When should I eat whole grains?
CHOOSE WHOLE GRAINS FIRST
A common question is when to eat whole grains. It doesn't have to be difficult to incorporate whole grains into your daily life, as long as you plan ahead and make sure you have good whole grain products at home. Whole Grain Promotion offers some tips on when whole grains fit in and how you can create good whole grain habits.
FRUIT - ensure half the recommended daily intake
The easiest meal to boost with whole grains is breakfast, which many people already do. It's also smart to eat whole grains early in the day to ensure you don't lose them during the rest of the day. You're already halfway there after an hour. Since most people also almost always eat the same breakfast from day to day, it is smart to think about breakfast and get into a habit that provides half the recommended intake of whole grains from the start.
CHEAP WHOLE GRAIN BREAKFAST
The classic oatmeal is an affordable breakfast option that also provides plenty of whole grains right from the start. One deciliter of oatmeal weighs 35 grams, and since it's 100% whole grain, that means you get 35 grams of whole grains in one serving of oatmeal. Oatmeal contains beta-glucans, which are gel-forming and lower blood cholesterol levels. To contrast with the soft porridge, we suggest, for example, a traditional rye crispbread sandwich, which provides an additional 12-17 grams of whole grains, depending on the size of the crispbread.
LUXURIOUS WHOLE GRAIN BREAKFAST
A good muesli, fresh berries and milk or yogurt is a great way to start the day. There are many tasty and healthy muesli varieties to choose from, and the package often states how much whole grain it contains. Here we have calculated a muesli with 60% whole grain, and then you get 18 grams of whole grain if you eat 30 grams. Wholemeal bread with cream cheese, tomato and basil is delicious. It's good to know that for both muesli and bread, it's smart to navigate by the keyhole. The Green Keyhole label for cereal products is based on criteria with minimum levels for whole grains and maximum levels for sugar and salt.
QUICK WHOLE GRAIN BREAKFAST
If you're short on time in the morning, it's a good idea to prepare your breakfast the night before. A smart whole grain spread is overnight oats. You take a deciliter of oatmeal and mix it with, for example, half a mashed banana, 1 teaspoon of chia seeds, 1 teaspoon of cocoa and 1.5 dl of pea drink. Prepare it before you go to bed at night and leave it in the fridge, ready to eat when you wake up. Top with a dollop of youghurt and some chopped nuts or some frozen blueberries when serving.
WHOLE GRAIN SNACK
To avoid less healthy snacks when cravings may set in, it is important to have prepared whole grain options to make a healthier choice. Eating your fill of whole grains reduces the likelihood of choosing less healthy foods. The effect is twofold: you get good, nutritious food and you reduce the amount of unhealthy food.
LUNCH OR DINNER - CHOOSE WHOLE GRAINS
Wheat, wholemeal bulgur, wholemeal couscous, oats, wholemeal pasta... The list goes on and on of good options for getting a good dose of wholemeal. Some products are 100% whole grain and some contain a certain percentage of whole grain. Taste around and think about what you like. It's better to find a whole grain option that you like than to force yourself to eat something that doesn't taste good. Same with the amount of whole grains, if you like pasta made with 55% whole grains better than pasta made with 100% whole grains, choose the lower percentage, a 70g portion of whole grain pasta still contains a lot of whole grains! Another meal tip is to eat wholemeal bread with your food, as people used to do in the past. You can read more about where to find whole grains here.
