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What foods are in the
grain group?
Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley
or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread,
pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits
are examples of grain products.
Grains are divided into 2 subgroups, whole grains
and refined grains.
Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel -- the
bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples include:
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Whole-wheat flour
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Bulgur (cracked wheat)
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Oatmeal
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Whole cornmeal
brown rice
Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes
the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer
texture and improve their shelf life, but it also
removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. Some
examples of refined grain products are:
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White flour
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Degermed cornmeal
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White bread
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White rice
Most refined grains are enriched. This means
certain B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic
acid) and iron are added back after processing. Fiber is
not added back to enriched grains. Check the ingredient
list on refined grain products to make sure that the
word “enriched” is included in the grain name. Some food
products are made from mixtures of whole grains and
refined grains.
Some commonly eaten grain products are:
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Whole grains:
brown rice
buckwheat
bulgur (cracked wheat)
oatmeal
popcorn
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals:
whole wheat cereal flakes
muesli
whole grain barley
whole grain cornmeal
whole rye
whole wheat bread
whole wheat crackers
whole wheat pasta
whole wheat sandwich buns and rolls
whole wheat tortillas
wild rice
Less common whole grains:
amaranth
millet
quinoa
sorghum
triticale |
Refined grains:
cornbread*
corn tortillas*
couscous*
crackers*
flour tortillas*
grits
noodles*
Pasta*
spaghetti
macaroni
pitas*
pretzels
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals
corn flakes
white bread
white sandwich buns and rolls
white rice. |
*Most of these products are made from refined grains.
Some are made from whole grains. Check the ingredient
list for the words “whole grain” or “whole wheat” to
decide if they are made from a whole grain. Some foods
are made from a mixture of whole and refined grains.
Some grain products contain significant amounts of bran.
Bran provides fiber, which is important for health.
However, products with added bran or bran alone (e.g.,
oat bran) are not necessarily whole grain products.
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