Opting for Whole Grains

Along with fruit and vegetables, grain products like bread, pasta, rice, oatmeal and other grains, constitute the basics of nutrition. Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating between 4 and 8 portions of grain products per day (according to gender and age). At least half of these portions should be whole-grain, and that's what we are proposing you aim for with the “Opting for Whole Grains” Goal PLUS. Your whole-grain portion goal corresponds to:

• at least 2 portions per day for children aged 4 to 8
• at least 3 portions per day for adults and children over 9

To learn more about the other 2009 Goals PLUS, visit the Goals section.

What is One Portion of Grain Products?

• 1 slice of bread (35 g)
• ½ bagel, English muffin, pita or tortilla
• 30 g of breakfast cereal
• 175 ml (¾ cup) of oatmeal
• 125 ml (½ cup) of pasta, grains (barley, quinoa, etc.) or cooked rice
• 500 ml (2 cups) of plain popcorn

Why Choose Whole-Grain Products?

Mainly because they contain lots of fibre – a nutritional substance that is very important for us. In fact, fibre...

• regulates intestinal functioning
• reduces the risk of cancer (e.g., colon and breast cancer)
• lowers blood cholesterol levels and protects against cardiovascular disease when part of a low-fat diet
• helps diabetics to control their blood sugar levels
• gives a feeling of being full, which helps control appetite and weight

Whole Grains, Every Day

• Start the day by eating cereal rich in whole grains and fibre (at least 2 g of fibre per 30 g portion).
• Choose whole grains like whole-wheat, oatmeal, hulled barley, quinoa, etc.
• Opt for whole-grain versions of bread, crackers, rice, English muffins, pitas, tortillas, pasta, etc.
• Add barley or brown rice to your soups and stews.
• In your recipes, replace some of the white flour with whole-grain flour.

You can also increase your intake of fibre by

• incorporating wheat or oat bran into your ground beef, for spaghetti, hamburgers or meatloaf
• using bran or oatmeal to bread chicken and fish
• adding a spoonful of wheat or oat bran to your favourite cereal or oatmeal

How Much Fibre?

It is recommended that we eat 25 to 30 g of fibre per day. The best way to achieve that is to

• eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day
• opt for grain products that are whole-grain (between 4 and 8 portions per day, according to gender and age) as well as wheat or oat bran
• regularly eat legumes

Water, Please!

When increasing fibre intake, it is important to also increase our intake of water, to allow the fibre to do its work. We should drink between 6 and 8 glasses (1.5 to 2 litres) of water per day.

This page was updated thanks to the support of Bon Matin.