Grains

Grains make up a little more than a quarter of MyPlate. The grains group includes foods such as bread, pasta, rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, quinoa, bulgur, and barley. 

Most Americans eat enough grains. However, not all grains are the same when it comes to nutrition. There are two kinds of grains, whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains are foods made with the whole grain kernel – the bran, germ, and endosperm. Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ, which removes some fiber and nutrients. The bran and the germ store most of the nutrients so whole grains are more nutritious and have more fiber than refined grains. 

Americans tend to eat more refined grains than recommended while not eating enough whole grains. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend making half your grains whole. Whole grains come from whole-wheat flour, bulgur, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, and brown rice. Refined grains, on the other hand, come from white flour, white bread, regular pasta, and white rice. Some refined grains have been enriched to contain some B vitamins but they are still missing many of the nutrients that come from whole grains.