Grains and Cereals
As with Vegetables, most Australians eat less than half the recommended amount of wholegrain food each day and too much refined grain. You should aim for at least two thirds of the grains you eat being wholegrain.
Grains provide us with a range of important nutrients, including carbohydrate, protein and fibre. They contain a wide range of micronutrients as well, which include the minerals iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphorous and some of the B group vitamins folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, as well as vitamin E. they are also low in saturated fat and contain good fats (polyunsaturated fats). Wholegrains can help reduce the risk of developing diseases like coronary heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes and diverticular disease. The fibre in wholegrain products is very important in maintaining a healthy digestive system. Wholegrain products can also help when trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight. Like vegetables the fibre content in wholegrains helps to create a feeling of fullness which can help to control over eating. So what’s the difference between wholegrain and processed? Whole grain products contain the three layers of the grain (bran, endosperm and germ). Refined grains have the bran and germ removed, leaving only the endosperm. Most of the fibre and many of the nutrients are lost by removing these layers, leaving mainly Carbohydrates, some proteins and a small amount of vitamins and minerals. Some white breads have fibre and minerals added back in, but they are not always grain derived so some of the benefits may be lost. You will also come across wholemeal products which is whole grain milled (crushed) down to a fine texture. Wholemeal and whole grain are very similar in nutrients but wholemeal is higher GI, so wholegrain is always the best choice if you can. You will be starting to see a bit of a theme developing with these plant based foods. They all help reduce the risk factors for metabolic syndrome which is a collection conditions which increase the risk of Stroke, Diabetes and heart disease. The conditions which fall under the heading of metabolic syndrome include; high blood pressure, High triglycerides, insulin resistance, obesity and low HDL cholesterol. They also help lower your risk for certain cancers. A good enough reason to make sure the biggest percentage of your diet is from unprocessed plant based foods. I won’t go into all the different types of grains because I think most people have a good grasp of what they are, although interestingly things like quinoa are classified as grain in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, but I think that technically they are a seed. I guess quinoa is included in grains and cereals this because it has become very popular, and in a lot of cases is used in similar ways to what grains are in our meals. So how many serves do you need each day? Female. 19 to 50 years should aim for 6 serves per day 51 to 70 years 4 serves per day 70+ years 3 serves per day Pregnant women are recommended 8 ½ serves per day Lactating women are recommended 9 serves per day. Men 19 to 50 years should aim for 6 serves per day 51 to 70 years 6 serves per day 70+ years 4 ½ serves per day Toddlers, 1 to 2 year olds should be having 4 serves per day Girls 2 to 11 year olds 4 serves 12 to 13 year olds 5 serves 14 to 18 year olds 7 serves Boys 2 to 8 year olds 4 serves 9 to 11 year olds 5 serves 12 to 13 year olds 6 serves 14 to 18 year olds 7 serves Your next question I guess you want answered is, what is a serve?? A single serve from the grains/cereal group is equal to 500kJ! That doesn’t really help you much does it!! This is a list of serving sizes for different grain/cereal products.
Make sure you chose mostly wholegrain products. *All this information and more is available from the Eat For Health website www.eatforhealth.gov.au If you think the information in any of my posts is of any value to your friends please share it with them and encourage them to follow my posts, either on my blog http://www.astutefitness.com.au/blog or on facebook. Thanks!!
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AuthorDaryl Maddern Archives
July 2019
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