Tips for reaping the benefits of wholegrains

Eating more wholegrains is an easy way to make your diet healthier. Wholegrains are packed with nutrients including protein, fibre, B vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals ( iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium).  

The British Dietetic Association says "Evidence is mounting that eating wholegrains regularly as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle may help to reduce the risk of many common diseases."  The BDA cites a study by researchers at the University of Kentucky in 2000 which suggests heart diseases and type 2 diabetes may be up to 30% lower in people who regularly eat wholegrain as part of a low-fat diet and healthy lifestyle. The BDA also says a diet rich in wholegrains may help maintain a healthy weight and a healthy digestive tract by helping maintain regular bowel movements and promote growth of healthy bacteria in the colon.

Yet, a 2003 survey by Proceedings of the Nutrition Society showed that 95% of adults don’t eat enough wholegrains and nearly one in three consume none at all.

Why? For one thing, it's not always easy to tell just which foods are wholegrain. Scan the bread, cereal or snack packaging, and virtually every one promotes its wholegrain goodness. But not all of them actually are wholegrain. Terms like "multigrain," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "organic," "pumpernickel," "bran," and "stone ground" may sound healthy, but none actually indicates the product is wholegrain.

Also, many people have the perception that wholegrains just don't taste good, or that it's difficult to work them into their daily diets.

To help you start reaping the benefits of a diet rich in whole grains, here are the facts on how to tell which foods are made of whole grains, along with suggestions on how to fit the recommended servings into your healthy eating plan.

Know your wholegrains

A whole grain contains all edible parts of the grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. The wholegrain may be used intact or recombined, as long as all components are present in natural proportions. To recognise wholegrains, keep this list handy when you go to the supermarket and choose any of the following grains:

• Wholegrain corn
• Whole oats/oatmeal
• Popcorn
• Brown rice
• Whole rye
• Wholegrain barley
• Wild rice
• Buckwheat
• Triticale
• Bulgur (cracked wheat)
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Sorghum
• 100% whole wheat flour

But what about when you're buying processed products, such as a loaf of bread? You probably know to avoid products made of "refined" wheat. But did you know that some manufacturers strip the outer layer of bran off the whole kernel of wheat, use the refined wheat flour, add in molasses to colour it brown, and call it "100% wheat" bread? That's true -- but it is not a whole grain.

That's why it's important to check the ingredients list for the word "whole" preceding the grain (such as "whole wheat flour"). Ideally, the wholegrain will be the first ingredient in the list, indicating that the product contains more wholegrain than any other ingredient.

The amount of grains you need daily varies based on your age, sex, and physical activity level.