What’s On Your Plate? Refined Grains Vs Whole Grains…

June 04, 2020

Whole grains keep their bran and germ, so they carry more fiber, selenium, potassium and magnesium. Refined grains are milled to strip both out, lose much of that fiber and nutrition, and do not keep blood sugar steady, so in our patients, who are already metabolically sick, refined grains are unhealthy and belong off the plate.

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Refined grains are unhealthy in the population we treat: people who are already metabolically sick. Should you totally do away with refined grains? For our patients, yes. In this article, we will look at what separates whole grains from refined grains and how to replace refined grains at every meal.

Whole grains vs. regular grains: What’s the difference?

Whole grains provide a variety of healthy nutrients and are naturally low in fat.

Whole grains are important for health since they provide fiber and essential vitamins. As a population, US consumers still fall far short of reaching their daily goals for fiber as it were.

What are the different types of grains?

Also called cereals, grains and whole grains are the seeds of grasses cultivated for food. They come in many shapes and sizes, from large kernels of popcorn to small quinoa seeds.

Whole grains. These unrefined grains haven’t had their bran and germ removed by milling; therefore, all of the nutrients remain intact. Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as selenium, potassium, and magnesium. Whole grains are either single foods, such as brown rice and popcorn, or ingredients in products, such as buckwheat in pancakes or whole wheat in bread.
Refined grains. In contrast to whole grains, refined grains are milled, a process that strips out both the bran and germ to give them a finer texture and longer shelf life. The refining process also removes many nutrients, including fiber. Refined grains include white flour, white rice, white bread, and degermed cornmeal. Many breads, cereals, crackers, desserts, and pastries are made with refined grains, too. These processed foods will not keep your blood sugar levels steady, which is why you will be hungry again soon after consumption.
Enriched grains. Enriched means that some or many of the nutrients that are lost during processing are added back in later.

Most refined grains are enriched. Many enriched grains are also fortified — meaning nutrients that don’t occur naturally in the food are added — with other vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron. Enriched grains lack fiber and are not an optimal choice because while they have traces of nutrition, many important vitamins and nutrients are lost during processing.

Opt for whole grains

Chances are you eat lots of grains already. But are they the healthiest kind? If you’re like most people, you’re not getting enough whole grains in your diet. Choose whole grains in place of refined grains. Examples of whole grains include:

Barley
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Bulgur (cracked wheat)
Millet
Oatmeal
Popcorn
Whole-wheat bread, pasta, or crackers
Wild rice

It’s not always easy to tell which grains are in a particular product, especially bread. For instance, brown bread isn’t necessarily whole wheat — the color may come from added coloring. If you’re unsure something has whole grains, check the product label or the Nutrition Facts panel. Look for the word “whole” on the package, and ensure whole grains appear among the first items in the ingredient list.

How to enjoy more whole grains in your diet

Try these tips to add more whole grains to your meals and snacks:

Enjoy breakfasts that include whole-grain cereals, such as bran flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal.
Substitute whole-wheat toast or whole-grain bagels for plain. Substitute low-fat bran muffins for pastries.
Make sandwiches using whole-grain bread or rolls. Swap out white flour tortillas with whole-wheat versions.
Replace white rice with kasha, brown rice, wild rice, or bulgur.
Feature wild rice or barley in soups, stews, casseroles, and salads.
Add whole grains, such as cooked brown rice or whole-grain bread crumbs, to ground meat or poultry for extra body.
Use rolled oats or crushed bran cereal in recipes instead of dry bread crumbs.

To eat, or not to eat, refined grains?

For the patients we treat, the answer is not to eat them. Refined grains are unhealthy in a population that is already metabolically sick, so replace them rather than balance them against whole grains.

A lot of products will contain both whole grains and refined grains. In these cases, the placement of the whole grain or whole grain flour on the ingredients list indicates the relative amount in the product. If you’re looking for a mostly whole-grain product, the whole-grain or whole-grain flour should be either first on the ingredients list or high up, according to the Dietary Guidelines (and certainly before any refined-grain flour). Foods made from at least 50 percent whole-grain ingredients by weight may have a whole grains claim on the label, per the Dietary Guidelines. It’s a good idea to also peek at the nutrition facts to see how much fiber and protein are in the product if you want to make sure you’re getting some nutrients, even though a product contains both whole and refined grains.

So do you actually need to worry about refined carbs?

For our patients, refined grains are unhealthy and belong off the plate. At a minimum, the Dietary Guidelines recommend getting at least half of your grains from whole grains. The average refined grain intake, though, is “well above” recommended limits among men and women in most age groups. In contrast, the average whole-grain intake is “far below” the recommended amount, according to the Dietary Guidelines.

So if you notice that your own diet leans pretty heavy toward refined carbs and you want to incorporate more whole grains into your diet, you can swap out refined grains for whole-grain versions where you can—such as brown rice instead of white rice and 100 percent whole-wheat bread instead of wheat bread or white bread.

Certainly, eating a few refined grains every day, along with a healthy diet and at least half of your grain intake as whole grains, is fine. Everyone needs treats and sweets in their life to enjoy and enhance eating pleasure, for celebration, and for many other reasons. Just make sure whole grains get invited to the party, too.