Go for the Grain! Easy Ways to Enjoy Whole Grains

June 18, 2025 General /Family

Why Whole Grains?

Whole grains are packed with health benefits!

Eating them can help:

Keep your gums healthy. Eating more whole grains may lower your risk of gum disease, which is more common during pregnancy. Severe gum disease can lead to early birth and low birth weight.
Help with weight control. Whole grains fill you up more than white bread and other refined grains.
Lower your risk of diabetes. Not eating enough whole grains is linked to over 25% of Type 2 diabetes cases worldwide.
Protect your heart. Whole grains can lower your chances of heart disease and stroke.
Reduce cancer risk. Eating more whole grains is linked to a 22% lower risk of digestive cancers, including colon cancer.

Whole Grain Options

Tip!

Not a fan of whole grains?

Don’t worry, there’s a WHOLE lot of options and it’s easy to add them to your diet! With so many choices, you’ll likely find at least a few options you can enjoy!

Whole Grains in Their Natural Form

Whole Grain Flours & Products

Whole Grain Snacks

Whole grain granola
Whole grain pretzels
Whole grain crackers
Whole wheat pita chips
Popcorn (a naturally whole grain snack)
Brown rice cakes

Whole Grain Breakfast Foods

Tips for Trying Whole Grains

Start with familiar foods. Substitute whole-grain versions of foods you already enjoy, such as whole-wheat bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, or whole-wheat pasta instead of white pasta.
Try different brands or varieties. Each one tastes a little different.
Start small by mixing white and whole wheat bread to make “striped sandwiches.”
Use whole wheat bread for family favorites like French toast or grilled cheese sandwiches.
Cut off the crust to make it more familiar at first.

Fun & Tasty Ways to Use Whole Wheat Bread

Breadcrumbs

Toast bread at 325°F for 20-25 minutes, then blend into crumbs.

Use homemade breadcrumbs to:

Make meatballs or meatloaf
Coat chicken or fish before baking
Make crispy zucchini sticks (mix crumbs with parmesan cheese and garlic powder)
Sprinkle over veggies and broil for a crispy topping
Top Mac and cheese or other casseroles

Making small swaps can add up to big health benefits.

Give whole grains a try – you might just find a new favorite!

REFERENCES

Guo, S., Feng, J., Wang, Y., & Li, H. (2025). Association between intake of whole grain and periodontitis among adults in the United States: A population-based study. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 76(1), 62-72.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09637486.2024.2420265

O’Hearn, M., Lara-Castor, L., Cudhea, F., Miller, V., Reedy, J., Shi, P., Zhang, J., Wong, J. B., Economos, C. D., Micha, R., & Mozaffarian, D.; Global Dietary Database. (2023). Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries. Nature Medicine, 29(4), 982-995.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02278-8

Whole Grains Council. (2017). Summary of recent whole grain research 2012-2017.
https://wholegrainscouncil.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2017WGC_ResearchReport.pdf

Author: Bridget Swinney MS, RDN, LD