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Getting on the Road to Whole Grains

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Whole grain image Grain products, including whole grains, are best known for providing valuable fiber in the diet. Whole grains may help in weight loss and decrease your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Grains come from cereal, bread, pasta, or rice. Eating whole grains is not a new way to eat, but a change to what you are used to. Making the change is not as hard as you may think. Here is an overview of how to get you and your family on the road to a healthier diet.

Why Whole Grains are Good

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernal.You may have heard of bran and (wheat) germ. They are parts of the whole grain.
Whole grains are available in a variety of foods such as pasta, cereal, breads, crackers....They are best known for their fiber content but they also supply important nutrients and are low in fat. In fact, whole grains are associated with many health benefits such as lower cholesterol, weight control, and prevention of illnesses like diabetes. Whole grains fill you up faster, and take longer to digest.
Many of the grain products that we eat are made from refined flour. This means the grain is processed to a point where some or all the nutritional value is gone. Sometimes nutrients are added back into the product but they are not as healthful as an unprocessed whole grain. This means we get the calories without gaining nutritional benefit.
You already eat foods made from grains, making your diet rich in whole grains will only require some fine tuning.

Making the Change to Whole Grains

The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends making at least half the grains you eat be whole grains.
When you think about all the cereals, breads, or pastas that you and your family eat each day you can see how many opportunities you have to introduce whole wheat to your diet. It may be easier to start with breakfast since this meal tends to have the largest servings of grain products.
The taste, texture, and feel of whole grain products may seem different than what you are used to. Experiment with different types of whole grain products. If whole wheat bread doesn't work for you try whole grain pastas or snacks. There are many different products available to help you sneak whole wheat in to your diet without a lot of sacrifice. But, beware. Not all "whole grain" products are created equal.

Become a Label Reader

Take time to read and understand the labels. Sometimes labels can be tricky. True whole grain products will be made of 100% whole grain. These may include some of the following examples::
  • Whole wheat
  • Oatmeal
  • Quinona
  • Whole grain or brown rice
  • Popcorn
  • Whole rye
  • Whole grain Barley
Be careful of words like wheat, stoned wheat, enriched wheat, or seven grain. They may not be whole grains. Color can also be deceiving. Brown color can be just a dye and white products may have some whole grains.
Gradually replace the refined grains you eat with whole grains. Before you know it, you will be eating whole grains all the time and loving it. Your final goal should to have at least half the grains you eat be whole grains.

RESOURCES

American Dietetic Association http://www.eatright.org/

Food and Nutrition United States Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/FoodAndNutrition/

CANADIAN RESOURCES

Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/index-eng.php

Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca/

References

Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf. Updated November 7, 2012. Accessed November 7, 2012.

Dietary recommendations for cardiovascular disease prevention. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php . Updated November 2, 2012. Accessed November 7, 2012.

Flight I, Clifton P: Cereal grains and legumes in the prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke: a review of the literature. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60:1145-59.

Jensen MK, Koh-Banerjee P, Franz M et al: Whole grains, bran, and germ in relation to homocysteine and markers of glycemic control, lipids, and inflammation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83:275-83.

Kaline K, Bornstein SR, Bergmann A et al: The importance and effect of dietary fiber in diabetes prevention with particular consideration of whole grain products. Horm Metab Res. 2007;39:687-93.

Whole Grains are Good for Your Whole Body. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442471695&terms=whole+grains. Accessed November 8, 2012.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

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