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Tips for reaping the benefits of whole grains
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Eating more whole grains is an easy way to make your diet healthier. Whole grains are packed with nutrients including protein, fibre, B vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium). A diet rich in whole grains has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer. Wholegrain diets also improve bowel health by helping to maintain regular bowel movements and promote growth of healthy bacteria in the colon.
Yet, studies have shown that 95% of adults don’t eat enough whole grains 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 whole grains 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, WebMD got 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.
