Example of Grain Foods

Most people consume grains in their diet every day. Examples range from breakfast cereal, to croutons on a lunch salad, to the pasta for dinner. However, not all grains are created equal. Whether the grains are processed or refined will make a big difference in the nutritional value they offer. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) divides grains into the following categories: whole grains, uncommon whole grains and refined grains.

Whole Grains

A whole grain food uses the entire kernel of the grain. The kernel has three parts: bran, germ and endosperm. Foods that are whole grain are made with whole brown rice, bulgur, rye, buckwheat and oats. Examples of whole grain foods are whole wheat breads, whole wheat crackers, whole wheat tortillas and wild race. Popcorn is another whole grain food. When you are shopping, read the label of the product you are buying. While it might list "whole wheat flour," it may also list "enriched flour." If that is the case, the product is not made entirely from whole grain, but rather a mix of the two. Flours are often combined as processed or refined grain flour gives products, such as breads and baked goods, a smoother texture.

Uncommon Whole Grains

Uncommon whole grains are grains that you don't see a lot of in everyday supermarket foods. Uncommon whole grains are listed by the USDA as millet, amaranth, quinoa, sorghum and triticale. Millet is a flour that is gaining popularity due to the fact that it is gluten-free. (Gluten is a protein found in several grains that causes intestinal problems, and allergies, for many people.) Amaranth, sorghum and quinoa are also gluten-free. Another thing these four products have in common, according to a report from the Harvard School of Public Health, is that they are not true botanical grains, but rather are simply classified as grains, since they are used as grains would be used. According to the Agricultural Marketing Research Center, triticale is a grain that was actually created in the lab, and not by nature. It is most often used as a grain in animal feed, but can be cooked up as a porridge or cereal.

Refined Grains

The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) reports that it was in the nineteenth century that the invention of roller mills altered the way we started consuming our grains. As the grains go through the roller mill, they are crushed, which destroys the bran, which is the outer protective coating of the grain, and the germ, which is loaded with vitamins and minerals. For example, running whole wheat through an industrialized roller mill will destroy 90 percent of its Vitamin E content, and almost all of the fiber content, making refined grain products inferior to whole grain products. Examples of refined grain foods are corn tortillas, white crackers, white and light wheat breads, pastas, and most baked sweets. Basically, if you are buying any product that contains white flour, from frozen waffles to breaded fish, it is made with refined grains. If the label lists "refined" or "enriched" flour, it was made with refined grains. Many wheat breads are made with a combination of whole wheat and refined wheat flour, and while that is better than strictly refined wheat flour, the nutritional value is still compromised. The HSPH does note that some refined products will list "bran" as an ingredient. Bran, remember, is part of the whole grain, and while added bran is good for increasing fiber content, it still does not make the product a whole grain product.