Do it like the Danes this Whole Grain Week!

In Australia, Nordic nations are best known for their chilly climate, flat-pack furniture, and addictive TV crime shows, but why not their whole grain habits? This Whole Grain Week, we’re encouraging you to eat like the Danish – who enjoy more than three times the amount of whole grain than most Aussies!

Whole Grain Week (18-24 June) is all about spreading the word on how important whole grain foods are in our diet, and inspiring Australians to make simple swaps for big health benefits.

Whole grain foods like brown rice, pasta, oats, and wholemeal bread are packed with nutrition, and there’s good evidence that people who eat them regularly are less likely to develop heart disease, type 2 diabetes, even bowel cancer.

But unfortunately few Australians eat enough; 59% of us choose refined grains, eating an average of just 21g whole grain per day – less than half the recommended 48g Daily Target Intake.

The ‘New Nordic Diet,’ is one of the latest diets where whole grain foods feature heavily - think rye bread, oats, and barley, so it will come as no surprise that Danes devour an average of 63 grams of whole grain each day – trebling the Aussie effort!

Most of us know whole grain foods are full of fibre, but Accredited Practising Dietitians Alex Parker and Anna Debenham from The Biting Truth say there’s actually much more to it. “Whole grains are little nutrition powerhouses, delivering more than 26 nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, fibre, even antioxidants.”

So why don’t we eat more whole grain? For many Australians, it comes down to the extra time it may take to cook whole grains, as well as simply being in the habit of choosing refined grains like white bread, rice, and pasta. So how can you enjoy the health benefits of eating more, without compromising on taste or time? Themis Chryssidis and Callum Hann, from Sprout Cooking School say a bit of prior planning is key:

“Many whole grain varieties actually only take an average of just 4 minutes longer to cook than white varieties. But you can cut cooking time further by soaking grains like freekeh or brown rice overnight, or for a few hours in advance. You could also cook a big batch of whole grains on a free afternoon and freeze individual portions in snap-lock bags or containers – ready to throw in your lunch bag or defrost for dinner!” says Themis, an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

The duo also suggest checking out the expanding grains section in the supermarket, which is bursting with convenient microwaveable products and interesting new varieties – think quinoa/rice mixes, wild rice and every colour rice you can imagine - red, black, purple, barley, teff, amaranth, buckwheat and many more.

So why not try a few simple swaps this Whole Grain Week to boost your health, without compromising on taste or time. Check out our handy ready reckoner to see how you can reach your 48g every day!

The Biting Truth’s top three whole grain nutrition benefits!

1. Eating whole grains protects our health in the long-term, against things like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer. 

2. Choosing whole grain foods may help with weight maintenance: people who eat whole grains regularly are likely to have a healthy weight and waist circumference.

3. They’re great for our gut: the fibre in whole grains ‘feeds’ our good gut bacteria, which may improve our health in other ways – controlling our appetite, reducing inflammation, and boosting immunity. 

Try these delicious recipes to help you hit your whole grain target!

- These delicious Baked Oats are a breakfast the whole family will love.
- Enjoy a classic for lunch with an Egg & Lettuce Sandwich on wholemeal bread.
- Make a batch of these Corn & Zucchini Muffins to tide you over for morning or afternoon tea!
- For dinner, this Freekeh, Lentil & Bean Salad makes a great stand-alone or side dish with fish.

For more information on Whole Grain Week or to find out how you can help spread the whole grain message, visit our website here.

Finally, the news we’ve all been waiting to hear – eating pasta and bread does not contribute to weight gain

Recent ground-breaking research has finally dispelled the myth that eating grain foods causes weight gain and furthermore, suggests that grains are much more nutritious than most people think. The research comes from the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council who conducted an analysis of the most recent National Nutrition Survey, which looked at the diets of over 9,000 adults (1). Results showed that consumption of core grain foods, including both white and wholegrain bread and pasta, was not linked to waist circumference or BMI.

A range of factors that can affect weight status were taken into account in the study, including physical activity levels and whether the study subject was on a diet with the data still showing that people eating six or more serves of core grain foods per day, have similar waistline measurements and BMI’s than those who restrict their grain intake.

Almost one in two Australians limit wheat and other grain foods due to this misperception that foods such as bread and pasta cause weight gain (2), so it’s no surprise that Australians are missing out on the additional health benefits of grain foods. This avoidance has been driven by the recent ‘gluten free’ and ‘free from’ trends, with 21% of people in the Asia-Pacific region stating that a gluten free label influences their purchasing behaviour (3).

In Australia in particular, this has led to a 30% reduction in the consumption of core grain foods over 2 years (2), due to a belief that grain foods, even high fibre grain foods such as whole grain bread and wholemeal pasta, have no place in a healthy diet. And young women are missing out the most, with just 8.5% of 19-50 year old females meeting core grain food recommendations (2).

There are many benefits to be had when consuming a diet rich in core grain foods, particularly whole grain and high fibre choices. Whole grain wheat and bran-based grain foods contain insoluble fibre which promotes regular digestive function alongside fermentable dietary fibre in grains which behave like prebiotics, encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. So grains are good for your gut health too!

In addition, those with higher intakes of whole grain and high fibre grain foods are less likely to gain weight over time (4&5), have heart disease (6&7), experience low grade inflammation (8-12), suffer an early death (13) and are more likely to report being in excellent health. By cutting out core grain foods believing it will keep them slim, people may be putting their health at risk. Find out more of the health benefits of whole grains here.

Michelle Broom, General Manager of the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council, explains, “This new study adds to the evidence that core grain foods are an important  part of a healthy, balanced diet. By meeting the recommended six daily serves, at least half of which should be whole grain, we can enjoy the many benefits of core grain consumption, without any difference in BMI or waist circumference.”

It’s easy to get your recommended six serves a day; with 2 slices of whole grain toast for breakfast, a salad with a cup of quinoa for lunch and half a cup of pasta with a tomato sauce for dinner. For delicious ideas to up your grain intake, including this deliciously different Indian Spiced Millet Pilaf or a Quinoa & Wheat Berry Tabouleh visit the GLNC website.

For more information on the number of grain serves recommended for different age and gender groups download our factsheet.

References

1. Nutrition Research Australia. Secondary Analysis of the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Submitted for publication. 2015

2. Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC). 2014 Australian Grains and Legumes Consumption & Attitudinal Report. Unpublished. 2014

3. The Nielsen Company. We Are What We Eat: Healthy Eating Trends Around the World. http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsenglobal/

4. Williams PG, Grafenauer SJ, O'Shea JE. Cereal Grains, Legumes, and Weight Management: A Comprehensive Review of the Ccientific Evidence. Nutrition Reviews. 2008;66(4):171-82.

5.  Mozaffarian D, Hao T, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;364(25):2392-404.

6. Tang G, Wang D, Long J, Yang F, Si L. Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Whole Grain Intake and Coronary Heart Disease Risk. American Journal of Cardiology. 2015;115(5):625-9.

7. Barclay AW, Petocz P, McMillan-Price J, Flood VM, Prvan T, Mitchell P, et al. Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Chronic Disease Risk—A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87(3):627-37.

8. Lefevre M, Jonnalagadda S. Effect of Whole Grains on Markers of Subclinical Inflammation. Nutrition Reviews. 2012;70(7):387-96.

9. Galisteo M, Duarte J, Zarzuelo A. Effects of Dietary Fibers on Disturbances Clustered in the Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.19(2):71-84.

10. King DE, Mainous AG, Egan BM, Woolson RF, Geesey ME. Fiber and C-Reactive Protein in Diabetes, Hypertension, and Obesity. Diabetes Care. 2005;28(6):1487-9.

11.  King DE, Egan BM, Geesey ME. Relation of Dietary Fat and Fiber to Elevation of C-Reactive Protein. American Journal of Cardiology.92(11):1335-9.

12. Ajani UA, Ford ES, Mokdad AH. Dietary Fiber and C-Reactive Protein: Findings from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data. The Journal of Nutrition. 2004;134(5):1181-5 13. Kim Y, Je Y. Dietary Fiber Intake and Total Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2014;180(6):565-73.

14. Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC). GLNC Grains & Legumes Product Audit. Unpublished. 2015-16