Eating a Healthy Diet: Grains

Grains are the basis of a healthy diet. This may come as a surprise to you after years of being told to stay away from foods such as breads, rice, cereal, and pasta. With many mixed messages, it is easy to understand why you might be confused as to how to incorporate grains into a proper eating plan.

What Are Grains?

Grain products include oatmeal, cereal, rice, bread, flour, tortillas, pasta, crackers, bagels, bran, popcorn, rye, millet, quinoa, and grits.

There are two types: whole and refined. The easiest way to know if what you are eating is whole or refined is to look at your food’s packaging. If the food is a whole grain, the ingredient list will state just that – “whole wheat”, “whole rye”, or “whole grain”. Make sure it is listed first or second in the ingredient list. If the food is refined, the ingredient list will include phrases such as “white enriched” or “bleached wheat flour”. Also, beware of manufacturers calling their foods “wheat” without the “whole”. If a food contains whole grain, it will say so in the ingredient list.

Another way to tell the difference is by checking out the fiber content of the food. Whole grains are high in fiber while refined grains contain little or no fiber. For example, when choosing a breakfast cereal look for “whole” in the ingredient list and two or more grams of fiber per serving.

Why Are They Important?

Grains provide us with carbohydrate, which is our body’s main energy source. In fact, our brains and nervous systems use primarily glucose (carbohydrates are broken down by our bodies to produce glucose) for fuel. Whole grains also provide us with insoluble fiber, which is not digested by the body. Dietary intake of high fiber foods helps with weight management and reduces the chances of becoming obese. Fiber is bulky and it fills you up to help you stay satisfied long after eating. In addition, it helps prevent constipation, which can lead to conditions such as diverticulitis. Some grains, such as barley and oats, contain soluble fiber which has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels.

How Much Should I Eat?

According to the new USDA Food Guide Pyramid, adults should consume at least 3 ounces of whole grain products a day. Choose brown rice over white rice, whole wheat or whole rye bread over white bread, and whole wheat pasta (or a whole wheat blend) over white pasta to meet the required amounts. Portion sizes are important: a serving of rice is 1/3 cup, a serving of pasta is 1/3 cup, a bagel should be 4 ounces, a serving of bran cereal is ½ cup, and unsweetened ready-to-eat cereal is ¾ cup.

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