Whole Grain and Weight Loss

Adding whole grains to your diet is one way to help you with losing weight.  Whole grains, or foods made from whole grains, contain the nutrients that are naturally part of the grain, including all of the fiber.  Fiber makes you feel fuller sooner and it helps slow down digestion, keeping you feeling fuller longer. High fiber foods also keep you feeling satisfied so you are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods between meals.

It is recommended that we get 25-30 grams of fiber and getting at least 3 servings of whole grains a day will help you get to that goal.

A serving of whole grains can be:

• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or other cooked grain
• 1/2 cup cooked 100% whole-grain pasta
• 1/2 cup cooked hot cereal such as oatmeal
• 1 slice 100% whole grain bread
• 1 cup 100% whole grain ready-to-eat cereal

Just be sure to read the labels and choose foods that specify "100% whole grain" or have whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Just because it's brown doesn't mean it's whole grain!