Life's Simple Ingredient

Packing more whole grains into your diet

Suggestions to get you started

The benefits of eating whole grains pack a serious punch. We’re talking reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, better digestion, lower LDL cholesterol, decreased chance of certain cancer risks, increased fibre intake, blood sugar regulation and more vitamins and essential minerals – to name a few.

Adults need between 25 and 35 grams of fibre per day. A slice of whole-wheat bread contains around 2.2 grams of fibre. Start your day off with two slices of whole-wheat toast and you’re well on your way to your daily dose of fibre, which digests slowly and helps you feel full longer.

So how do you get more whole grain goodness into your daily diet? The answer differs person-to-person, but we have some suggestions to get you started.

Whole grains in bulk

Start off your week by cooking a large portion of whole grains to get you through the week. This could be whole wheat pasta, whole oats, brown rice, wild rice, bulgur, quinoa, or another whole grain product. Store the grains in a sealed container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. Just having cooked grains at your fingertips and incorporating them into your weekly meals will help you get an extra serving of whole grains every day.

Whole grains for breakfast

Breakfast is an easy meal to incorporate whole grains into. Eat whole wheat toast, make a breakfast wrap with whole wheat tortilla or eat whole grain oats. If you’re the type of person who’s always on the run in the morning and doesn’t have time to eat breakfast at home, try making overnight oats the night before and take them with you when you leave the house.

Whole grains in your salad

Adding whole grains to salads is a great way to get more servings of grain into your lunch or dinner. Try adding quinoa to your salad, whole wheat pasta to a Greek salad, making a brown rice and kale salad or farro salad. For more ideas, check out “The Best Grain Salad Recipes Will Turn Your Greens Into A Meal.”

Whole grain substitutions

It can be difficult to make drastic changes to your diet, so focus on making them one at a time. In the grocery store, think about buying whole wheat versions of the products you usually purchase – breads, pastas and crackers. Every time you eat a meal with wheat, think about how you could make it whole wheat or add more whole grains into it.

Sounds easy enough, right? Let us know how you incorporate more whole grains into your diet on our Twitter, Facebook or Instagram page!

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