Whole Grain Foods: Better Nutrition, Better Diet

by Max Jones | Dec 8, 2015 | Diet and Fitness, Health, Weight Loss | 0 comments

Whole grain food diet is one of the most recommended diet, suggested by noted dieticians and nutritionist all over the world.

A whole grain contains all the edible parts of the grain, including the bran, germ and endosperm. Whole grains are packed with important nutrients like proteins, fiber, vitamins and trace amounts of minerals like magnesium and zinc.

Grains are of various types like:

Whole grains:
Unrefined grains containing all the germ and bran and packed with nutrients. Examples are: whole wheat, whole rice and buckwheat etc.

Refined grains:
Refined grains are milled and brans and endosperm are removed by milling. Examples are white rice, white bread, refined flour, and cornflower.

Enriched grains:
Many refined grains are again enriched with the lost minerals and vitamins. This is called fortifying the grains. Sometimes those nutrients that are not naturally present in the grain can also be added, but lost fibers can’t be added back.

Also Read: Eat healthy while losing weight

Choose whole grain foods wisely over the other kind of grains:

Whole grain foods are richer and contains ample amount of necessary nutrients. To get healthy diet, you must make it sure that at least half of your grains are whole grains. Many whole grains come as ready to eat food so choose wisely. Here are a few options such as:

Barley
Wild rice
Whole oats/oatmeal
Buckwheat
Millet
Popcorn
Whole-wheat bread
Whole wheat pasta
Quinoa
Sorghum
Bulgur (cracked wheat)

The whole grains can be used as it is or they can be recombined with nutrients in the natural proportions as well.

Whole grain food nutrition and its importance:

Whole grain food is an important part of a healthy diet. The whole grain food is recommended for all those who are watching weight or who are trying to include a heart healthy diet in their lifestyle. Here are a few benefits of whole grains that make these superfood as one of the most recommended food item:

Have lots of fiber:

Whole grains and fiber are synonymous to one another. Those who are willing to include fiber in their diet should opt for whole grain food items. Fibre is great for the health and you can get ample amount of fiber through whole grain foods.

Help in digestion:

The fiber present in the whole grain is majorly responsible for the gut health. The fibre helps to ease the movement of bowel and prevents diarrhea, constipation, pain and diverticulous that may occur in a person with fiber deficiency. Whole grain also contain good amount of lactic acid that helps to produce digestive enzymes in the gut and thus eases digestion process.

To help lower the cholesterol:

Whole grains are heart friendly foods too as they help to fight cholesterol and bring down the number of bad cholesterol to a safe level. According to a study the people who eat a good amount of whole grains are at a very low risk of getting heart diseases in comparison to those who eat refined grains.

Help to lower the blood pressure and sugar levels:

Another heart friendly benefit of including whole grains is that it helps to lower the hypertension and helps to fight high blood sugar levels as well.

Helps to control weight:

People who are dieting to control the weight should try whole grains as they are rich with nutrients and fibers, thus they leave the stomach feeling fuller and body energized for a long time. Regular intake of whole grain food diet also reduces the risk of major weight gain in women.

They are a good source of vitamin B:

Pregnant women who require a good amount of vitamins for the fetal health should opt for whole grain foods as they are rich in vitamin B –thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid and niacin etc. These vitamins are very helpful in maintaining the proper growth of the fetus and also prevents the occurrence of birth defects in the unborn babies.

So, one should try to include good portions of whole grains in their daily diet. You can enjoy your whole grain daily meals in a number of ways, such as healthy breakfast, whole grain cereals, sandwiches of whole grain bread, including wild rice or barley soups for lunch and whole grain bread crumbs as toppings for salads and meats in dinner.
Thus, by including a whole grain food nutrition you can make your meals more healthy and interesting too.