What Are Whole Grains

Whole grains are cereal grains that consist of the intact, ground, cracked, or flaked kernel, which includes the bran, the germ, and the inner most part of the kernel (the endosperm).

Some examples of whole grains include whole wheat, oatmeal, whole-grain cornmeal, brown rice, whole-grain barley, whole rye, and buckwheat. Spelt, often thought of as a unique whole grain, is actually a member of the wheat family.

When trying to select products that contain whole grains, look for those that show whole grains listed first on the ingredient list. The ingredient list on a food label shows ingredients in the order of the most abundant by weight.

For products such as bread or pasta to be labeled whole grain, the grain can be ground, cracked, or flaked, but it must retain the same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm.

Eating a daily dose of at least three one-ounce equivalents of whole grains per day can reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. Examples of a one-ounce equivalent include:

* 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
* 1/2 cup cooked 100% whole-grain pasta
* 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or whole-grain barley
* 1 regular slice of 100% whole-grain bread
* 1 cup of whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal (flakes or rounds) or 1¼ cup puffed.

Here are a couple of recipes using oats in the ingredients.

Cranberry Orange Squares

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup whole cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons orange juice

1. Lightly oil a square pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, sugar, and baking soda using a whisk.
3. Using your hands, mix the melted butter into the rolled oats mixture, until it forms pea-sized clumps.
Do not over mix.
4. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of mixture to be used as the topping.
5. Press remainder of oat mix into the bottom of the pan, making sure it covers the whole bottom.
6. Mix the orange juice with the cranberry sauce.
7. Spread evenly over the base.
8. Sprinkle the reserved oats mixture over the top.
9. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Cool and cut into squares.

NOTE:This recipe can be doubled to fit a 9" by 13" pan.


Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal - is excellent as breakfast (perhaps in its less-sweet variation) or a snack.

The first variation presented here tastes much more like a dessert than a breakfast food (which the second, a modification, aims to be), try them both and see which you prefer.

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 eggs

Mix the ingredients and pour them into a 9 in by 9 in pan. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 (probably 45) minutes. Serve hot, cold, and with or without milk - the choice is yours.

Variation: Not as sweet

3 cups quick-cooking oats (same as before)
1/2 cup wheat flakes (added)
1/2 cup granulated sugar and approximately 1 tablespoon molasses (substituted for the brown sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder (same as before)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (same as before)
1/2 teaspoon salt (halved)
1 1/2 cups milk (increased from 1c)
1/2 c vegetable oil (substituted for the butter)
3 eggs (increased from 2)