Fab and Delicious Food

Hi everyone!  So yesterday I wrote about Post Grape-Nuts Cereal - how it tastes, how to enjoy eating the cereal…and today you are going to learn how the Post Grape-Nuts Cereal is made!  That’s right, I was sent a DVD with behind-the-scenes footage of how it’s made!  Pretty neat, huh?!  But first, I’m going to compare and contrast some fiber samples that I was sent – which is important because then you’ll see what makes Post cereals so great! 

So, Nicole, from Marina Maher Communications had sent me a box that contained Post-Grape Nuts cereal, samples of fiber, and also a message in a bottle (that I’ll talk about later).  Thanks, Nicole!  And on the inside of the box, was this note:

Why is this important?  Because I was sent along the samples of natural and synthetic fibers so that I could actually see the difference between them.

Whole Grain Wheat, Wheat Bran, Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Polydextrose, Maltodextrin

You could definitely see the difference in texture between all the fibers, especially the natural and synthetic fibers, and I’m going to take a minute to describe each one. 

The whole grain wheat looks whole and unaltered, like a wheat berry kernel.

Here is some info about wheatberries:

The term wheatberry or wheat berry refers to the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull), comprising the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheatberries have a tan to reddish brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a crunchy texture; as a whole grain, they also provide nutritional benefits since they are an excellent source of dietary fiber.

Here is some info about whole grains:

Wholegrains are cereal grains that contain bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm.

And here is a picture of a whole grain kernel , depicting the different parts of the grain, as well as its vitamins and nutrients:

The wheat bran looks similar to instant oats, not rolled oats, since they are kind of thin and flat in texture. 

Here is some info about bran:

Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the latter lose a portion of their nutritional value.  

Bran is particularly rich in dietary fibre and omegas and contains significant quantities of starch, protein, vitamins, and dietary minerals.

The whole grain wheat flour is a coarse flour and kind of has the color of whole wheat flour but then is not totally smooth because you can see specks of whole grains throughout. 

Here is some more info about whole grain wheat flour:

 Whole grain or wholemeal flour is made from the entire grain, including bran, endosperm, and germ.

And some info just about whole wheat flour:

Whole wheat flour is a powdery substance derived by grinding or mashing the wheat’s whole grain. It is used in baking but typically added to other “white” flours to provide nutrients (especially fiber and protein), texture, and body to the finished product.  

The word “whole” refers to the fact that all of the grain (bran, germ, and endosperm) is used and nothing is lost in the process of making the flour. This is in contrast to white, refined flours, which contain only the endosperm. Because the whole flour contains the remains of all of the grain, it has a textured, brownish appearance.

The Polydextrose looks similar in texture to granulated sugar, but is maybe just a tiny bit finer.  It also seemed kind of off-white in color.

Here’s some info about Polydextrose:

Polydextrose is a food ingredient classified as soluble fiber and is frequently used to increase the non-dietary fiber content of food,^[1] replace sugar, reduce calories and reduce fat content. It is a multi-purpose food ingredient synthesized from dextrose, plus about 10 percent sorbitol and 1 percent citric acid. Its E number is E1200. The US FDA approved it in 1981.

The Maltodextrin is a brighter shade of white than the Polydextrose and is very smooth in texture, just like powdered sugar. 

And some more info about Maltodextrin:

Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food additive. It is produced from starch by partial hydrolysis and is usually found as a creamy-white hygroscopic spraydried powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose, and might be either moderately sweet or almost flavorless. It is commonly used for the production of natural sodas.

Maltodextrin can be enzymatically derived from any starch. In the US, this starch is usually corn; in Europe, it is commonly wheat. While wheat-derived maltodextrin may cause concern for celiacs that it may contain gluten, maltodextrin is such a highly processed ingredient that the protein is removed, rendering it gluten free. If wheat is used to make maltodextrin, it will appear on the label. Even so, the maltodextrin will be gluten free.^[2]

And here is some info about the structure of Maltodextrin:

Maltodextrin consists of D-glucose units connected in chains of variable length. The glucose units are primarily linked with α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. Maltodextrin is typically composed of a mixture of chains that vary from three to nineteen glucose units long.^[1]

Maltodextrins are classified by DE (dextrose equivalent) and have a DE between 3 to 20. (The higher the DE value, the shorter the glucose chains, the higher the sweetness and the higher the solubility.) Above DE 20, the European Union‘s CN code calls it glucose syrup, at DE 10 or lower the the customs CN code nomenclature classifies maltodextrins as dextrins.

Now, this brings me to the Post Cereals!  The great thing about them is that they are made with all natural ingredients, which means the fiber, antioxidants, and whole grains are naturally occurring!  I was sent a DVD, called “A Master Class from the Masters of Breakfast…” about the making of Post Grape-Nuts cereal and Post Shredded Wheat cereal, which was awesome to watch. 

The DVD begins with an introduction by Dr. Melina Jampolis, a board certified internist and physician nutrition specialist:

She states that everything in the Post adult brand cereals are naturally occurring – the fibers, antioxidants and whole grains. 

Then we went behind the scenes to the making of two varieties of Post cereals.  Natural Foods Chef Myra Kornfeld showed everyone how the cereals are made with natural ingredients, and how simple and easy the whole process really is! 

Cereal 101: Grape-Nuts: A Beginner’s Lesson

• Made from whole wheat flour and malted barley flour
• Malted means the barley is sprouted
• When sprouted, the maltose comes out, which is a natural sweetener
• They are mixed together
• A little yeast is added, then made into a dough, which is then baked
• Large piece of dough is broken into smaller chunks (they used a grater to do so since they were in a small classroom/kitchen and were able to try making the cereal themselves) and then the little chunks of dough are baked again

I loved this behind-the-scenes look at Post Grape-Nuts cereal, learning the process of making it, as well as why the pieces of cereal are so small and crunchy!

Cereal 102: The Art of Shredded Wheat

• Made purely from whole wheatberries
• Cook wheat berries in boiling water
• Grind cooked wheatberries with some water to form a paste
• Spoon paste into meat grinder, press it out (it comes out looking like thick strands of spaghetti) and spread them out on a pan
• (Then it looks like they just shaped the strands into the shape of the Shredded Wheat Cereal by hand (again, this demonstration was being done in a small classroom/kitchen so that everyone could try making the cereal themselves!)

I loved learning about how the Post Shredded Wheat cereal is made too!  It’s a softer cereal than the Post Grape-Nuts cereal and I liked learning how it’s shaped and how it’s only made with one ingredient! 

The DVD ends with a word by Dr. Jampolis, who states that Post adult brand cereals are an integral part of any healthy diet because they really are a whole food made with just one or two ingredients.

I really loved this DVD!  It’s so much fun to learn more about the foods you eat!  It’s so neat how it’s such a simple process and how you can make such tasty foods, like cereal, using natural ingredients! 

So now that you know a little more about Post Cereals, let’s talk about the last thing I received in the box - a message in a beautiful milk bottle! 

Now just what could that message be?!  Well, Post Foods is giving you a chance to win the Post Grant for Good Health essay contest, which will award $25,000 to the winning entrant with the best health and wellness initiative idea for their community, town or local area! 

“From March 15th until May 17th, applicants can submit 300-word essays on PostNatual.com, alongside a budget outlining the intended use of the grant’s funding.  A team of members from Post Foods, the National Wellness Institute, and Dr. Jampolis will evaluate the proposed projects, and in May, 10 finalists will be selected. 

 

Up to 10 finalists will be featured on the Post Web site, where the public can vote for the project idea they find most meaningful.  The winner of the $25,000 grant will be presented their award at the National Wellness Institue’s 35th Annual National Wellness Conference in Stevens Point, Wis., in July. 

 

Full contest rules for the Grant for Good Health are available on PostNatural.com.”

 

Good luck to everyone that enters the contest! 

Hope you all have a great night! 

April 10th, 2010 | Tags: announcement, Contest, fiber, Post Cereals, Post Grape-Nuts Cereal, Post Shredded Wheat cereals | Category: Announcements, Contest, Product review | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL