The recommended daily intake of whole grain food varies for each person depending on age, gender, and level of physical activity. Approximately half of the grains you consume should be whole grains. Experts have recommended eating 5 to 8 ounces of grains per day, 3 to 6 ounces of which should be whole grains.
How much whole grain should you eat a day?
The challenge is to include whole grains in at least one meal or snack every single day, choosing from the variety of wholegrain foods available. In the US it's recommended that you eat at least three 16g servings of whole grains per day - 48g in total.
What foods are high grain?
- Corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas
- Fresh fruit, ice cream, yogurt, or gelatin with whipped cream for dessert
- Zucchini noodles topped with spaghetti sauce
- Breakfast cereals made from corn or rice
- Raw veggies with dips instead of crackers
- Gluten free beer, red or white wine, or other liquors like vodka, gin, bourbon, and whiskey
How much whole grain is enough?
The recommended daily intake of whole grain food varies for each person depending on age, gender, and level of physical activity. Approximately half of the grains you consume should be whole grains. Experts have recommended eating 5 to 8 ounces of grains per day, 3 to 6 ounces of which should be whole grains.
Are whole grains good for weight loss?
Whole grains, such as brown rice, may help weight loss by decreasing calories retained during digestion. Previous research has indicated that whole grains and high dietary fiber intake have several health benefits, such as for glycemic control and insulin sensitivity.
Government Recommendations
The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2020, recommend that all adults eat at least half their grains as whole grains – that’s at least 3 to 5 servings of whole grains. Even children need 2 to 3 servings or more. Recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide are almost exactly the same.
Whole Grains at Every Meal
In the U.S., the 2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend meeting the daily requirement by eating three “ounce-equivalents” of breads, rolls, cereals or other grain foods made with 100% whole grains, or six “ounce-equivalents” made with an equal mix of whole and refined grain.
Every Little Bit Helps
While three or more servings each day will optimize your health benefits, scientists and health experts agree that every bit of whole grain you eat contributes to your health. Even small amounts can start you on the road to better health. So look for ways to get a little here, a little there.
Try to eat whole grains every day
Most of us know it’s important to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg every day. However it’s unclear as to whether people realise high fibre foods are an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. The dietary recommendation for adults is that we should aim for at least 30g of fibre a day, but currently only manage, on average, about 18g.
Try our whole grain challenge
The challenge is to include whole grains in at least one meal or snack every single day, choosing from the variety of wholegrain foods available. In the US it's recommended that you eat at least three 16g servings of whole grains per day - 48g in total. Pictured below is a rough guide to what one 16g serving of whole grain* looks like:
How many grams of whole grains are in one ounce of food?
A food is a 100-percent whole-grain food if the only grains it contains are whole grains. One ounce- equivalent of whole grains has 16 g of whole grains. The recommendation to consume at least half of total grains as whole grains can be met in a number of ways.
How to meet the whole grain recommendation?
The most direct way to meet the whole grain recommendation is to choose 100 percent whole-grain foods for at least half of all grains consumed. The relative amount of whole grain in the food can be inferred by the placement of the grain in the ingredients list.
What are the components of a kernel?
The kernel is made of three components – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. If the kernel has been cracked, crushed, or flaked, then it must retain nearly the same relative proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the original grain to be called whole grain.
How to tell if a food is 100% whole grain?
An easy way to tell if a food product is high in 100% whole grains is to make sure it is listed first or second in the ingredient list. Or better yet, choose unprocessed whole grains: Amaranth. Kamut. Spelt. Barley.
What are the parts of whole grains?
All whole grain kernels contain three parts: the bran, germ, and endosperm. Each section houses health-promoting nutrients.
Why is whole grain good for bowel movement?
By keeping the stool soft and bulky, the fiber in whole grains helps prevent constipation, a common, costly, and aggravating problem . It also helps prevent diverticular disease (diverticulosis) by decreasing pressure in the intestines.
Why is wheat grain removed?
Without the fibrous bran, the grain is easier to chew. The germ is removed because of its fat content, which can limit the shelf life of processed wheat products. The resulting highly processed grains are much lower in nutritional quality.
What is a whole grain stamp?
The Whole Grain Stamp is a widely used marker on food products. The stamp, while designed to steer consumers towards healthy whole grains, identified products with more fiber and less sodium and trans fat but that were higher in sugar and calories than whole grain foods without the stamp.
What is the purpose of refining wheat?
Refining wheat creates fluffy flour that makes light, airy breads and pastries, but the process strips away more than half of wheat’s B vitamins, 90 percent of the vitamin E, and virtually all of the fiber.
Do whole grains reduce diabetes?
A large study of more than 72,000 postmenopausal women without diabetes at the start of the study found that the higher the intake of whole grains, the greater the risk reduction of type 2 diabetes. A 43% reduced risk was found in women eating the highest amount of whole grains (2 or more servings daily) as compared with those who ate no whole ...
Why is whole grain good for you?
All of that fiber in whole grains helps your digestive system run smoothly, aiding waste elimination to keep you regular. It also helps prevent diverticulosis, the formation of tiny sacs in the colon. These sacs can trap food and sometimes cause painful infections .
What is the term for grains that haven't been milled?
The short answer is that at least half of your grains should come from whole food sources. The term "whole" indicates that the grain hasn't been milled, which removes the bran and germ. What's left after milling is just the inner kernel, called the endosperm, which has some nutritional value but lacks essential fiber as well as an assortment ...
Is whole grain enriched or refined?
Grains that aren't whole are categorized as either refined or enriched. Refined grains go through the milling process but have no added nutrients. Enriched grains also undergo milling, but are then fortified with B-vitamins, iron or other vitamins and minerals. Despite the nutrient boost, enriched grains are still lacking much of the nutritional value of whole grains. The parts removed during milling have lots of fiber, as well as many phytochemicals that are still being studied.
Do whole grains help with diabetes?
Even more importantly, choosing whole grains over processed ones translates to lower LDL, or "bad", cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. Some evidence also indicates that whole grains help prevent colorectal cancer, although more research is needed.
Is enriched grain a whole grain?
Despite the nutrient boost, enriched grains are still lacking much of the nutritional value of whole grains. The parts removed during milling have lots of fiber, as well as many phytochemicals that are still being studied.
How many people eat whole grains a day?
However, even with this rise in popularity, we are still not getting enough in our diets. Only 8 percent of Americans eat the minimum recommended amount per day.
What is whole grain?
Whole grains contain the entire grain—the bran, germ, and endosperm. When you see the word “whole” inserted at the beginning of the product, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a whole grain product. Often, package labels will list the word “whole” or “multigrain” but contain very little whole grain.
Why is it important to eat whole grains?
There are many benefits of keeping whole grains in your diet. They contain essential nutrients, such as magnesium for bone health, selenium for immune system support, and fiber for digestion and weight management.
How many ounces of grains should a woman eat a day?
Women under the age of 50 need 6 ounces of grains each day, and at least 3 of them should be whole. After age 50, women should eat 5 ounces of grains a day, and 2 1/2 ounces should be whole grains. Men under the age of 30 need 8 ounces a day, at least 4 ounces being whole.
How many grains should a toddler eat a day?
Toddlers need 3 ounces of grains each day as part of a healthy diet. At least 1 1/2 ounces of these should be whole grains. Girls between the ages of 4 and 8 need 5 ounces of grains per day, with at least 2 1/2 of them being whole grains. Boys between the ages of 4 and 8 need 6 ounces of grains per day, and at least 3 ounces ...
What is 1 ounce of cereal?
One slice of bread, half a bagel or English muffin and a small muffin each count as 1 ounce of grains. A 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, hot cereal, oatmeal or bulgur are each equivalent to 1 ounce as well. One cup of ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, a 4-inch pancake or a small flour tortilla are each equal to 1 ounce as well.
How much should a teen girl eat?
Teen girls should aim to eat 6 ounces of grains each day, of which 3 ounces should be whole grains. Teen boys need to eat 8 ounces of grains on a daily basis, and at least 4 ounces should be whole grains.
How much whole grain should a 4 year old eat?
Boys between the ages of 4 and 8 need 6 ounces of grains per day, and at least 3 ounces of them should be in the form of whole grains.
Do you need whole grains?
The amount of grains you need each day depends on your age and gender, but no matter how many servings you require, make sure at least half of them are whole grains. Whole grains supply fiber, which supports healthy digestion and wards off certain health problems. They are usually lower in sugar than refined grains as well.
Download the Whole Grains Fact Sheet here
Grains have been known as the “staff of life” for thousands of years, serving as a vital food source for humans.
Enrichment vs. fortification
Enrichment: the addition of vitamins and minerals to restore nutrients to levels found in a food prior to storage, handling and processing.⁴
Definition of whole grains
A whole grain is made up of the intact, ground, cracked, flaked or otherwise processed kernel of the grain plant (composed of the bran, germ and endosperm) after the removal of inedible parts such as the hull and husk.¹,⁵ Whole grains can be eaten whole, cracked, split, flaked or ground.
Anatomy of a whole grain kernel
Bran: The multi-layered outer skin of the kernel that helps to protect the other two parts of the kernel from sunlight, pests, water and disease. It contains important antioxidants as well as iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, B vitamins, fiber and phytonutrients.
Whole grain dietary recommendations and current intake
The 2015–2020 DGA describe a healthy eating pattern as one that includes grains, at least half of which are whole grains. For adults eating approximately 2,000 calories per day, the recommendation is to consume about six ounce-equivalents of grains per day, with three ounce-equivalents coming from whole grain sources.¹
Whole grains and human health
Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber, which is associated with reduced risk for many health conditions. However, some research demonstrates that the health-promoting effects of whole grains are attributed to more than just their fiber content.
Cardiovascular health
Research demonstrates an association between consuming whole grains as part of a low-fat diet and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Grain Recommendations in U.S. Guidelines
Examples of A Serving
- The U.S. Guidelines define a serving as any of the following amounts, for products where all the grain ingredients are whole grains: ½ cup cooked rice, bulgur, pasta, or cooked cereal 1 ounce dry pasta, rice or other dry grain 1 slice bread 1 small muffin (weighing one ounce) 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes If you’re enjoying whole grains in products ...
What Is An “Ounce-Equivalent?”
- The U.S. Guidelines actually say you should eat a specified number of “ounce-equivalents” instead of servings. Because a slice of most breads, a cup of most cold cereals, and the amount of dry rice or pasta that cooks up to ½ cup all weigh about an ounce, the Guidelines thought this would be more specific and understandable than simply saying “serving.” If the term “ounce-eq…
U.S. Guidelines Details on Whole Grains
- Specific recommendations for eating whole grains daily first appeared in the 2005 version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which said, “In addition to fruits and vegetables, whole grains are an important source of fiber and other nutrients. Whole grains, as well as foods made from them, consist of the entire grain seed, usually called the kernel. The kernel is made of three com…