Cereals, Grains & Pasta

Whole grains are cereal grains that retain the bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm. Whole-meal products are made from whole-grain flour. more...

Common whole-grain products include oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice, whole-wheat flour, sprouted grains, and whole-wheat bread. Common refined-grain products include white rice, white bread, hominy, and pasta (although whole-grain varieties of pasta are available).

Identifying whole-grain products

Whole-grain products can be identified by the ingredient list. Typically, if the ingredient lists "whole wheat," "wholemeal," or "whole corn" as the first ingredient, the product is a whole-grain food item. Whereas, terms such as "enriched" and "bromated," among others, could indicate that the food lacks whole grain.

"Wheat flour" (as opposed to "whole-grain wheat flour" or "whole-wheat flour") as the first ingredient is not a clear indicator of the product's whole grain content. If two ingredients are listed as grain products but only the second is listed as whole grain, the entire product may contain between 1% and 49% whole grain. Many breads are colored brown (often with molasses) and made to look like whole grain, but are not. In addition, some food manufacturers make foods with whole-grain ingredients, but, because whole-grain ingredients are not the dominant ingredient, they are not whole-grain products. Contrary to popular belief, fiber is not indicative of whole-grains. The amount of fiber varies from grain to grain, and some products may have things like bran, peas, or other foods added to boost the fiber content.

Other misleading descriptions include:

• “whole grain”
• “contains whole grain”
• “100% wheat”
• “made with whole wheat”
• “multigrain”
• “pumpernickel”
• “stone-ground”

These do not correspond to any government standards (see below) and thus imply nothing about the product's nutritional makeup.

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