Nutrition Week： Whole-grain rice, multi-grain, pure wheat … which are whole grains？

The third week of May every year is "National Nutrition Week", and this year’s theme is "Whole grain, nutrition+,opening a new era of nutritious and healthy grains". In the new version of Dietary Guidelines for China Residents (2016), the first core recommendation mentions cereals: there are various foods, and cereals are the main ones. What does the grain include? Where is the whole grain? How much grain should we eat every day? Today, Xiaobian will give you a "past lives" of grain.

What is whole grain?

Whole grain refers to the whole grain and its natural nutrients that have not been refined (or processed by grinding and crushing). Compared with refined grains, whole grains contain more B vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, phytochemicals, tannins, carotenoids, phytic acid, lignin and lignans. Common varieties are grain amaranth, barley, buckwheat and so on. "Whole grain" retains all kinds of nutrients and active ingredients in the grain to the maximum extent, and its health effects in preventing chronic diseases and other fields are remarkable.

How much grain do you want to eat every day?

Dietary Guidelines for China Residents (2016) suggests that healthy adults should consume 250g-400g of cereals and potatoes every day, which is equivalent to 1 small bowl of rice or 1 medium-sized steamed bread per meal. The whole grain and miscellaneous beans are not less than one third (50-150g).

What are the benefits of eating whole grains often?

According to the data of the Whole Grains Council of the United States, eating whole grains regularly can effectively reduce the risk of some chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes by 21-30%, cardiovascular disease by 25-28% and stroke by 30-36%. It can also reduce the risk of obesity, colorectal cancer, asthma and inflammatory diseases, maintain normal blood pressure, reduce gum disease and prevent tooth loss.

How to select whole grains

1. According to the suggestion of USDA, firstly, check whether there is the word "whole" in the ingredient list, such as whole oats, whole wheat flour, whole grain corn and whole rye.

2. Even if some foods are marked with "multi-grain", "100% wheat", "high-fiber" and "whole wheat", in fact, they are only added with bran, lacking germ, and do not belong to whole grains, so they need to be carefully recognized when purchasing.

3. When choosing oatmeal, try to choose "pure oatmeal" instead of "nutritious oatmeal" with various ingredients, such as white sugar and vegetable oil powder. "Pure oatmeal" contains higher nutrients, such as dietary fiber, and more sugar and fat in "nutritious oatmeal" is not conducive to cardiovascular health.

Content source: Beijing Nutrition Society