Grains make up foods such as bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and tortillas. Grains are also known as starches. Choose whole grains instead of refined grains. Whole grains include breads, crackers, and pasta made whole wheat, whole corn, or whole oats. Brown rice, quinoa, oats are also whole grains.
Whole grains provide iron, magnesium, B vitamins, and other nutrients the body needs to function. And they give your body fiber, which helps digestion. Fiber also helps you manage your weight because it's low in calories but fills you up.
Nutrient-rich choices
Whole grains are chock full of fiber. And they're not processed much, so they keep most of their nutrients. Choose whole grains more often than refined grains. Good choices include:
- Any bread or breakfast cereal that lists a whole grain, such as whole wheat or whole rolled oats, as the first ingredient. Ingredients are listed from most to least. So if a whole grain is first, you know the food has a lot of it.
- Foods made with whole grains, such as oatmeal, barley soup, wild rice pilaf, and buckwheat (soba) noodles.
- Air-popped popcorn or corn tortillas.
What makes grains less healthy?
- As grains are processed (refined), they lose fiber and nutrients. White grains are often refined. This means white bread, white rice, and flour tortillas are not as healthy as whole-grain versions such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, and whole-grain tortillas.
- Claims made on food packages can be misleading. Even if a package says the food is a whole-grain or multigrain product, check the ingredients. Unless a whole grain is listed first, the food isn't as healthy as the package makes it sound. Here's a hint: Wheat bread isn't a whole grain, but 100% whole wheat bread is. Make sure to read the fine print.
- Added fat, salt (sodium), and sugar also make grains less healthy. This means cookies, pastries, donuts, snack cakes, sugar cereals, buttered popcorn with lots of added salt, pretzels and crackers made with refined grains… you get the idea.
One small change:
Find a whole-grain bread or cereal that you like. Have a better idea? Write it here:
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Online Medical Reviewer: Daphne Pierce-Smith RN MSN
Online Medical Reviewer: Raymond Turley Jr PA-C
Online Medical Reviewer: Shaziya Allarakha MD
Date Last Reviewed: 04/01/2025
© 2000-2026 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
