Phoenix House
Whole Grains and Fiber
December 11, 2012
Lindsay Gaucher & Erica Frank
Introductions (Lindsay)
Pg 1. Objectives – (Erica) Today, you will learn:
1. The difference between a whole grain and refined grain.
2. The reasons why whole grains and fiber are beneficial to our health.
3. The recommended amounts of whole grains and fiber we should eat daily.
4. How to identify whole grain products, and incorporate more whole grains into your everyday
diet.
Pg 2. Icebreaker: (Lindsay) Pass out paper plates with certain whole grains numbered (Quinoa, whole
wheat pasta, white pasta, white rice, brown rice, corn, barley, and oats.) Have everyone work in teams to
match the right word to the grain. Pass out paper and the answers will be up on the flipchart
Pg 3. What is a whole grain? (Erica)
1. Whole grain = entire seed of the plant – made of the bran, endosperm, and germ. Drawing on
the flip chart to show each part.
2. BRAN –
a. outer shell that protects the seed
b. contains fiber, B vitamins, and some minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and
zinc
3. ENDOSPERM –
a. Provides energy and contains carbs, protein, and small amount of vitamins and minerals
4. GERMa. Nourishment for the seed
b. Contains B vitamins, vitamin E, and minerals (magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc)
c. Contains antioxidants, which support the body and immune system to protect us against
toxins that try to come into the body and cause damage to our cells.
d. Contains phytochemical, which are powerful nutrients that are found in plants to protect
us from major diseases, like cancer and heart disease.
pg 4. What is a refined grain? (Lindsay)
A refined grain is a whole grain that has been milled, which is the process of removing the bran and
germ. As a result, the grain loses many of the nutrients we already touched upon, like B vitamins,
minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. The endosperm is the only part of the grain that is left.
The endosperm provides energy when eaten, but without the bran and germ we miss out on nutrients
and protection.
What are some EXAMPLES? (covered up on flip chart) white bread, white flour, white rice, etc
WHY do we refine grains? (Lindsay)
For texture, taste, and to provide a longer shelf life (the natural oils in whole grains can go rancid)
What is enriched white flour?
You’ve probably seen some breads made with “enriched white flour.” This means that certain vitamins
and minerals have been added back into the flour after being processed, the other vitamins and
minerals have been taken out.
As we’ve talked about in past presentations, food is more powerful in its whole form. So when we eat all
parts of the grain, we benefit more from it. So now we’ll jump into why it is so important to eat whole
grains.
Pg 5. Benefits of eating whole grains (Erica)
 Provides us with energy (remember the endosperm is the part that is responsible for energy)
 Helps keep us feeling full longer – this is due to the amount of fiber that is in a whole grain and the
fact that it takes longer for the digestive tract to process whole grains
 Can help stabilize blood sugars – ties into the breakdown and process the body has for whole grains.
 Provides ALL the nutrients from the grain (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals)
 Helps control weight – again, ties into the feeling of fullness for a longer period and the fiber
 Reduces the risk for heart disease, DM, stroke, colon cancer (research shows if you don’t eat enough
whole grains there is a link to colon cancer because of increased stool weight.)
(Erica & Lindsay) Let’s play BINGO! Lindsay and Erica to take turns calling out BINGO. For each word
explain the relationship to whole grains and/or benefits when it comes eating whole grains.
*See separate BINGO sheet for game
Pg 6 What is FIBER? (Lindsay)
We’ve mentioned fiber quite a few times. Many of the health benefits we have already discussed are because of fiber!
FIBER = includes all parts of a plant food (fruits, veggies, grains) cannot be broken down/digested in digestive tract.
There are 2 types of fiber, do you remember them from our discussion last week? (covered up)
SOLUBLE- attracts water and turns to a gel-like substance as it works its way through the digestive tract. Eating soluble
fiber helps slow down the digestion process and can control blood sugar levels because sugar and carbohydrates that
are digested leave the stomach more slowly. Soluble fiber can also help reduce cholesterol levels by clinging to
cholesterol and moving it out of the body.
You’ll find a lot of soluble fiber in oats and barley, and other foods with these types of whole grains.
INSOLUBLE – Does not dissolve in water and instead soaks up some water to add bulk to stool. This helps food pass
quickly through the intestines, and prevents constipation, and other related bowel issues. You will find insoluble fiber
in wheat, bran, and other whole grains.
*Many whole grain products have both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Pg 7 What are the recommended amounts of fiber and whole grains? (Erica)
The U.S. Guidelines actually say you should eat a specified number of "ounce-equivalents" instead of servings, this is
because a slice of most breads, a cup of most cold cereals, and the amount of ½ cup COOKED dry rice or pasta all
weigh about an ounce. If ounces are hard to remember, here’s an easy way to remember:
MyPlate visual – Show the place mat. Generally, more than a ¼ of our diet everyday should consist of grains (5-7
servings), and it is recommended that HALF should be WHOLE grains, which is about 3-5 servings. The exact amount is
different for everyone based on your age, gender, and activity level.
Here are some examples of a serving, also one oz equivalents. Using your hand or other objects as a visual can help
too!
-1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal (cupped hand)
-1 slice bread (size of a CD case)
-1 cup ready-to-eat cereal (your fist or a tennis ball)
FIBER recommendations
25 grams for women
35 grams for men
*When 100% whole grain products are eaten, it is typically really easy to meet these recommendations!
Pg 8 Identifying Whole Grains (Lindsay)
The Whole Grains Council has created an official packaging symbol called the Whole Grain Stamp that helps
consumers find real whole grain products. (Copy of stamp on flip chart) The stamp continues to be placed on
products everyday. 100% whole grain with at least 16g of whole grain, and regular whole grain with 8 g
which may also contain some refined grains. Shoot for at least 3 servings of products with the 100% whole
grain stamp or 6 servings of the other stamp and you will meet the daily recommended amount!
What if a stamp isn’t on a product you’re looking at? The best way is by looking at the nutrition label and
ingredients list! The first 2 ingredients in a whole grain product will most likely contain the term “whole”
or the name of the grain itself. These are common ingredients that will indicate a whole grain product:
 Whole wheat
Barley
 Stoneground whole wheat or grain
Quinoa
 Brown rice
buckwheat
 Oats, oatmeal
wheat berries
Both fiber and whole grains have been shown to have health benefits, but they're not interchangeable. So
checking the fiber on a label is not a very reliable way to guess whether a product is truly whole grain.
Although it’s the color brown doesn’t necessarily make it a whole grain! Manufacturers add colors/flavors to
products to enhance flavor and market healthfulness, so that doesn’t mean whole grains were actually used.
PASS OUT the HANDOUT! On the back is a chart with common grain (whole and refined) ingredients.
Pg 9 Food label activity (Lindsay & Erica) we can both write on the flip chart and switch off asking each
group for their thoughts
Everyone will work in teams of 2-3. Provide different grain products and ask the groups to look at the
ingredient lists/any seals and write down the key ingredients/seal that make the product a grain/whole
grain. Use the handout for help with any terms.
On the flip chart will be the name of the products and we will write their answers. Is your product a
WHOLE grain or refined grain?
Pg 10 So how can you incorporate more whole grains? (Erica) Ask them if they can tell us the remaining
answers covered up on the flip chart
 Switch to whole wheat/whole grain versions of bread, wraps, pasta, bagels, cereal, rice, etc
 Try oatmeal
Use whole wheat flour when baking
 Snack on popcorn
Add grains to soups and salads (barley soup, quinoa salad, rice
salad)
FOOD ACTIVITY: Quinoa Salad (Erica) pass out prepared samples
Easy to make and demonstrates a healthy meal to incorporate whole grains with added nutrients!
Pg 11 JEOPARDY (Evaluation) – Lindsay & Erica
Split the group into 3 teams. Team 1 picks question, read questions from paper, first one to raise hand
and answer gets the points noted.
CATEGORIES : Teams can only see the number of points on flip chart which will coordinate to the questions
What are whole grains? (Lindsay)
 100 – what are the parts of a whole grain? Bran, endosperm, germ
 200- what part of the kernel is lost when a whole grain is refined? Endosperm
 300- Give an example of a whole grain. i.e corn, oats, whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, barley, etc
Benefits of Whole grains (Erica)
 100 – Name one disease or condition that whole grains can help to prevent. Diabetes, heart
disease, cancer, obesity
 200- Why do whole grains help to keep us feeling full? Fiber
 300- Name 2 vitamins and/or minerals a whole grain has. B vitamins, Vitamin E, magnesium,
iron, phosphorus, zinc
Identifying Whole Grains (Lindsay)
 100- How can you identify a whole grain? Check ingredient lists, check for whole grain seals
 200- Name a word you would see on an ingredient list to indicate that the product is a whole
grain. Whole wheat/grain, oats, barley, brown rice, etc
 300- Name 2 ways to incorporate whole grains – switch to whole grain/wheat bread, pasta,
rice, etc. Snack on popcorn, add to soups and salad.
Serving Sizes and Recommendations (Erica)
 100 – Remember the MyPlate visual? How much of your plate should contain grains? ¼ of your plate
 200- How many gram of fiber is recommended for women? 25 grams
 300- It is recommended that at least _____ of your grains be whole. Half
Pg 12- Thank you!/CALL TO ACTION: (Lindsay)
Check out ingredient lists, look for the whole grain seals, and make a healthy switch to incorporate more
whole grains into your diet everyday!
References :
http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org
www.Mayoclinic.com/health/health-foods/MY01108&slide=5
www.usda.gov/wholegrains
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains.html