Why whole grains?
TASTY AND FILLING
There are many reasons why you should eat whole grains. With a wider palette of nutrients, whole grain products are more flavorful. Sometimes bakers use a small amount of whole grain flour as a trick to create tastier baked goods, even for breads that are not marketed as whole grain breads.
Whole grains also provide a greater sense of satiety thanks to increased fiber content and also slightly higher protein content than non-whole grain products. You can read more about what whole grains are here.
IMPROVED HEALTH WITH WHOLE GRAINS
The main reason for eating more whole grains is that it is the dietary factor that would most likely add years of healthy life according to the Global Burden of Disease study. The graph shows the impact of different dietary factors on health. The figures show years lost due to early death or disability per 100,000 inhabitants in Sweden in 2021. There are three main types of wellness diseases that are affected by low whole grain intake:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Colorectal cancer
- Type 2 diabetes
Source: GBD, Global Burden of Disease, 2021 | Sweden, whole population
WHOLE GRAINS ARE OFTEN SWEDISH
Cereals are something we can grow in Sweden and different types of cereals thrive in different parts of the country. In Skåne, the wheat fields are particularly extensive, in central Sweden most rye is grown and in the north barley thrives. Oats have mainly been grown in areas with higher rainfall, such as western Sweden. The different cereals have influenced the type of bread we prefer to eat and in many cases the tradition still lives on today. Crispbread, traditionally baked with rye, is most popular in Svealand, while thin bread, which used to be baked mostly with barley but now with other flours, is the favorite in the north. In Mälardalen there is a "loaf belt" and in the south white bread is the favorite and the occasional graham bun may represent the whole grain alternative baked on wheat. Sweet loaf is the favorite in the south and the occasional graham bun can represent the whole grain option baked on wheat.
In troubled times, we need to get better at eating foods that we can make ourselves for good preparedness. Including more whole grains and cereals in general as a natural part of the diet is also good for both health and the climate.
WHOLE GRAINS ARE CLIMATE SMART
Eating more whole grains is an easy way to eat climate smart! Eating whole grains makes use of the whole grain and reduces waste. Wholegrain products also make it easy to eat plant-based foods without fuss. The diagram shows examples of bread and pasta as examples of wholegrain products. Bread and pasta have a carbon dioxide emission of around 0.5 carbon dioxide equivalents per kilogram. This corresponds to about 2% of the carbon dioxide emissions of the same amount of Swedish beef.
Source: Highlights from the open list - an extract from the RISE climate database for food v 2.3 (2024)