You don’t have to start from scratch to find whole grain foods. In fact, you may already have more than you think!
Activity
Search through your pantry, fridge, and cabinets, and take out all of the grain foods. Then separate them into two categories: whole grains and refined grains.
Once you’ve finished, look at all of the whole grain foods you already eat without even thinking about it. Then, look through your refined grain foods. Think about what whole grain foods you might use in their place.
First, let’s look for some white flour, highly processed grains you can seek out for swapping.
Refined Grains
- Bagels
- Bread (white)
- Couscous
- Crackers
- English muffins
- Flatbread
- Naan
- Noodles (rice)
- Noodles (egg)
- Pasta
- Pretzels
- Rice
- Rolls
- Tortillas (flour)
- Wraps
Now look for any whole grains you might already have.
Whole Grains
- Amaranth
- Bread (whole wheat)
- Brown rice cakes
- Brown rice noodles
- Buckwheat
- Buckwheat noodles
- Bulgur
- Corn
- Couscous (whole wheat)
- Crackers (whole grain)
- English muffins (whole grain)
- Farro
- Freekeh
- Instant oatmeal
- Millet
- Oats
- Pasta (whole wheat)
- Popcorn
- Quinoa
- Rice (brown, wild, basmati)
- Sorghum
- Teff
- Tortillas (corn, whole wheat)
Lastly, consider swapping out some of those refined grains for other whole grain options the next time you’re at the grocery store. Upgrading even just a couple of your refined grain products to some whole wheat options can make a difference. You’ll get more fibre, more nutrients, and more flavour to enjoy!