Easy Ways to Enjoy Whole Grains

By Southcentral Foundation Corporate Communications

“The biggest benefit of eating whole grains is the fiber content,” Southcentral Foundation Dietitian Raina Pasiewicz said. “Fiber is best known for helping with digestion and supporting gut health, but it also can help lower cholesterol and promote steady blood sugar, making it a great option for people with diabetes. Whole grains also digest slower than refined grains, which prevents a spike in blood sugar and keeps you feeling satisfied for longer.”

Healthy food options – whole-wheat pasta, legumes, nuts, seeds, cereals, and grains.

Achieve great health benefits by easily incorporating whole grains into your meals by substituting a few items on your plate, making small adjustments to your recipes, or exploring new foods.

Consuming foods that are or have whole grains:

• May reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
• Supports healthy digestion — all whole grains have fiber.
• May help with weight management.

A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit, harvested for human or animal consumption. Grain-producing plants like wheat, rice, corn, and barley are all used to produce foods like bread, pasta, breakfast cereal, oatmeal, and rice.

Eating grain products with folate before and during pregnancy may prevent neural tube defects — birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. Folate is vitamin B9, which is important for overall health and growth. It promotes red blood cell formation, cell division, and DNA synthesis. Many whole grains are also fortified with iron which is a common nutrient deficiency.

“If you have a gluten allergy or intolerance, gluten-free whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, corn, amaranth, teff, millet sorghum, and oats,” Pasiewicz shared.

To identify whole grains on nutrition labels, review ingredient lists and aim for products with whole grain as their first or second ingredient. Choose foods that include the word whole or whole grain in their ingredients, like whole-wheat flour. Do not be fooled by the color of the product; just because bread is brown does not mean it contains whole grains.

If you want to ease your way into adding whole grains to your meals, you can try a gradual approach by making these changes to your usual recipes:

• Substitute half the white flour with whole-wheat flour in your regular recipes for cookies, muffins, quick breads, and pancakes.
• Replace one-third of the flour in a recipe with quick oats or old-fashioned oats.
• Add half a cup of cooked bulgur, wild rice, or barley to bread stuffing.
• Add half a cup of cooked wheat or rye berries, wild rice, brown rice, sorghum or barley to your favorite canned or homemade soup.
• Use whole corn meal for corn cakes, corn breads, and corn muffins.
• Add three-quarters of a cup of uncooked oats (like oatmeal) for each pound of ground beef or turkey when you make meatballs, burgers, or meatloaf.
• Stir a handful of rolled oats in your yogurt, for quick crunch with no cooking necessary.
• Swap whole grain pasta instead of the regular pasta.

“I like to substitute whole grains for refined grains in pasta, rice, and bread. You can make easy swaps for everyday meals without sacrificing taste or convenience,” SCF Health Educator Chenelle Mann said.

You may also incorporate whole grains into your meal options by trying new foods. If you normally use rice as a staple in your meals, try making risottos, pilafs, and other rice-like dishes with whole grains such as barley, brown rice, bulgur, millet, quinoa, or sorghum. If you normally eat sourdough, white, or wheat breads, you can try whole-grain bread. Look for the word whole on the packaging (kids especially like whole-grain pita bread).

Updating your breakfast menu is another way to try whole grains. Look for cereals made with grains like kamut, kasha (buckwheat), or spelt. If you eat oatmeal, swap instant oatmeal with rolled or steel-cut oats for more fiber and start your day in a healthy way.

To learn more about how you can adjust your meals to include whole grains, connect with your integrated care team and ask about scheduling an appointment with a registered dietitian. Whatever phase of life you are in, a dietitian can support your personal nutrition and lifestyle goals. Dietitians at Southcentral Foundation hold a variety of credentials specializing in nutrition for all ages.