Multigrain Diet

According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average adult eats only 15 percent of the daily goal for whole grain intake. Put another way, even though the average adult eats 6.4 oz. of grains daily, compared to the recommended 6 oz., only 0.6 oz. comes from whole grain -- and that compares to the 3 oz. of whole grains necessary to fulfill the recommendation that at least half of each day's grains be whole grains.

Sources

Eating whole grains doesn't mean you have to eat whole wheat bread all day, every day. You can spread your whole grains out to include oats, granola, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, rye and any other unrefined grain you like -- including products like breads, cereals and pasta made from whole grains.

Labels

Be sure to look past the label on multigrain foods. The fact that a product contains more than one type of grain does not mean it contains any whole grains at all. A combination of white wheat flour and white barley flour would make a bread "multigrain," but it would still not make any contribution toward your whole grain requirements. Look instead at the ingredients list to check that all of the grain ingredients are listed specifically as "whole."

Variety

One of the advantages of the multigrain diet approach is variety. Eating a wide variety of foods rather than a diet that relies on frequent repetition of the same foods helps eliminate nutrient gaps and provides the full array of nutrients necessary for maintaining your health and well-being. Whole grains are excellent sources of B vitamins as well as assorted minerals, protein and fiber.

Substitutions

Making the change to a whole grain or multigrain diet can be as easy as replacing your refined grain foods with whole grain foods. Where you would normally eat a spaghetti dinner, eat a spaghetti dinner with whole wheat pasta. Where you would normally have chicken and rice, have chicken and brown rice. In addition to direct substitutions, be adventurous and try new grains and new recipes. Quinoa is a small, round grain that is a complete protein and works well as a side dish or in pilaf-style recipes. Barley can be used as a hot breakfast cereal or in soups, cold salads, casserole recipes or nearly any dish you can dream up.