That’s because even the short list of whole grain benefits is impressive.
- Whole grains are low in fat.
- They can help you to lose weight.
- You can eat them in a variety of ways.
- They’re excellent sources of nutrition and fiber.
- And whole grain foods can protect you from diseases.
There are many different kinds of whole grains grown all around the world. But here are some of the best-known and most nutritious whole grains and whole grain foods that you can find in grocery or health food stores.
List of Whole Grain Foods
Listed nutrient grams are for ¼ cup of dry whole grains (unless otherwise noted). See list of high fiber foods and the food calorie chart for cooked varieties. And look for bread and cracker information on packages.
|Whole Grain||Calories||Protein (g)||Carbs (g)|
|Oats, Steel Cut||170||6||30|
|Rice, Brown, Basmati||140||3||24|
|Rice, Brown, Long Grain||160||5||39|
|Rice, Brown, Medium Grain||160||6||30|
|Rice, Brown, Short Grain||180||7||31|
|Wheat, Hard Red||160||5||39|
|Wheat, Soft Red||139||6||30|
|Whole Wheat Pasta (3/4 cup)||180||7||35|
What are Whole Grains?
Whole grains are the whole seeds of plants. They include the bran (an outer layer which contains most of the fiber), the germ (the part from which new plants sprout that contains many important nutrients) and the endosperm (the largest part of the seed, but it offers little nutrition).
For millions of years, humans ate whole grains straight from the plant stalk. This gave them a rich package high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, enzymes and hundreds of other valuable phytonutrients.
But the late 19th century Industrial Revolution changed our grains.
Modern milling strips away both the bran and germ, along with all the healthy oils that need refrigeration to keep from spoiling. This makes grains easier to store and gives them a much longer “shelf life.” But besides all the fiber and oils, wheat loses 90% of vitamin E and half it’s B vitamins.
The refining process also smashes the endosperm into tiny bits, which turns wheat into fluffy fine flour to make light airy breads and pastries.
What Whole Grains Benefits Can Do For You
More and more studies show that returning to whole grains and other unprocessed carbohydrates can improve our health in many ways.
- Whole grains help to prevent constipation,
- Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease,
- Offers protection against some forms of cancer,
- Helps protect you from developing type 2 diabetes,
- And eating more whole grains helps you to live longer.
Whole grain foods don’t contain just one magical ingredient that can fight disease and improve your health. It’s the entire wholesome package working together that gives you all these valuable whole grain benefits.