For educational and non-commercial purposes only. Information adapted from the United States Department of Agriculture.

v. January 2017

Make Half Your Grains Whole Healthy Tips & Ideas

Eating whole grains is part of healthy eating. Healthy eating can help prevent many types of cancer and other chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Grains include any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel. To make half of the grains in your diet whole, follow these simple tips:

Read the ingredients list Choose products that list a whole-grain ingredient first on the ingredient list. Look for ingredients like whole wheat, brown rice, bulgur, buckwheat, oatmeal, whole-grain, cornmeal, whole oats, whole rye or wild rice.

Be a smart shopper Foods labeled as 100% wheat, multi-grain, bran, seven-grain, or stone-ground usually are not 100% whole-grain products and may not contain any whole grain. Again, make sure to read the ingredients list. Check the label for fiber Look at the amount of fiber listed on the Nutrition Facts label. Foods that are good sources of fiber have 10% to 19% of the Daily Value, while foods with 20% or more fiber are excellent sources.

Save some time If you have extra time, cook whole grains and freeze some of it to reheat and serve at a later time.

Substitute and mix it up with whole-wheat When possible, substitute a whole-grain product into your diet. Try 100% whole-wheat bread instead of white bread. Prepare meals with whole-grain products too. Try using brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.

Whole grains as healthy snacks Munch on lightly salted popcorn or try 100% whole-wheat or rye crackers.

Bake with whole-grains Try your favorite recipes by substituting half of the flour with buckwheat, millet or oat flour. Be a role model for children Set a good example for children by serving and eating whole grains with meals or as snacks.

For more local information, please contact:

For educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Information adapted from the United States Department of Agriculture. v. January 2017

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Make Half Your Grains Whole

Where can I get more information? The USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion provides information on portion size, serving suggestions, healthy meal tips and recipes. Phone: 1-888-799-7264 Website: www.choosemyplate.gov The American Heart Association’s Nutrition Center offers information about healthy diet goals, smart shopping, recipes, healthier meal preparation methods, smart substitutions and much more. Phone: 1-800-AHA-USA-1 (1-800-242-8721) Website: www.heart.org The National Cancer Institute provides accurate and up-to-date information about cancer types, prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and end of life care. Phone: 1-800-4CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Website: www.cancer.gov Local Notes: