Make Half Your Grains Whole — 10 Tips (Printable)
Whole grains are a good source of fiber and other nutrients. Choose whole grains for at least half of all the grains you eat in a day. Foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, or barley are all grain products.
Make Half Your Grains Whole
Whole grains are a good source of fiber and other nutrients. Choose whole grains for at least half of all the grains you eat in a day. Foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, or barley are all grain products.
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1. Make simple switches
To make half your grains whole grains, substitute a whole-grain product for a refined one. Try brown rice instead of white, or whole-wheat bread instead of white bread.
2. Whole grains can be healthy snacks
Popcorn, a whole grain, can be a healthy snack with little or no added salt and butter. Try whole-wheat crackers or whole-grain cereal as easy grab-and-go options.
3. Save some time
Cook a big pot of brown rice, quinoa, or whole-grain pasta when you have time and refrigerate or freeze the extra. Reheat a portion for a fast side dish later in the week.
4. Mix it up with whole grains
Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley in vegetable soup or stews and bulgur wheat in a casserole or stir-fry. A whole-grain salad mix could include kasha or wild rice.
5. Try whole-wheat versions
For a change, try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes, and whole-wheat macaroni in macaroni and cheese.
6. Bake up some whole-grain goodness
Experiment by substituting whole-wheat or oat flour for up to half of the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin, or other flour-based recipes. They may need a bit more leavening to rise.
7. Be a smart shopper
Read the ingredients list and choose products that name a whole grain — such as "whole wheat" or "brown rice" — as the first ingredient. Color is not a reliable clue.
8. Use the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list
Check the food label to see if a product is a good source of fiber. Many, but not all, whole-grain products are good or excellent sources of dietary fiber.
9. Know what to look for on the ingredients list
Words such as "multi-grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" do not always mean whole grain. Look for the word "whole" before the grain name.
10. Start your day with a whole grain
Begin the morning with whole-grain cereal, such as oatmeal, or whole-grain toast. A warm bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit is filling and full of fiber.