The grain group is the first orange triangle on the food pyramid.  Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins and minerals.  Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product.  There are two types of grains – whole grains and refined grains.  Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel, the bran, germ, and endosperm. Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ.  This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. 

It is recommended that at least 1/2 of all the grains we eat should be whole grains.  The daily recommendation for children ages 3 to 4 is 3 ounces of grains and for children 4 to 8 it is 4-5 ounces of grains.

Tip:  To eat more whole grains, substitute a whole grain product for a refined product.  Start by eating whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice.  It’s better to substitute the whole-grain product for the refined one, rather than adding a whole-grain to your diet.