BranBytes May Help Boost America’s Intake Of Whole Grains

An Intel employee and dedicated California foodie who wanted to easily get more whole grains into his diet has developed a snack product meant to be eaten alongside the refined grain foods Americans love. branBytes, an uncooked bar or wafer held together using dates, contains bran and germ, while products like bread tend to contain only the endosperm of the grain. When the consumer eats regular bread or pizza with branBytes, he is getting the fiber-filled bran, the rich germ and the starchy endosperm that experts say helps prevent heart disease, diabetes and other ailments. The idea won Ashwin Thirunahari a $3,000 food innovation award from the University of California, Davis.