The Goodness of GrainsA balanced diet of healthy, natural foods is essential for both physical and mental well being, and a key element to such a diet is the grain group. Made up of grains like wheat, rice, oats and rye, this group is often called the breads and cereals group, and serves as the largest level of the USDA's Food Pyramid nutrition guide.
Nancy Barrett is a registered dietician and a cooking school instructor at Kraft Kitchens, where she combines her passion for food and love of science to teach people about good nutrition and help them make sound food choices. Here she explains the importance of eating whole grains and offers advice for getting more grains into your diet:
- A healthy foundation.
According to Barrett, the grains group is the foundation of a well-balanced diet, and is particularly important for B vitamins, energy-providing carbohydrates, and dietary fiber.
- Eat 6 to 11 servings daily.
Experts recommend that you eat 6-11 servings of grains every day. This may sound like a lot, but a serving is not very large. Examples of a full serving of grains include a half-cup of cooked rice or pasta, one ounce of ready-to-eat cereal, one slice of bread, or three to four small crackers.
- Double up on servings.
Since most people don't eat 6 to11 meals a day, it's okay to eat two or more servings of grain in a meal. For instance, a sandwich at lunch might have two slices of bread, which counts for to two of your 6-11 recommended servings.
- Choose whole grains.
At least half of your servings, says Barrett should be coming from whole grains. "Whole grain" simply means that all of the parts of the grain are intact.
- Read labels.
Look for the phrases whole grain or whole wheat on packages. Remember that ingredients on labels are listed in descending weight order, so the first ingredient listed should be a whole grain.
For more information about cooking and nutrition, check out the following website:
Kraft Foods
www.kraftfoods.com | 
