The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that at least half of your grains are whole. For most people, that translates into at least 48 grams daily. Every General Mills Big G cereal contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, and more than 20 General Mills cereals deliver 16 grams or more.
ideas for getting your three servings of whole grain each day.
Only one in 10 Americans eats the minimum recommended amount of whole grain each day.*
*Cleveland L et al. Dietary intake of whole grains. J Am Col Nutr 2000;19(3):331S-338S. http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/suppl_3/331S
Whether you call them "picky" or "gourmet," kids or spouses with decided taste preferences can be easy to win over to the whole grain habit, too — with a little creative thinking.
- Offer fun cereals made with whole grain, like Honey Nut Cheerios or Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
- Pancakes, waffles, muffins, or cookies are still delicious when you use whole wheat flour or oat flour for up to half the flour in the recipe.
- Use crumbs from crackers or bread made with whole grain for meatloaf, hamburgers, or stuffing.
- Rolled oats or crushed, unsweetened cereal made with whole grain are delicious breading for chicken, fish, veal cutlets, or eggplant Parmesan.
- Stir barley, brown rice or bulgur wheat into soups, stews, casseroles, and stir-fries.
Even if they can't tell the difference, they will still get the benefits of whole grain.
Ready–to-eat cereal is the leading whole grain source for Americans.*
*Cleveland L et al. Dietary intake of whole grains. J Am Col Nutr 2000;19(3):331S-338S. http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/suppl_3/331S
*Bachman JL et al. Sources of Food Group Intakes among the US Population, 2001-2002. J Am Diet Assoc 2008;108:804-814. http://www.adajournal.org/article/S0002-8223%2808%2900183-1/abstract
The grocery store aisle can be a mind-boggling place. When you want to get your shopping done quickly while still being sure you have whole grains in your diet, follow these two rules:
1) Look for a whole grain symbol
The Whole Grain Guarantee from General Mills guarantees that every
Big G cereal has at least a half serving (9 grams) of whole grain. Remember, three or more servings (at least 48 grams) are recommended daily.
Some products carry the Whole Grain Stamp developed by the Whole Grains Council.
2) Scan the ingredient list and remember these quick tips
- Pick the foods that list a whole grain near the top of the ingredients list. The phrase "whole grain" or "whole" before a grain’s name means that it includes all parts of the grain kernel.
- Brown rice and wild rice are the only whole-grain types of rice.
- Oatmeal is always whole grain.
Product labels that use words like "cracked wheat," "stone ground," and "multi-grain" are not necessarily whole grain — neither are brown-colored grains, as color can be caramel coloring.
