Hey everyone, as its wholegrain week I thought I'd share this bit of info with you.

WHOLEGRAINS Its #wholegrainsweek so lets have a look at what they are, why we need them, how much we need and some sources!

What are they?

Whole grains are the seeds of cereal plants. The whole grain is made of three elements

- A fibre-rich outer later (the bran)

- A nutrient packed inner part (the germ)

- A central starchy part (the endosperm)

Why we need them?

Wholegrains are a great source of fibre, B vitamins, folic acid, essay fatty acids (omega 3 fats) and protein which are all essential in our diet.

How much do we need?

According to the Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council, adults and children over 9 years of age should aim to eat at least 48g of whole grains each day.

How can I get wholegrains in my diet?

A lot of foods you probably eat already are high in wholegrains. You can count a serving of whole grains as 16 grams (16g) of whole grain ingredients, this translates to

- A slice of wholegrain bread

- ½ cup brown rice

- 3 cups of popcorn

- 1 cup of wholegrain cereal

To increase the amount you consume you can make easy swaps, for example switching from regular pasta to wholegrain or white rice to brown rice.

Info from @grainslegumesnc and @bda_dietitians

Side note: I've really enjoyed reading the posts and getting to know you all. Molly, Ruby and Laura have uploaded some fantastic posts these last couple of days so check them out if you haven't already.