T Nutrition Council ( GLNC ) conducted an unpublished
ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH WHOLE GRAINS ?
The Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council helps you add more whole grains to your diet .
he Grains and Legumes
T Nutrition Council ( GLNC ) conducted an unpublished
study , which found that only 30 per cent of Australians are meeting the whole grain recommendations for good health 1 . However , global research 2 into whole grain consumption has suggested that Australia is doing better than many countries , although we still have a long way to go to meet the amount of whole grain needed for good health .
Three serves of whole grain a day are recommended for a lower risk of chronic disease and better health outcomes , but in Australia , just one in three people meets this target . Whilst Australia is doing much better than the UK – where just 17 per cent of people meet targets and the US where only 8 per cent eat enough whole grain ² – we ’ re still not doing nearly as well as countries like Denmark , Sweden and Norway . Residents in these countries typically consume twice as much whole grain as the average Australian and are likely to experience fewer instances of chronic disease as a result .
But although 70 per cent of Australians are falling short of the whole grain recommendation , there are plenty of opportunities to choose whole grain foods more often and increase your whole grain intake . In fact , the average Australian only needs an increase of just 1.5 serves of whole grain a day to meet the recommended three serves and reap the significant health benefits of higher whole grain intake . This could be as simple as swapping the white bread in your sandwich for a wholemeal variety , or switching a serve of white rice with your dinner for brown rice .
Choosing whole grain foods is important as it increases your intake of fibre and essential nutrients , as well as reducing risk of diabetes and heart disease by 20 to 30 per cent . Two out of three Australians would benefit from changing their habits by making at least half their grain food choices whole grain and looking for foods higher in whole grain .
With increasing innovation in the whole grain category , it ’ s easier than ever to choose foods higher in whole grain , but industry faces a significant challenge for communication of whole grain content , both on pack and in product marketing , due to a lack of regulation on whole grain content claims .
Currently , the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code doesn ’ t regulate the use of whole grain content claims on different foods . So products making whole grain claims can contain differing amounts of whole grain , some breads for example may vary from 6g of whole grain per serve right up to 60g per serve .
So how can we reduce confusion around whole grains ?
In 2013 , to help reduce the confusion around whole grains , the Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council ( GLNC ) launched the Code of Practice for Whole Grain Ingredient Content Claims
10 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2017