Health & Fitness
What's so great about Whole Grains?
It is estimated that most Americans eat less than one serving of whole grains per day. As a result, Americans only get about 11 grams of fiber per day rather than the recommended 25 to 30 grams.
While fiber is important, whole grains are much more than just fiber. In nature, the grain has three parts—the germ, bran and endosperm. Advanced processing techniques allow for the removal of the bran and the germ, leaving the starchy white endosperm as the base grain for most food products. (Think white bread, white rice.) The removal of the bran and germ results in loss of fiber, vitamins, trace minerals, healthy fats, antioxidants and about 75% of the phytochemicals. As you can see, the nutrition of whole grains goes far beyond the fiber!
Whole grains have been shown to aid in the prevention of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. They are a vital for our health! Foods high in fiber also help fill you up and keep you fuller longer.
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Do you know how to recognize a whole grain? It can be tricky! Ingredients in a food label are listed by weight. So, if an ingredient is one of the first listed, it is a main ingredient in that food. If you see the following words near the beginning of the food label, that food is a whole grain.
- Whole Grain
- Oatmeal
- Amaranth
- Whole Wheat
- Graham Flour
- Barley
- Whole Rye
- Popcorn
- Bulgur
- Whole Oats
- Brown Rice
- Buckwheat
- Whole Grain Corn
- Wild Rice
- Quinoa
Look for whole grains in the grocery store! They pack much more nutrition than the refined grains ever will. They have the power to help you prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and assist with weight management. So, try to make at least half of your grains whole!
