Do you know the secrets of whole grains?

In the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)", we can see that cereals should be eaten 200-300 grams per day, of which whole grains should be consumed 50-150 grams per day. The general recommendation is that whole grains should be consumed at 1/3 of the amount of cereals. The intake of whole grains varies among children and adolescents at different ages. The recommended intake is 30-70 grams per day for children aged 6-10, 30-70 grams per day for children aged 11-13, and 30-70 grams per day for children aged 14-17.

So what are whole grains? What whole grains are there in life? How should we eat enough? Why should we eat whole grains? Let's explore these questions together!

1. What are whole grains?

Whole grains refer to grains that have not been finely processed or that have been ground (crushed or flaked, etc.) but still retain the four parts of a complete grain: germ, endosperm, endosperm, and bran. This can reduce the loss of nutrients caused by processing.

Grain germ: contains protein, fat, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, B vitamins, minerals, etc.

Endosperm: contains starch and a small amount of protein.

Aleurone: contains protein, fat, rich B vitamins, minerals, etc.

Bran: Contains dietary fiber, B vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.

2. What whole grains are there in our daily lives?

According to the above definition of whole grains, as long as the four parts of the grain are intact, it can be considered a whole grain. Common whole grains in our lives include: oats, brown rice, black rice, purple rice, millet, coix seeds, buckwheat, quinoa, sorghum, highland barley, etc. In addition, intact beans and potatoes can also be regarded as a broad whole grain food, such as mung beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, adzuki beans, pinto beans, corn, sweet potatoes, etc.

In our daily life, we often see some whole grain foods, such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat biscuits, etc. However, only foods that contain no less than 51% whole grain raw materials in the formula are whole grain foods. So when buying, we should pay attention to the nutrition label to confirm whether it contains whole grains. Of course, when we make bread and biscuits at home in our daily life, as long as we add an appropriate amount of whole grains, it is also a way to increase the whole grain food.

3. How to Eat Enough Whole Grains

Although there are many types of whole grains, we often overlook them in our daily diet, and mostly choose refined white flour and white rice. In fact, we can add whole grains appropriately to the food we cook in the morning, noon, evening and snacks according to the recommended amount. Common practices are as follows:

· Porridge: eight-treasure porridge, millet porridge, oatmeal porridge, corn porridge, etc.

Steamed bread: black rice steamed bread, cornmeal steamed bread, whole wheat steamed bread, etc.

Rice: purple rice, millet rice, yam rice, sweet potato rice, corn rice, mung bean rice, etc.

Noodles: whole wheat flour noodles, corn flour noodles, mung bean flour noodles, etc.

Snacks: whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat biscuits, steamed corn, steamed sweet potatoes, steamed yams, red bean soup, all kinds of whole-grain soy milk or paste, etc.

Stir-fry: Kidney beans, pinto beans, etc. can be cooked with meat or vegetables.

Why should we eat whole grains?

From the definition of whole grains, we can see that compared with refined grains, whole grains retain more nutrients, allowing us to consume more nutrients when eating grain foods. In addition, consuming enough whole grain foods can help smooth bowel movements. Studies have also shown that whole grain foods can maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and reduce the risk of intestinal cancer.

For the specific intake, we should consider the recommended intake for different ages. It is not advisable to consume too much, so as not to affect the absorption of minerals and increase discomfort such as flatulence. On the other hand, we should consider the actual situation of each person, whether there are gastrointestinal diseases that are not suitable for consuming whole grains, and whether there are allergies and other discomforts after consuming whole grains. If you are not sure whether whole grains are suitable for you, you can go to the clinical nutrition department to consult a doctor and nutritionist.

References:

1. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022).

2. The pictures are from the Internet.

National Nutrition Week, registered dietitians take action

Author: Niu Yang, Zhao Xuelin

Instructors: Cai Wei, Tang Qingya, Feng Yi

Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Project source: Shanghai Health Science Popularization Youth Talent Project (JKKPYC-2022-06)