MyPyramid, an educational tool for Americans on how to eat healthy, tells us to consume grains as one of the five food groups in the diet. Grains are further divided into two groups: whole grains and refined grains.
List of Grains and Grain Sources
Grains include wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley and other cereal grains. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas and other foods with grain ingredients provide your body with the grains it needs.
Whole Grains Defined
Make at least half of the grains in your diet whole grains. Whole grains mean the grain includes the bran, the germ and the inner most part of the kernel or the endosperm. Whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal and brown rice are examples of whole grains. To find foods with whole grains, look at the ingredient statement on the Nutrition Facts Panel usually on the back or side of a package.
Refined Grains Defined
Refined grains have been processed to remove the bran and germ. Examples of refined grains include white flour, white rice and white bread. The refining of grains allows for easier use in manufacturing foods. Refining of the grain removes the dietary fiber, iron and some B vitamins, but most refined grains replace some of the B vitamins and iron through the process of enrichment.
Grain Recommendations
Grain recommendations are based on your age, gender and level of physical activity.
Health Benefits of Grains
Grains provide a number of important nutrients, including dietary fiber, B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and minerals (iron, magnesium and selenium). As part of a healthy diet, whole grains can help with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and weight management.
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