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Reaping the Benefits
of Whole Grains
A Consumer Guide
ABOUT US
The Whole Grain Stamp
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How Much is Enough?
Intro to Whole Grains
Definition of Whole Grain
Whole Grains, A to Z
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Overview
Health experts advise everyone – men and women, young and old – that
grains are a healthy necessity in every diet, and that it's important to eat at
least half our grains as "whole grains."
But what’s a whole grain? And why does it matter?
Whole grains include grains like wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, quinoa,
sorghum, spelt, rye – when these foods are eaten in their "whole" form
(more on that later). Whole grains even include popcorn! Eating whole grains
has been shown to reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes
and obesity. Yet even consumers who are aware of the health benefits of
whole grains are often unsure how to find them and prepare them.
This Consumer Guide offers practical suggestions for eating whole grains at
every meal, and information on why eating whole grains is recommended by
leading health experts.
What are Whole Grains?
In their natural state growing in the fields, whole grains are the entire seed
of a plant. This seed (which industry calls a "kernel") is made up of three key
parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.
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CONTACT US:
The Whole Grains Council
Oldways Preservation Trust
266 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02116
Tel: (617) 421-5500
Fax: (617) 421-5511
Media Inquiries:
Courtney Davis
(617) 896-4888
[email protected]
All Other Inquiries:
Cynthia Harriman
(617) 896-4820
[email protected]
All information on this website is ©
2003-2005, Oldways Preservation
Trust/Whole Grains Council, unless
otherwise noted.
The bran is the multi-layered outer skin of the kernel, and is tough enough
to protect the other two parts of the kernel from assaults by sunlight, pests,
water, and disease. It contains important antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber.
The germ is the embryo which, if fertilized by pollen, will sprout into a new
plant. It contains many B vitamins, some protein, minerals, and healthy fats.
The endosperm is the germ’s food supply, which provides essential energy
to the young plant so it can send roots down for water and nutrients, and
send sprouts up for sunlight’s photosynthesizing power. The endosperm is by
far the largest portion of the kernel. It contains starchy carbohydrates,
proteins and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Whole grains contain all three parts of the kernel. Refining normally removes
the bran and the germ, leaving only the endosperm. Without the bran and
germ, about 25% of a grain’s protein is lost, along with at least seventeen
key nutrients. Processors add back some vitamins and minerals to enrich
refined grains, so refined products still contribute valuable nutrients. But
whole grains are healthier, providing more protein, more fiber and many
important vitamins and minerals.
Whole grains may be eaten whole, cracked, split or ground. They can be
milled into flour or used to make breads, cereals and other processed foods.
If a food label states that the package contains whole grain, the "whole
grain" part of the food inside the package is required to have virtually the
same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the harvested kernel
does before it is processed.
Whole grains currently make up about 10 percent of grains on supermarket
shelves. At a time when health professionals urge consumers to eat at least
half of their grains as whole grains, it’s a challenge for consumers to find
these healthier whole grains in a sea of refined grain foods.
What are the Benefits of Whole Grains?
Consumers are increasingly aware that fruits and vegetables contain diseasefighting phytochemicals and antioxidants, but they do not realize whole
grains are often an even better source of these key nutrients. Moreover,
whole grains have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and
vegetables, as well as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber.
The medical evidence is clear that whole grains reduce risks of heart disease,
stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Few foods can offer such diverse
benefits.
People who eat whole grains regularly have a lower risk of obesity, as
measured by their body mass index and waist-to-hip ratios. They also have
lower cholesterol levels. Because of the phytochemicals and antioxidants,
people who eat three daily servings of whole grains have been shown to
reduce their risk of heart disease by 25-36%, stroke by 37%, Type II
diabetes by 21-27%, digestive system cancers by 21-43%, and hormonerelated cancers by 10-40%. See the latest research on whole grains and
health by clicking here.
How Much Whole Grain is a Good Idea?
The new 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that all adults
eat half their grains as whole grains – that's 3 to 5 servings of whole grains.
The health evidence has also convinced The American Heart Association, the
Department of Health and Human Services, and the Healthy People 2010
Report all to recommend at least three servings of whole grains per day. Yet
the average American eats less than one daily serving of whole grains, and
over 30% of Americans never eat whole grains at all.
What Counts as a "Serving?"
The USDA defines a grain serving as a grain product containing 16 grams of
flour. As a result, three servings would be 48 grams of whole grain
ingredients.
The USDA recommends meeting the daily requirement by eating three
ounces of breads, rolls, cereals or other grain foods made with 100% whole
grains. A slice of bread or a serving of breakfast cereal usually weighs about
an ounce.
You can also get the whole grains you need from foods made with a mix of
whole grains and refined grains. This means you have lots of delicious
choices that match your taste preferences.
Identifying Whole Grain Products
The Whole Grains Council has created an official packaging symbol called the
Whole Grain Stamp that helps consumers find real whole grain products. The
Stamp will be widespread on your store shelves by mid-2005.
With the Whole Grain Stamp, finding three servings of whole grains is easy:
Pick three foods with the Excellent Source Stamp or six foods labeled Good
Source. The Excellent Source Stamp assures you that a food contains a full
serving of whole grain in each labeled serving, while the Good Source Stamp
appears on products containing half a serving of whole grain per labeled
serving.
But until the Whole Grain Stamp is on all foods, how can consumers know if a
product is whole grain?
First, check the package label. Many whole grain products will say so
outright. Look for claims like "Good Source of whole grain," Excellent Source
of whole grain" or "100% whole wheat" as producers sometimes print "whole
grain" on products containing only miniscule amounts of whole grains.
Words you may see on packages
What they mean
•
•
•
•
•
Contains all parts of the
grain, so you're getting
all the nutrients of the
whole grain.
whole grain [name of grain]
whole wheat
whole [other grain]
stoneground whole [grain]
brown rice
• unbleached flour
• wheat flour
• semolina
• durum wheat
• organic unbleached flour
• enriched flour
• degerminated (on corn meal)
• bran
• multigrain (may describe several whole
grains or several refined grains, or a mix of
both)
These words are
accurate descriptions of
the package contents,
but because some parts
of the grain may be
missing, you are likely
missing the benefits of
"whole grains."
Second, check the list of ingredients. If the first ingredient listed contains
the word "whole" (such as "whole wheat flour" or "whole oats"), it is safe to
assume the product is predominately whole grain. If only the second
ingredient listed is a whole grain, the product may contain as little as 1% or
as much as 49% whole grain (in other words, it could contain a little bit of
whole grain, or nearly half).
A word about fiber. Fiber varies from grain to grain, ranging from 3.5% in
rice to over 15% in barley and bulgur. What's more, high-fiber products
sometimes contain bran or other added fiber without actually having much if
any whole grain. Both fiber and whole grains have been shown to have health
benefits. But they're not interchangeable. So checking the fiber on a label is
not a very reliable way to guess whether a product is truly whole grain.
Turn to the Whole Grain Stamp. As the text above shows, food labels can
be unclear. That's why the Whole Grain Stamp, identifying a half-serving or
full-serving of whole grain, can be a valuable aid for consumers.
If you'd like to know more about whole grains, here are just a few more
websites with good information on whole grains:
www.wheatfoods.org
www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrition/wholegrains.htm;
www.generalmills.com/nutrition/hn/wg.htm
Easy Ways to Add More Whole Grains
Consumers can easily add whole grains to their meals, often using favorite
recipes they’ve always enjoyed. Try some of the following:

Substitute half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your
regular recipes for cookies, muffins, quick breads and pancakes. Or
be bold and add up to 20% of another whole grain flour such as
sorghum.

Add half a cup of cooked bulgur, wild rice, or barley to bread
stuffing.

Add half a cup of cooked wheat or rye berries, wild rice, brown rice,
sorghum or barley to your favorite canned or home-made soup.


Use whole corn meal for corn cakes, corn breads and corn muffins.



Enjoy whole grain salads like tabbouleh.

Look for cereals made with grains like kamut, kasha (buckwheat) or
grano.
Make risottos, pilafs and other rice-like dishes with whole grains
such as barley, brown rice, bulgur, millet, quinoa or sorghum.
Try whole grain breads. Kids especially like whole grain pita bread.
Buy whole grain pasta, or one of the blends that’s part whole-grain,
part white.
There are also several excellent cookbooks dedicated to whole-grain cooking,
with a great many delicious and simple recipes.
Consumers Can Help Increase
Whole Grain Choices
Many in the food industry have provided whole grain products for years
without much notice from consumers. When you munch popcorn in the
theater, or give Cheerios to your toddler, or enjoy a bowl of hot oatmeal,
you're probably focusing more on the delicious taste than on the fact that
these foods are whole grains.
Now that you're aware of the health benefits of whole grains, however, we
urge you to expand your horizons and try some of the new whole grain
products now coming to market. We think you'll discover some great tastes
you've been missing out on.
And if you can't find a whole grain version of your favorite foods, do your
part to make sure your needs are known. There are several ways consumers
can help increase the availability and variety of healthy whole grain foods in
food stores and restaurants:

Tell the manager at your local grocery and your favorite restaurants
that you would like to see more whole grain choices in the store and
on the menu.

Write letters or call the customer service departments at major food
companies urging them to use the Whole Grain Stamp so you can
clearly identify whole grain foods.

In the meantime, vote with your fork (or spoon!), by shopping at
co-ops or larger health-oriented grocers who already stock a
delicious selection of whole grains.