Eat More Whole Grains for a Healthier Diet

Looking for ways to improve your diet? Look no further than boosting your consumption of whole grains.

“The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends getting at least half of your grain servings from whole grains, which is around three daily servings for the average woman,” says Gabrielle Gambino, MS, RD, a senior clinical dietitian at NewYork- Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. “This may seem like a small amount, but a recent survey of 40,000 adults showed that most consumed only 25 to 40 percent of the recommended daily amount of whole grains.”

In general, one serving is equivalent to one slice of bread, one cup of ready-toeat cereal, or one-half cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal.

The Value of Whole Grains

A whole grain contains all the fiber and nutrients found in the original grain kernel, including the bran (outer covering), endosperm (starchy middle), and germ.

“Whole grains are rich in many valuable nutrients, including several B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc, healthy fats, and phytochemicals,” says Gambino.

Whole grains can contribute to your protein intake, too—quinoa, wild rice, oats, spelt, buckwheat, barley, and whole wheat contain 4 or more grams of protein in one-half cup of cooked grains.

There’s plenty of evidence that eating whole grains benefits your health. One study that examined whole-grain intake and mortality (death) rates found that the more whole grains consumed, the lower the mortality rates.

Additionally, some studies have linked whole-grain consumption with better weight maintenance.

“The fiber content in whole-grain items may support a longer feeling of fullness after eating, which can reduce your appetite between meals and help you avoid over-snacking. A particular type of fiber found in whole grains, betaglucan, has been associated with a lower body weight,” notes Gambino.

Fiber’s Benefits

Whole grains are also good sources of fiber, and diets higher in fiber have been linked with many health benefits, including:

• Lower blood glucose
• Lower cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Decreased risk of colorectal cancer
• Lower risk of dementia
• Reduced risk of depression

“In addition, consuming fiber provides food for the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, which studies show may be linked to many of the benefits above—as well as improved regularity,” says Gambino. Refined Equals Processed A refined grain has gone through a milling process that removes the bran and germ from the grain, depleting the grain’s fiber and nutrient content.

The most common refined grain in the United States is wheat flour, which is commonly referred to as “enriched white flour.” Enriched flour has had some nutrients added back in, but it’s still less nutritious and lower in fiber than whole-grain flour. The typical “Western” diet is high in products made with enriched white flour, including breads, rolls, bagels, muffins, crackers, pasta, cookies, cakes, and pastries.

Don’t Be Duped by Label Claims

“Beware of claims such as ‘Made with Whole Grains’ on food packages. This claim suggests that all of the grains in the product are whole, when, in fact, the product may be made primarily from refined grains,” advises Gambino. “Other potentially misleading words include ‘multigrain’ and ‘stoneground.’”

Do Some Detective Work

To find the facts, you’ll need to read the ingredients list. If the first ingredient on the list is a whole grain (for example, whole-wheat flour, oats, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, barley), the food is a good source of whole grains. (Ingredients are listed from the highest to the lowest by weight, so the food product contains more of the first ingredient than any of the others.) But if the first ingredient is enriched wheat flour, it’s not a good whole-grain source.

When considering processed food products that contain whole grains, such as breakfast cereals and nutrition bars, check the Nutrition Facts panel—many of these foods are high in added sugars.

“In general, foods with shorter ingredient lists tend to be more healthful than those with a long list, especially if the list contains added sugars and/or non-food items, such as colors, flavorings, emulsifiers, thickeners, and preservatives,” says Gambino.

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