The Dietary Guidelines and My Pyramid released earlier this year recommend, ‘Make half your grains whole.’  On the reference 2000 calorie diet, this means a minimum of three servings of whole grain foods daily.

Unfortunately, approximately 42 percent of Americans never eat a whole grain.  But they may think they do, according to Ruth Litchfield, Iowa State University Extension nutrition specialist.

“For example, General Mills advertises that all their cereals are made with whole grain.   However, the amount of whole grain in the cereals varies significantly.  In fact, the first ingredient in Cocoa Puffs continues to be sugar.  So finding whole grains in the grocery store can be a challenge,” she says.

This recent emphasis on whole grains in the Dietary Guidelines has led to a number of ‘whole grain’ claims in the food industry.

“So until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides the definition of ‘whole grain,’ consumer beware,” Litchfield says.  “Use the following tips from My Pyramid to increase your whole grain consumption.”

Choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients FIRST on the label’s ingredient list:  brown rice, bulgur, graham flour, oatmeal, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat, or wild rice.

“Foods labeled with the words ‘multi-grain,’ ‘stone-ground,’ ‘100% wheat,’ ‘cracked wheat,’ ‘seven-grain,’ or ‘bran’ are usually NOT whole-grain products,” Litchfield says.

Color is not an indication of a whole grain.  Bread can be brown because of molasses or other added ingredients.  Read the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.

Use the Nutrition Facts label and choose products with a higher % Daily Value (%DV) for fiber – the %DV for fiber is a good clue to the amount of whole grain in the product, Litchfield adds.

For more information visit:  University of Minnesota:  www.wholegrain.umn.edu/ Great basic information, history and health benefits of many grains; Wheat Foods Council:  www.wheatfoods.org/ Excellent research updates, newsletter, recipes,  photos and links; Whole Grains Council:  www.wholegrainscouncil.org/ Information on grains from A to Z, education materials and product information.

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