the seed. Like brown rice, wild rice provides 3 grams of fiber per serving.

The California Wild Rice Advisory board states that wild rice is significantly richer in protein than common white rice or most other grains. Wild rice has more niacin than brown and is a good source of other B vitamins, potassium and calcium. One ½ cup serving provides 10.

2. Pasta: White flour, like white rice, is processed to remove the hull and germ and, along with it, much of the nutritional value. Choosing whole wheat pasta increases the fiber and helps lower the risk for heart disease and diabetes. Instead of traditional pasta, try whole wheat cous cous, a delicious cousin to pasta. The preparation is super easy, and it is a nutritious addition to your diet.

3. Hot Cereals (Cream of Wheat, Grits): As a clinical dietitian in a hospital, I had to provide low fiber diets to patients recovering from bowel surgery. Their meals consisted of farina and white bread; never whole grain. High fiber diets are associated with lower risk for intestinal diseases. Replace bleached white farina and grits with Wheatena, millet, Kashi or oatmeal. Whole grains contain much more nutrition, fiber and flavor than the bleached, white. Add raisins for iron and fiber -- and natural sweetness.

4. Cold Cereals: Manufacturers have many ways to fool consumers into thinking cereals are healthier than they really are. For instance, they often use “honey,” “fruit” and “nuts” in cereal names to make them sound healthy. In fact, many of these cereals are full of sugar and fat -- and have less fiber than whole grain cereals. Read the label and select a cereal with LESS than 46 grams of sugar per serving. The first ingredient should be a WHOLE grain, such as whole wheat, rye, or oats. Choose a cereal with a minimum of 4 grams of fiber per serving.

5. Bread: White flour is robbed of vital nutrients, so enjoy whole grain cracked wheat, multi grain and sprouted wheat. These contain double the fiber and more nutrition and flavor than bleached, soft white. Refrigerate for freshness, as the kernel contains the nutrients (such as vitamin E) that are easily oxidized at room temperature.

6. Sugar: White sugar is added to countless processed foods, from frozen entrees to ketchup. It’s important to read food labels, because there are many ways to say “sugar.” Honey, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar, maple syrup, dextrose, maltose and sucrose all mean the same thing: sugar. Sugar provides no nutrition and a lot of extra calories.

7. Mayonnaise: One tablespoon contains 110 calories and 12 grams of fat, most of it saturated. Instead of regular mayo, mix half nonfat mayo and half nonfat yogurt. You’ll be surprised at the great flavor, and you reduce the calories by two thirds. Nonfat yogurt is one of those great white foods that you should include in your diet regularly. It is a great source of protein, calcium and vitamin D.

8. Shortening: White hydrogenated fat, or shortening, is full of trans fat, the type that contributes to raising “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering “good” HDL cholesterol. Banish shortening in favor of vegetables oils and trans fat free spreads. Beware of fried fast food and packaged crackers, cookies and cakes. French fries and other commercially fried foods are generally fried in shortening. It’s cheap and can be stored at room temperature. Products prepared with shortening have a longer shelf life than those made with non-hydrogenated fats.

9. Combination Foods: Baked potatoes are one example. Although the inside is white, the outside is brown, which means most of the good nutrition and fiber is found in the skin of the potato. Scrub, prick and bake: eat the whole potato. Mash with the skin or slice. Brush with olive oil and bake for great “baked fries.” Sweet potatoes are good this way, too.

10. White Meat: Here’s a twist: the white meat of chicken is lowest in calories but the dark meat is just fine for you, whether you’re trying to lose weight or just maintaining. Dark meat has just a few more calories and grams of fat than white, but remove the skin before eating to minimize cholesterol, saturated fat and calories.

Finally, an occasional treat, a cookie or piece of cake, or a pretzel or white roll when you’re eating out is fine... as long as it’s occasional.


eDiets Chief Nutritionist Susan L. Burke is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and a Certified Diabetes Educator who specializes in both general and diabetes-related weight management.

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