A no-refined-grain diet substitutes whole grain foods for ones made with refined grains or flours. This means no more of the many breads, baked goods, pastas, crackers and cereals sold in standard supermarkets. While not for the faint-hearted, choosing to go whole-grain offers a host of health benefits and interesting new foods to explore.
Refined Versus Whole Grains
A grain seed consists of three parts -- the bran, endosperm and germ. Whole grains or foods made with whole grains contain all the essential parts and nutrients of the entire grain seed says the Whole Grains Council. Examples of whole grains include rolled oats, popcorn, brown rice and whole-wheat flour. Milling removes the bran and germ to make refined grains. According to the American Heart Association, this process removes much of the fiber, B vitamins and iron. As a result, manufacturers enrich most refined grains to add some of the vitamins and iron back after processing. Wheat flour, white rice, and white bread are all examples of refined grains or grain products.
Benefits
Opting for whole grain foods instead of refined ones has many health benefits says the American Heart Association. Grains are packed with vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, iron, magnesium and selenium. These nutrients play a variety of important roles in the body, from aiding metabolism to building bones and supporting your immune system. Most whole grains also are a good source of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber keeps you regular and may help reduce your risk of heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol when eaten as part of a low-fat diet. Lastly, fiber helps to fill you up with fewer calories, so it can help you manage your weight, too.
Drawbacks
From a health prospective, there are very few drawbacks to eliminating refined grains from your diet if you are a healthy adult. Choosing the whole grain alternative is almost always a smart choice. The biggest challenge is the inconvenience. Although there have never been more whole grain options to choose from at supermarkets and in eating establishments as there are today, refined grains still rule the roost. Sustaining a no-refined grains diet requires knowledge, planning and effort, starting with preparing and eating more meals at home.
Getting Started
First, identify all the foods in your diet that contain refined grain products. This includes any product made with refined wheat flour, white bread, many crackers, pasta, ready to eat cereals like crispy rice cereal or corn flakes, farina, flour or corn tortillas and pretzels. Other products typically made with refined grain products include baked goods like muffins, cookies, cakes, pie crusts and doughnuts, cereal bars, pancakes and waffles and pizza dough. Don't be discouraged; there are plenty of tasty alternatives to fill this void.
Identify Alternatives
The next step is to know a whole grain when you see it. With many single-ingredient items, like brown rice, this is reasonably straightforward. Amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, brown rice and wild rice are all whole grains. For multi-ingredient items such as bread, the American Heart Association recommends you look at the food's ingredient list if in doubt. Select foods that have one of the following ingredients first on the the list: brown rice, graham flour, oatmeal, popcorn, whole wheat, whole-grain barley, whole rye, wild rice and whole-grain corn.
Divide And Conquer
Once you know the alternatives, break your day down meal-by-meal and start making substitutions where appropriate. Make changes gradually to keep from overwhelming yourself. For example, at breakfast replace your cornflakes with oatmeal. Or if you prefer toast, make it with 100 percent whole wheat bread. At lunch time, try a whole grain wrap or pack a brown rice salad. For dinner replace white pasta with whole wheat pasta, or serve another grain dish like polenta, corn, millet or quinoa as your starch at dinner. At snack time, use plain popcorn, brown rice cakes or 100 percent whole grain or rye crackers. Or pass on the grains altogether and try fresh fruit or a small handful of nuts and dried fruit instead. As your confidence grows, branch out and try new whole-grain products. The options are limitless.
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