Make whole grains part of your healthy diet 

By Lisa Franzen-Castle
Extension Nutrition Specialist, PhD, RD
UNL Panhandle Research & Extension Center

Did you know that people who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases? Grains provide many nutrients vital for health, such as dietary fiber, B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).

On average, most Americans eat enough grains, but few are whole grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel, the bran, germ, and endosperm. Some examples include whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice. Mypyramid.gov recommends that at least half of all the grains eaten should be whole grains.

Tips on how to make more of your grains whole:

• The importance of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Whole grains are good sources of fiber; most refined grains (such as white flour, degermed cornmeal, white bread, and white rice) contain little. For a change, try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers and whole-wheat macaroni in macaroni and cheese.
• Whole grains and weight management. Did you know eating at least 3 ounce equivalents a day of whole grains may help with weight management? Fiber-containing foods like whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. In general, one slice of bread, one cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal is considered an ounce equivalent. Snack healthier by trying ready-to-eat, whole grain cereals, adding whole-grain flour or oatmeal to baked treats, eat a whole-grain snack chip, such as baked tortilla chips, or munch on popcorn, a whole grain that is healthy when there is little or no added salt and butter.
• How to spot whole grains at the grocery store. When increasing whole grain consumption there are some important things to look for on food labels. Choose foods with one of the following first on the ingredient list such as brown rice, oatmeal, bulgur, wild rice, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye or whole wheat. If the food label has ingredients listed such as multi-grain, stone-ground, seven-grain, or bran, these are usually not whole-grain foods. It is important to note that the color of a food product is not always a good indicator of whether it is whole grain. Bread can be brown due to molasses or other ingredients that have been added.

Also, check out the Nutrition Facts Label and choose products with a higher percent daily value (%DV) for fiber.
The amount of grains that a person needs depends on age, gender, and level of physical activity. Check out www.mypyramid.gov for more detailed information on the grains group as well as the other food groups. If you go to Mypyramid Plan under Interactive Tools you can enter information about yourself and receive a customized food guide.

Remember to broaden your food horizons with whole grains and try substituting a whole grain product (such as wheat bread or brown rice) for a refined one (such as white bread or white rice).