Wholegrains are packed with nutrients including protein, fibre, B vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium, so why are 95% of adults not eating enough wholegrains? There’s confusion over terms like ‘multigrain’ and ‘organic’ but unless it says wholegrain, it probably isn’t. People are also concerned about the versatility and taste of wholegrains, and the amount you need varies based on your age, sex and exercise regime, but here is everything you need to know to get them into your diet, and enjoy the results.
A whole grain contains all edible parts of the grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm and includes wholegrain corn, whole oats/oatmeal, popcorn, brown and wild rice, whole rye, wholegrain barley, buckwheat, triticale, bulgur wheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum and 100% whole wheat flour. As you can see from this list, it’s important to check the ingredients list for the word “whole” preceding the grain (such as ‘whole wheat flour’). Recently, there has been an increase in wholegrain options – lots of restaurants now offer brown rice and other wholegrains options and many processed foods even contain wholegrains.
As well as all the above mentioned benefits, most wholegrain sources yield from 1-4g of fibre per serving, which is comparable to fruit and vegetables and just the right amount when spread throughout the day, amounting to your recommended 25g. However, not all wholegrains are created equal. Though they can be an excellent source of fibre, not all wholegrains are good sources. Whole wheat contains among the highest amount of fibre of the wholegrains, but be warned that brown rice contains the least.
So why not switch to wholegrain breads, cereals, bagels and crackers, and snack on wholegrain delights such as popcorn, rye crispbread, wholegrain rice cakes, and oatcakes? Baking cakes, pastries and pies is a guaranteed way to get some delicious wholegrain goodness and start your children off on wholegrains early so they’ll never know the difference.