Grain choices include wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, and other cereal grains. These grains are made into grain products like bread, breakfast cereal, pasta, oatmeal, tortillas, grits, and crackers. This food group includes many choices from ready-to-eat snacks to barley-processed whole grains. The wealth of options often leaves consumers questioning which choices are best and why we need to include them in our eating styles. There are two types of grains: whole grains and refined grains.
Whole grains contain the entire kernel with three parts—bran, endosperm, and germ. Examples: whole wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice.
Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. Milling gives the grains a finer texture and extends the shelf life, but it also removes the dietary fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Examples: white flour, de-germed cornmeal, white bread, and white rice.
Refined grains are usually enriched which means certain B vitamins and iron have been added back after processing. However, fiber cannot be added back to refined grains.
Food marketing companies are sneaky so it can be difficult to tell a whole grain from a refined, enriched grain. Check the list of ingredients to find out what’s in your food.
Whole grains must have the word “whole” in the first ingredient, except when the first ingredient is a whole grain. For example, a bag of brown rice will not likely list the first ingredient as “whole brown rice” but you now know that brown rice is a whole grain.
Many products are made with a combination of whole and refined grains. The ingredients are listed in order of weight so the first ingredient makes up most of the product.
Always look for refined enriched grains in the list; not all refined grains are enriched!
Don’t be fooled by the words multi-grain, 7-grain, 100% wheat, or stone ground. These words, either on the front of the package or in the list of ingredients, do not mean the product was made with whole grain.
How much do you need?
The amount of grains your body needs depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity. General recommendations range from 3 ounce equivalents for children to 8 ounce equivalents for adults. Most Americans consume enough grains, but few are whole grains. At least half of all grain choices should be whole grain.
Health Benefits
Grains, especially whole grains, are an important source of energy, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.
Thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin are B vitamins that play an important role in metabolism. These vitamins help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates and are essential for a healthy nervous system. Many refined grains are enriched with these B vitamins.
Folate (folic acid), another B vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, fortified foods, or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia. They should eat foods high in heme-iron (meats) or eat other iron containing foods along with foods rich in vitamin C, which can improve absorption of non-heme iron. Whole and enriched refined grain products are good sources of non-heme iron along with beans, lentils, and legumes.
Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation and is important for a healthy immune system. Whole grains contain both these minerals.
Dietary fiber from whole grains or other foods, may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is important for proper bowel function and helps reduce constipation. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness.