The grain group seems to be the most confusing for many people. You are probably familiar with whole grains and even refined grains, but do you know what that means?
Let’s start at the top, any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain.
Whole Vs. Refined Grains
A whole grain is a grain that contains the ENTIRE kernel. Examples of whole grains include oatmeal, whole cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, and brown rice.
Refined grains are any grain that has been through a milling process. Usually, once a grain is milled, it looses nutritional value. To make up for that, many times nutrients and vitamins are added back into the grains to boost the nutritional content.
When given the choice, WHOLE GRAIN is much better than other options.
Grain Servings Guides
| Women | 19-30 years old 31-50 years old 51+ years old |
6 ounce equivalents 6 ounce equivalents 5 ounce equivalents |
| Men | 19-30 years old 31-50 years old 51+ years old |
8 ounce equivalents 7 ounce equivalents 6 ounce equivalents |
What does a one ounce serving look like? A single piece of bread is a one ounce serving. A 1/2 cup of rice, pasta or oats counts a one ounce serving. To see a full serving guide, click here.