UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- You may have heard that eating whole grains is an important step on the road to good health. But an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says most consumers fail to include enough whole grains in their diet.

"The 'Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005' recommends eating 6 ounces of grain products every day, and at least half of this amount should be whole grains," says Mandel Smith, Penn State Cooperative Extension nutrition educator. "But currently, most Americans consume less than a single serving of whole grains daily."

Whole grains are important sources of fiber and other nutrients. The United States Department of Agriculture advises that consuming whole grains, as part of a healthy diet, may reduce the risk for coronary heart disease, high blood cholesterol, certain types of cancers, type-2 diabetes, constipation, overweight (when eating at least three-ounce equivalents of whole grains daily) and some birth defects.

Smith explains that grain products are placed into two groups: whole grains and refined (processed) grains. Whole grains contain all three parts of the grain kernel -- the bran, endosperm and germ -- and provide a rich variety of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

"Some common whole grain foods are whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat crackers, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat tortillas, bulgur (cracked wheat), whole-grain barley, brown rice, wild rice and popcorn," says Smith.

"Refined grains have been milled, which removes the bran (fiber-rich outer layer) and the germ (nutrient-rich inner part)," she says. "This gives them a smooth texture and they last longer on the shelf. When grains are milled, dietary fiber, iron and many vitamins and minerals are removed.

"Most refined grains are enriched," she adds. "This means the valuable iron and certain B vitamins are added back. Many other nutrients are not added back to refined grains, so they are not as good for you as whole grains."

To find whole-grain products in the supermarket, Smith recommends looking at food packaging and reading labels carefully. "When shopping for whole grain foods look for the words 'whole grain' in large letters on the package," she says. "Remember, a food's color is not helpful in telling if it has whole-grain ingredients. Some dark or brown breads are not whole wheat at all, but may have molasses or caramel food coloring added."

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EDITORS: Contact Mandel Smith at (610) 489-4315 or by e-mail at mjs52@psu.edu.

Writer/editor: Chuck Gill 814-863-2713 cdg5 @psu.edu