Choosing Whole Grains

Foods made from grains, such as bread, pasta and rice are an important part of a healthy diet. Dietary recommendations say that at least half of the grains we eat each day should be whole grains. Whole grains provide our bodies with fiber, vitamins and minerals. These important nutrients help our bodies to prevent certain diseases. Whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, popcorn, oatmeal, wild rice and barley are all examples of whole grain foods.

Here are 3 tips to help you shop for whole grain foods:

1.      Read the product ingredients list: Whole grain foods will have “whole wheat”, “whole grain”, “oatmeal”, “brown rice”, “buckwheat”, “bulgur” or “wild rice” as the first ingredient.

2.      Fill up on fiber: Fiber makes you feel full and helps to prevent some diseases. Whole grain foods that have 3 or more grams of fiber per serving are a good source of fiber!

3.      Color doesn’t count: Just because a food is brown does not mean that it is a whole grain. Molasses or other food coloring can be added to bread or pasta to make it look more like a whole wheat product. Also words on packaging like “stone ground”, “100% wheat”, “multi grain” or “bran” do not indicate that a product is a whole grain. The only way to be sure is to read the ingredients list!