Grains
Kieran Tener, Hour 3
Grains should always be a part of your plate every day. When you eat oats, wheat, barley, rice, or cornmeal, those are grains. Grains are a very essential part of your meal, as they contain fiber, which helps to maintain your weight and help prevent heart disease.
Foods in the Grains Group
There are many foods in the foods group. A few example of them would be breads, popcorns, and pasta.
Bread
Bread comes in MANY different varieties.
Popcorn
Popcorn can come in many healthy, and unhealthy, varieties. However, Popcorn is proven to have whole grains in it and is good for health diets.
Pasta
There are many different kinds of pasta, as shown in this picture.
2 Sub Groups
There are 2 sub groups in grains. Whole grains have all the parts of the original grain, including the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Refined grains have the bran and the germ taken out, and that leaves out some important nutrients your body needs, such as fiber.
What is an ounce?
Mainly in your diet, you will have somewhere between 4-8 ounces of grains. An ounce of grains is about equivalent to a small sized bagel, a slice of bread, or a pancake. You need a lot of grains, so eat up!
Depending on your age, gender, and other stuff, you may need more or less grains than other people!
Bread
1 slice of bread is a one ounce equivalent of grains.
Small Bagel
A small bagel is a one ounce equivalent of grains.
Pancake
A well-rounded 4-1/2 diameter pancake is also a one ounce equivalent of grains.
Nutrients
Nutrients are important, and grains bring them! Whole grains bring all, while refined grains may have a lack.
B Vitamins: B Vitamins help with keeping you energetic.
Fiber: Helps with constipation and prevents heart disease.
Iron: Helps bring oxygen to the blood.
Health Benefits of Grains
As shown above, grains give many health benefits.
They help with constipation, prevent heart disease, builds bones, and also helps with boosting your energy.
Food Label
If you want to find an item that has whole grains, then I can help! There are little stamps on the front of the package that will show that the item has whole grains. If there isn't a sticker, there is multiple things to look for like "whole grains" and "whole wheat"
Food Label Tips
If you are looking for if an item has whole grains, as I said earlier, there will be a sticker. Item that have "Stoneground whole grain" are also whole grain items. Food labels will usually have the recommended amount serving for whole grain, so if you don't want to overdose on whole grains, read the serving size.
Grains!
Click here to learn more about grains!