Since whole grains are high in fiber, increasing fiber intake usually means you have to increase your intake of whole grains. But what exactly is a whole grain? As covered in an earlier post, a whole grain consists of three parts:
- Bran
- Endosperm
- Germ
Based on the FDA's Whole Grain Label Statements Draft Guidance, here is a list of whole grains and those not considered whole grains:
Whole Grains
Cereal Grains that can be Whole Grains:
- Amaranth
- Barley
- Buckwheat
- Bulgur
- Corn - includes popcorn
- Millet
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Rye
- Oats
- Sorghum
- Teff
- Triticale
- Wheat
- Wild Rice
Oats are Whole Grains
- Oatmeal
- Rolled Oats
- Quick Oats
Not Whole Grains
Legumes are Not Whole Grains (...but they are still high in fiber)
- Soybean
- Chickpea
- Oilseeds (i.e. sunflower seeds) and roots (i.e. arrowroot) derived from legumes
Tweeners
Barley
- Pearled barley is not a whole grain since the processing involves removing some of the bran
- Dehulled barley (not pearled) is a whole grain
Durum Wheat - High protein, yellow flour used in pasta
- Durum wheat used in semolina and flour is not whole grain
- 100% durum wheat or whole durum wheat is a whole grain
