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The ultimate guide to grains

Grains are the edible seeds of plants that belong to the cereal family, such as oats, wheat, rice, barley, quinoa and corn – and because they’re packed with goodness they should make up a big part of our diet.

Every grain starts life as a wholegrain. In their natural state growing in the paddocks, whole grains are the entire seed of a plant.

The wholegrain dissected

The seed is made up of three main edible parts protected by an inedible husk that protects the seed. These edible parts are:

  • The bran – the multi-layered outer skin of the edible seed. It contains important antioxidants, B vitamins and fibre.
  • The germ –the embryo which provides the potential to sprout into a new plant. It contains many of the B vitamins, some protein, minerals and healthy fats.
  • The endosperm – the germ’s food supply, providing essential energy to the plant so it can send roots down for water and nutrients, and send sprouts up for sunlight’s photosynthesising power. The endosperm is by far the largest portion of the kernel. It contains starchy carbohydrates, proteins and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Why go whole

The wholegrain provides the total package of healthy goodness. Studies show that eating wholegrains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. It also contribute to body weight management and gastrointestinal health.

When the grains are processed or refined it usually involves the removal of the bran and germ. Without these, about a quarter of the grain’s protein is lost, along with at least 17 key nutrients. While some vitamins and minerals are added back to enrich refined grains, wholegrains have been shown to be much healthier.

According to Australia’s Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC), Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we choose wholegrain and high fibre grain foods most of the time because they pack more of a nutritional punch than their refined cousins.

While Australia puts no official numerical quota on how much of our grain consumption should be the whole variety, the GLNC believes having about 48g of wholegrains each day is an achievable target.
Here are some examples from GLNC of readily available wholegrain foods and their approximate wholegrain content:

  • Wholemeal bread, 2 slices = 30-40g wholegrains
  • Multigrain bread, 2 slices = 5-30g wholegrains
  • Wheat-flake breakfast biscuits, 2 biscuits = 30g wholegrains
  • Brown rice, 1 cup cooked = 65g wholegrains
  • Wholegrain pasta, 1 cup cooked = 55-65g wholegrains

While research has found that benefits are most pronounced for those consuming at least three servings of wholegrains a day, some studies show improved health from as little as one serve daily. So the takeaway message is: every wholegrain in your diet helps.
