When it comes to the Mediterranean Diet whole grains take center stage and for good reason. They are loaded with fiber, flavor, vitamins, and minerals. We share why you should consume whole grains as part of a healthy diet, and provide recipes for putting them to good use!
While you could throw a rock on the internet and hit a grain-hating influencer (cue eye roll), the overwhelming majority of the evidence points to the health benefits of including more whole grains (and fewer refined grains) in your diet. Not to mention the joy and satisfaction that comes with exploring the incredible variety of whole grains from cuisines around the globe.
What are Whole Grains?
Every grain is born with three parts—endosperm, bran, and germ—which intact is loaded with fiber, minerals like copper, zinc, and magnesium, essential B vitamins, vitamin E, disease-fighting phytonutrients, and also some protein. It is a proud and hearty nugget of nourishment.
When that whole grain is refined, its bran and germ are removed and its endosperm, which is mostly starch, is all that remains. Since most of the grain’s nutritional power is found in the bran and germ, the refined grain offers little besides calories. To make up for this loss, manufacturers “enrich” it with vitamins and minerals. The enrichment process helps return some potency to the grain, but even then it is a shadow of its former self.
I’m not saying it’s bad to have refined grains now and then. (There is no food shaming here!) You won’t see me denying myself a classic French baguette once in a while, and I get it that white rice is central to so many food cultures. It is fine to enjoy refined grains too—especially if you balance them on your plate by adding plenty of vegetables and healthy proteins. But shifting toward consuming more whole grains can provide some serious health and culinary benefits.
Why Should You Consume Whole Grains?
The volume of research on the benefits of whole grains is astounding. I have listed a few studies with links below if you want to do a deeper dive but, in a nutshell, eating whole grains is linked with:
- Reduced inflammation
- Lower cholesterol
- Lower blood pressure
- Better blood sugar control
- Better gut health
- Lower risk of certain cancers
- Better weight maintenance
- Reduced incidence of stroke
- Reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes
Whole Grain Recipes: A World to Explore
I remember when whole grains had a fringe, hippie-food vibe, but these days they are truly modern and on trend, both in the grocery store and in the hottest restaurants. There are so many exciting options, I don’t know where to begin!
I suppose I should shout out one of my absolute favorites, farro, an ancient variety of wheat that is delicious either hot like in this Tuscan Farro Soup or chilled in salads.
Then there is quinoa, of course, which is so mild and quick-cooking. Toast it to make a crunchy topping like in this Snap Pea Salad or toss it with feta, olives, and your favorite summer vegetables.
Then there is bulgur, which is probably most well known as the grain in Middle Eastern Tabouli Salad, but you can also use it to add heft and fiber to stuffed peppers. The list goes on with deeply flavorful buckwheat, subtly nutty barley, fonio, sorghum, and smokey grains like freekeh.
Beyond basic brown rice, there is red and black rice, and also wild rice. Oats are always a win in my book, and they are so economical. You can use them to make both sweet and savory breakfast bowls. And don’t forget, corn and popcorn are whole grains too. And there are so many more to explore.
What’s the Best Whole Grain?
It’s ideal to get whole grains in their least-processed form—simple brown rice rather than puffed brown rice cereal, or steel-cut oats rather than instant, for example. But there is no need to count out the wide variety of whole grain products on the market, like flours, breads, ready-to-eat cereals, and snack foods.
When choosing those, the labeling can be pretty confusing and misleading, so check the ingredient list to make sure whole grain is the first ingredient, and look for the Whole Grain Council’s whole grain stamp, which can be a convenient tool when scanning the grocery aisles.
Easy Ways to Consume More Whole Grains
Although the numbers are trending upward, Americans, on average, get less than 16% of their total grain intake from whole grains. We are really missing out! Here are several easy ways to get more:
- Add quinoa, barley, sorghum or farro to your usual chicken or vegetable soup to make it a heartier dish. One-half to 3/4 cup of the raw grain is about right for a pot of soup.
- Whip up a whole grain salad, made with nuts, herbs, and dried fruit, to keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It makes an ideal quick dinner or lunch on the go with some rotisserie chicken or marinated tofu.
- When making pancakes, quick-breads or muffins, use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour—which are extra tender—instead of all-purpose flour, or sub half the usual flour with regular whole wheat flour.
- Switch to whole grain bread, tortillas, English muffins, bagels, at least most of the time.
- Use quick-cooking oats instead of breadcrumbs in your meatballs and meatloaf.
- Blend a handful of oats into your morning smoothie for more body and longer-lasting satisfaction.
- Cook up any variety of grain to serve as a “pilaf” side dish or as a base for a grain bowl.
- Pledge to try one new whole grain each month for the rest of this year. It’s fun to branch out, and you may just discover your new favorite.
This article is syndicated from Ellie Krieger’s Substack newsletter, where she provides trustworthy information on trending food and nutrition topics. Subscribe for free here. Ellie, a registered dietitian nutritionist and two-time James Beard award-winning cookbook author, is well known from her hit Food Network show Healthy Appetite, and her PBS show Ellie’s Real Good Food.
References
Oldways Whole Grains Council (This website is an excellent resource for all things whole grain. I am proud to be one of their volunteer culinary advisors.)
A Review of Health-Beneficial Properties of Oats
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