Refined Grains

[marie]

Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins.

Most refined grains are enriched. This means certain B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid) and iron are added back after processing. Fiber is not added back to enriched grains. Check the ingredient list on refined grain products to make sure that the word "enriched" is included in the grain name. Also, some food products are made from mixtures of whole grains and refined grains.

Some examples of refined grains and products are:

• Cornbread*
• Corn tortillas*
• Couscous*
• Crackers*
• Degermed cornmeal
• Flour tortillas*
• Grits
• Noodles*
• Pasta*
  
  • Spaghetti
  • Macaroni
• Pitas*
• Pretzels
• Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals
  
  • Corn flakes
• White bread
• White flour
• White rice
• White sandwich buns and rolls

*Most of these products are made from refined grains. Some are made from whole grains. Check the ingredient list for the words "whole grain" or "whole wheat" to decide if they are made from a whole grain. Some foods are made from a mixture of whole and refined grains.

Some grain products contain significant amounts of bran. Bran provides fiber, which is important for health. However, products with added bran or bran alone - such as oat bran - are not necessarily whole grain products.

[Anonymous Bot]