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What foods are whole grains?

Whole grains contain fiber and fiber helps your colon work better. It reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer and it is associated with lower cholesterol levels.

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel - the bran, the germ, and endosperm. Examples include whole wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice. Buckwheat, barley, whole rye, wild rice and popcorn are also whole grains.

When grains are refined (like white flour and white rice), the process removes the bran and germ. This provides a finer texture, but also removes fiber, iron and some vitamins.

Some grain products contain significant amounts of bran. Bran provides fiber, which is important for health. Remember, products with added bran are not necessarily whole grain products. For more information, visit mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains.html

The Whole Grains Council says that eating whole grains has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity. All grains start out as whole grains - it's the natural growing state in the fields. Whole grains can be eaten whole, cracked, split or ground. They can be milled into flour and used to make breads, cereals and other processed foods.

If a food labels 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 (the three parts of whole grain) as the harvested kernel does before it is processed.

The 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 per day. Yet, the average American eats less than one daily serving of whole grains and over 30 percent of Americans never eat whole grains at all.

A serving of whole grains, as defined by the USDA, is at least 16 grams of flour - that's three, one-ounce equivalent of breads, rolls, cereals made from whole grain. A slice of bread or a serving of breakfast cereal usually weighs about an ounce.

Here's some easy ways to add more whole grains from the Whole Grain Council:

Substitute half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your next baking recipe.
Add half a cup of cooked bulgur, wild rice or barley to bread stuffing.
Add wild rice, barley, brown rice or rye berries to canned or home-made soup.
Use whole cornmeal for cornbread and muffins.
Enjoy grain salads like tabbouleh.
Buy whole grain pita bread, whole grain pasta.
Look for cereals like kasha or others made with whole grains.

The Mayo Clinic adds these tips:

Eat bran flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal for breakfast.
Substitute whole wheat toast or whole grain bagels for white toast or plain bagels. Look for low-fat, whole grain muffins.
Use rolled oats or crushed bran cereal in recipes instead of dry bread crumbs.
Toast grains to bring out their nutty flavor before adding them to recipes.

It is not recommended that you change your diet to high fiber all at once. Make small changes at a time. If you eat two pieces of white bread, replace one of them with a slice of whole grain bread. Switch from juice to the actual fruit. If you like salty snacks, switch to low-fat popcorn or whole grain pretzels instead of potato chips.

Look at cereal boxes and compare the fiber per serving. Find the ones that are made from whole grain. Use whole wheat and rye flours in baking. Purchase breads like whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel. Eat fresh fruits like apples and berries. Try dried fruits like prunes, apricots and figs. Beans are also high in fiber. Find soups that have beans like chili or lentil. Many vegetables, particularly raw or frozen are also good sources of fiber.

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