Whole grain foods are those that are made using the entire grain kernel: germ, bran, and endosperm. Whole grains are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and are low in fat. Refined grain foods have the bran and germ removed during milling. This takes out many of the vitamins, minerals and fiber that make grains a healthy food choice.
Whole Grain Foods
Checking the ingredients on the label of foods for the word "whole" before the word grains or name of the grain, will ensure that the product contains whole grains. Whole grain foods include: popcorn, oatmeal, wild rice, bread, pasta, and crackers made with whole-wheat or whole grain flour, brown rice, bulgar (cracked wheat), whole cornmeal, quinoa, muesli, spelt, sorghum, millet, amaranth and hulled barley.
Whole Grain Food Labels
When shopping for products with whole grains the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends looking for products that have "whole grains" listed first on the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed on food labels in the order of most abundant by weight.
The FDA regulates food labeling. One of the regulations they use is the U.S. standards of identity. The U.S. standards of identity regulate how foods are labeled to ensure that the name explains exactly what is being sold. This allows the general public to know exactly what they are buying.
The labels that the FDA has deemed appropriate for whole grain foods are as follows: whole-wheat (macaroni, buns, bread, rolls, spaghetti, vermicelli), whole durum flour, crushed wheat, whole wheat flour, cracked wheat (not part of the name, but as an ingredient), graham flour (not part of the name, but as an ingredient), entire wheat flour, bromated whole-wheat flour, whole durum flour, and bulgar (cracked wheat).
Daily Amount of Whole Grain Foods
Whole grains are an excellent food choice and the FDA recommends eating a minimum of three ounces per day to decrease the risk of several chronic diseases. Healthy food choices are those that contain "whole grain" first on the ingredients list, are low in fat, and high in fiber. Look no further than the FDA-regulated food label to determine these characteristics.
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