Whole grains are awesome foods. Did you know that people that eat more whole grains have a lower body mass index, lower total cholesterol, and lower hip-to-waist ratio? Also, they contain fibre which lowers risk of certain cancers and can help in lowering blood pressure. But whole grains aren’t just good for your body, they are good for the environment too! As a less processed food, whole grains save on CO2 production.
WOW!!
So just how much do you need of this wonderful miracle food? Well, let’s take a 2000 calorie diet as an example. In this example it is recommended that you get 6 oz. equivalents of grains. AT LEAST half of which should be whole grains---AT LEAST half meaning why not have more than half right?
Besides whole grains there are processed grains. Processing a grain does help with shelf life but it also strips the fibre, iron and many vitamins out of the grain. Most processed grains have vitamins added back in (hence the word “enriched” on certain grain products like breads) but the fibre isn’t added back. So, whole grains are always a better choice.
Great, so now you know that you need 6 oz. equivalents but just what the heck is an “oz. equivalent”?
1 slice of bread is 1oz. equivalent.
5 whole wheat crackers is 1oz. equivalent.
1 cup cooked oatmeal is 1oz. equivalent.
3 cups of popcorn is 1oz. equivalent.
Basically, a 1oz. equivalent is a normal serving size of grain. Adding more whole grains to your daily eating is easy too. Just try switching out your white bread for whole grain bread, or brown rice instead of white rice. Whole grain cereals, snack crackers and popcorn also make great choices. If you had a bowl of oatmeal in the morning and a sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch then you’ve already had 3 oz. (3 servings) of your grains...easy peasy
Ok, now I’ll leave you with a nerdy science experiment you can try. The next time you have a cracker or other starchy food, try chewing it for longer than normal. Did you notice the taste getting sweeter? That’s because the enzymes in your mouth break down the starch into a sugar called maltose which is two glucose molecules stuck together!
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