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Most Americans believe they consume enough whole grain – but only five percent get the recommended three servings per day, according to new research carried out by General Mills.
The 2005 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that everyone over the age of nine should consume at least three servings of whole grains every day. And it has been suggested that the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, expected later this month, could further boost demand for whole grain products as they are likely to continue recommendations for whole grain foods in preference to those containing refined grains.
Ahead of the release of the latest Dietary Guidelines, General Mills conducted a survey of 1,010 US adults in October 2010 with the aim of better understanding how to help consumers close the gap between whole grain recommendations and actual intake.
Registered dietitian and senior nutrition scientist at General Mills’ Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, Michelle Tucker, told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “In general there is a large consumer gap. A lot of people think that they get enough whole grain, but I think that was a surprising thing…[The new dietary guidelines] will continue to stress the importance of whole grains and more and more research supports the benefits of whole grains.”
The company found that 61 percent of those surveyed think that they consume enough whole grain in their diet, despite the fact that 95 percent of Americans do not reach guideline amounts, according to figures from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
General Mills’ research found that half of those surveyed specifically shop for whole grain products, but consumers are confused about how to find it. Only 16 percent correctly identified that terms such as ‘enriched flour’, ‘100 percent wheat’ and ‘multigrain’ do not necessarily mean that a product contains whole grain. Seventeen percent incorrectly said that whole grains are always organic, and 28 percent did not understand the difference between whole grain and enriched grain.
On-product whole grain claims have soared since the introduction of the Whole Grain Stamp in 2005. Market research organization Mintel says that since 2005, more than 3,700 new products carry the claim. It appeared on 2.3 percent of products launched in 2005 – rising to 5.6 percent in 2010.
The Whole Grain Stamp program provides manufacturers with two different versions: one that indicates that a product is made with 100 percent whole grain and provides a full 16-gram serving of whole grain per portion; and a basic Whole Grain Stamp that requires a product to provide at least eight grams of whole grain per portion, equivalent to a half serving of whole grains.
6 comments (Comments are now closed)
Sure, whole grains are good but...
All grains, whole or not, increase insulin production. And studies show that any "puffy" cereal, regardless of the grain, can promote weight gain. A little whole grain in the diet is great, but there are no essential nutrients in whole grains that we can't get through beans and vegetables, which won't encourage the insulin response we get from grains.
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Posted by LKelch
19 January 2011 | 15h33
labels
I think it's great that more people are realizing how important whole grains are! We always read labels and ingredients because of our son's food allergies. It has taught us so much about reading labels and what to look for and what not to eat. We love whole grains and our favorites are wild rice and quinoa! I am excited to see that more people are catching on!
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Posted by smilinggreenmom
18 January 2011 | 23h30
Where do I begin?
1. Grain and flour are nutritious, inexpensive, full of soluble and insoluble fiber. Great for you and filling. Not the problem, not a problem.
2. Flour was required to be enriched during the depression because it was the best way to keep the populace healthy with vitamins and minerals. Untreated flour has been stored for over fifty years and still makes bread. Buy what you want, many types of flour are available.
3. The market dictates what companies manufacture. The market does not demand non-GMO or organic.
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Posted by Third generation flour miller
18 January 2011 | 20h29
Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance
Why do these articles persist proclaiming the benefits of whole grains when there's growing evidence that whole grains are not the answer but the problem? No longer is this a cry from the wilderness but rather an ever increasing and louder drumbeat of oppostion to the belief that whole grains are the key to health.
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Posted by C. Wood
18 January 2011 | 17h02
Why do we continue to rely on enriched flour?
Why do we continue to rely on enriched flour? Wasn't use of this originally adopted due to the need assure products have long shelf life? With modern delivery methods, surely this is not so necessary today. Why couldn't we switch to whole grains, or at least unbleached, unbromated flours?
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Posted by Breadman
17 January 2011 | 18h54
Whole Grains...
Manufacturers are defeating their purpose...
unlless whole grains are organic and free of GMO's.
If that were the case.....consumers would NOT be confused as to the benefits of WHOLE GRAINS...
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Posted by joyce friedman
17 January 2011 | 18h53
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