Look for whole grains when grocery shopping

By Mary Caskey,
a health and nutrition educator, University of Minnesota Extension
According to the updated food pyramid, half of the grain foods we eat in a day should be whole grain. National dietary intake data from 1999-2000 told us that nine out of 10 Americans were not eating half of their grain foods as whole grain. There are more whole grain products on the grocery store shelves to choose from today than ever before, so there is hope that the next data released will show improvement.

Eating whole grains provides several health benefits such as a reduced risk of some chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, and may help with weight management.

A whole grain contains the entire kernel: bran, endosperm and germ. When grain is milled, the flour is usually darker and coarser than white flour. The refined white flour most of us eat contains only the starchy part of the kernel, the endosperm. When the bran and germ are removed to make the refined white flour, some key nutrients are lost. According to the Wheat Foods Council, 95 percent of white flour is enriched with iron and 4 major B-vitamins to make up for those lost in the process to make refined white flour.

How can you tell if the grain product you purchase is whole grain? Look for whole grain as the first ingredient in the ingredient list to help determine whether the product is whole grain. There may be several sources of whole grains in one food. Look for words such as: whole wheat, whole rice, whole oats, whole corn or brown rice.

Another way to identify a whole grain product is to look for the FDA authorized health claim. A product has to be a whole grain in order to use this claim. You might have seen it on bread or cereal packaging in your grocery store.