Whole Grains Month is a great time for everyone to get on the whole grains bandwagon. Eating better is not an all-or-nothing choice; every little improvement you make in your food helps – in every month.

Grains are an important part of one's diet. Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain is a grain product. Examples include bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits.
Grains are divided into two subgroups, whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel bran, germ and endosperm. Refined grains do not include the entire grain kernel.

To eat more whole grains, try substituting a whole-grain product for a refined product. For example, eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice. It’s important to substitute the whole-grain product for the refined one instead of just adding the whole-grain product to your diet.

Try these ideas for incorporating whole grains into your diet.
• Popcorn, a whole grain, can be a healthy snack with little or no added salt and butter.
• Freeze leftover cooked brown rice, bulgur or barley. Heat and serve it later as a quick side dish.
• Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley, in vegetable soups or stews and bulgur wheat in casseroles or stir-fry dishes. This nutritious substitution means it is not necessary to add a dinner roll to the menu.
• For a change, try brown rice or whole wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes and whole wheat macaroni in macaroni and cheese.
• Experiment by substituting whole wheat or oat flour or other flour- based recipes. They may need a bit more leavening.
• Set a good example for children by eating whole grains with meals or snacks.
• Teach older children to read the ingredients list on cereals or snack food packages and choose those with whole grains at the top of the list.
• Choose foods that name one of the following whole grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list: brown rice, bulgur, graham flour, oatmeal, whole grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat or wild rice.
• A food’s color in not an indication of a whole grain. Bread can be brown because of molasses or other added ingredients. Read the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.

The amount of servings of whole grains per day one should eat depends on age, gender and level of physical activity.

Find more information about whole grains at www.choosemyplate.gov.