What Are Whole Grains?
| WHOLE GRAINS | REFINED GRAINS |
| Whole Grains are food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or cereal grain, that contain the entire grain kernel. | Refined Grains are food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or cereal grain, that have been milled, a process that removes parts of the grain. |
When grains are refined they lose beneficial nutrients like dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins.
Most refined grains are enriched, meaning some vitamins are added back in.
Dietary fiber does not usually get added back.
Dietary fiber from whole grains can....
- Help reduce blood cholesterol levels
- Lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes
- Help proper bowel function
- Reduce constipation and diverticulitis
- Help regulate blood sugar levels
Fiber packed foods make you feel of fuller longer.
Shopping For Whole Grains
- Use the nutrition facts label, and choose whole-grain products with a higher % Daily Value for fiber (%DV)
- Choose foods that name whole-grain ingredients first on the ingredient list
- If you see the words "multi-grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" they are usually not whole-grain products!
- Brown does not mean it is a whole grain . Some brown breads have molasses or other coloring in them to look like whole wheat. Read the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.
Whole grains:
- Brown rice
- Buckwheat
- Millet
- Oatmeal
- Quinoa
- Rolled Oats
- Whole-grain/ hulled barley
- Whole-grain corn
- Whole Oats
- Whole Rye
- Whole wheat
- Farro
- Kamut
Making The Switch to Whole Grains
You should try to replace refined grains with whole grains when possible:
- Whole grain bread instead of white bread
- Brown rice instead of white rice
- Whole grain pasta instead of plain pasta
If you don't like it at first, try a half & half mix:
- Half brown rice, half white rice
- Half whole grain pasta, half plain pasta
| Did you know? |
| At least half of all the grains you eat should be whole grains.
Quick Tip: You can use rolled oats or a crushed, unsweetened whole grain cereal as breading for baked chicken or fish! |
Try These Whole Grain Recipes
Simple Italian Pasta |
Whole Grain Strawberry Pancakes |
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal |
Spanish Rice |
Healthy Vegetable Fried Quinoa |
Colorful Farro Salad |
