PT Health Life – Whole grain foods are a good choice for a nutritious diet. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
1. What are whole grains?
Products whose main ingredients are wheat, cornmeal, rice, oats, barley or any other cereal are called cereal foods. Whole grains include wheat, barley, oats, brown rice, millet…
According to Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung – National Institute of Nutrition : All whole grains contain 3 parts: bran, germ and endosperm. Each part contains nutrients that help improve health.
Bran: The bran is the hard outer layer of the kernel. It contains most of the kernel’s fiber. It also has vitamins and minerals.
Germ: The germ is the part that sprouts into a new plant. It is rich in vitamins, healthy fats, and other natural plant nutrients.
Endosperm: The endosperm is the energy source of the seed. It contains mainly starch. It has small amounts of protein and vitamins. The endosperm has very little fiber.

The nutrients found in whole grains have many benefits for the body. The bran from any whole grain is a good source of fiber. The nutrients in whole grains vary.
They may include the following nutrients and others:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine.
- Vitamin B-2, also known as riboflavin.
- Vitamin B-3, also known as niacin.
- Vitamin B-6, also known as pyridoxine.
- Vitamin B-9, also known as folate.
- Vitamin E.
- Iron.
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus.
- Selenium.
2. Reasons to eat foods made from whole grains
Whole grains include all parts of the grain. Whole grain flour is ground from the whole grain. Barley, brown rice, millet, oatmeal, wheat, rye, corn, etc. are all common whole grains. Quinoa and buckwheat are technically seeds but are often classified as whole grains in the diet.
Most foods on the market today are made from refined grains that have had the germ and bran removed. These grains have a finer texture and a longer shelf life. This process removes almost all of the fiber and many other nutrients.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung, more and more research shows that choosing whole grains and high-quality, minimally processed carbohydrate sources and cutting back on refined grains will improve health in many ways.
Whole grain foods help control cholesterol, weight, and blood pressure. They also help reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that at least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains. The vitamins and minerals in whole grains are important for your overall health. In addition, the high fiber content of whole grains can help:
- Reduce bad cholesterol levels.
- Increase good cholesterol levels.
- Reduce insulin levels.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Creating a feeling of fullness can help with weight loss or weight control .
Studies show that a high-fiber diet reduces the risk of heart and blood vessel disease, prevents stroke, controls the risk of type 2 diabetes, and colon and rectal cancer, also known as colorectal cancer .
3. How to choose and use whole grains in a healthy diet
It’s not always easy to tell what kind of grain is in a product. For example, bread may look like it’s made from whole wheat because it’s brown. But the color could be from molasses or some other ingredient.

Ingredient labels can help you choose whole grain foods. Tips for reading labels include:
- Ingredients on food labels are listed from greatest amount to least.
- The phrase “whole grain” should be at the beginning of the ingredients list.
- If there is more than one whole grain, those grains should be near the top of the list.
- If you like white bread, try whole-grain white bread. Flour made from light-colored bran wheat has a finer texture and milder flavor than regular whole-wheat flour.
Making at least half of the grains in your diet whole grains is not difficult. According to Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung, you can absolutely add whole grain products in the right amount to your diet.
Try these ways to add more whole grains to your meals and snacks every day:
– Enjoy a breakfast that includes whole grains, such as whole wheat bran, steel-cut wheat or oatmeal.
– Substitute whole-wheat or whole-grain bread for regular bread. Substitute low-fat whole-grain muffins for traditional cakes with refined flour.
– Use whole grain pasta.
– Replace white rice with brown rice.
– Add whole grains, such as cooked brown rice or whole-grain breadcrumbs, to ground meat or poultry to add volume.
– Use rolled oats or crushed whole grains in recipes instead of dry bread crumbs.
More: Eating lots of cereal fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes