Wholegrain vs. Whole Wheat vs. Multigrain

You see each of these in abundance on store shelves. The primary benefit they all provide is fiber. However, it can get confusing when knowing which products to choose. What are the specifics of each? Which one is the best one? This article intends to eliminate the confusion between wholegrain, whole wheat and multigrain products.

Whole products and multigrain products are becoming a popular alternative to “refined-grains" and refined grains are as listed:

• White rice
• White flour
• White bread
• Hominy
• Pasta (non-whole wheat types)

In each segment there is a list that contains wholegrain, whole wheat and multigrain products.

Wholegrain

Whole grains include the whole seed which is comprised of the endosperm, germ and bran sections. Studies have found that wholegrain actually lowers the risk of chronic diseases even with just one serving a day.

Whole grain foods may contain multiple types of grains, or they can just have a single grain.

Wholegrain Benefits

Wholegrain foods, as mentioned above can sometimes consist of a variety of grains and these products may be labeled as 'multigrain'. Multigrain simply means there is a variety of grains within the product. But notice, this does not mean that all of the grains are whole grains. But there are still benefits to multigrain foods, because different grains possess different nutritional properties. Just remember that all whole grains are packed full of fiber, antioxidants, complex carbs and vitamins and minerals.

In 2010 the American Society for Nutrition reviewed findings on the benefits of wholegrain products, and the evidence suggests that whole grains played a part in reducing the risk of certain diseases.

• Risk of stroke reduced 30-36%
• Risk of Type 2 Diabetes reduced 21-30%
• Risk of Heart Disease reduced 25-28%

Other benefits include a reduced risk of asthma and inflammatory disease.

How to Identify Wholegrain Foods

You need to examine the labels on food packaging very carefully. You want to see 100% whole grain or either whole wheat flour listed as the first ingredient. Avoid anything that says “made with whole grain"; that's a sign that the product only contains small amounts of whole grains. Also, you want to avoid anything that says “wheat flour"; wheat flour is refined flour.

The Whole Grain Council has a stamp that they put on food packaging to identify wholegrain products. These stamps tell you how many grams of whole grains are contained within the food item. These Whole Grain Stamps feature a sheaf of grain on a golden-yellow background with a broad black border.

There are two sets of stamps: The Basic Stamp and the 100% Stamp.

• 100% Stamp: All of the grains in the ingredients are whole grains. The minimum requirement for a full serving is 16 grams.
• Basic Stamp: The basic stamp means that the product contains 8g (half a serving) of wholegrain, but may contain refined grain. But even if a product contains higher amounts of wholegrain, 23g or 41g, the Basic Stamp will still be featured if it contains any refined flour.

Whole Grain Foods List

• Brown rice
• Popcorn
• Barley
• Buckwheat
• Corn
• Amaranth
• Sorghum
• Wild Rice
• Triticale
• Teff

Whole Wheat (Whole Wheat Flour)

Let's go over what we have learned so far: whole grain consists of the entire kernel of the grain which includes the endosperm, bran and germ. While there are a lot of similarities between wholegrain and whole wheat, especially in appearance, there are some key differences to the two of them. Whole wheat flour passes through a refining process that eliminates the bran and germ and takes away half of its nutrients.

Whole Wheat Benefits
Whole wheat's benefits are less than that of wholegrain. This is because, as mentioned above, whole wheat goes through a refining process that strips it of most of its natural ingredients. Whole wheat is higher in fat content. And because whole wheat bread has less fiber, people tend to feel less satisfied than they do when they eat wholegrain bread which is loaded with fiber. Whole wheat is higher in fat content than whole grain and.

How to Identify Whole Wheat Foods
Identifying whole wheat foods can be very tricky. Some companies use “whole grain" and “whole wheat" interchangeably, but they are incorrect. To determine whether or not a specific food product is made out of whole wheat, check the ingredients label on the packaging, and look for “whole wheat flour". Do not only consider the term “whole-grain" on the front of anything. ALWAYS read the ingredients list.

Whole Wheat Food List

• Bread
• Brown Rice

Multigrain

Multigrain foods consist of multiple grains including cracked barley and buckwheat. Remember, multigrain consists of multiple grains but this does not mean that they are all whole grains. Multi-grains sometimes can be comprised of several refined grains. The foods to watch out for are breads, pastas and tortillas. Pay close attention to the labels and ingredients.

One of the determining factors to look for are the words “enriched wheat flour", which should be found close to the top of the list of ingredients. This means that the product is not made of whole grains and is therefore multigrain bread.

Multigrain Benefits

Multigrain foods are high in protein and complex carbs. Complex carbs breakdown slower and can increase the duration of energy levels in the body, which is great for exercise. Multi-grains contain fiber, but the amounts in food products are often not as high as wholegrain foods. Magnesium, copper and iron can also be found in multigrains.

While multigrain foods contain good things, it doesn't necessarily mean you are getting a lot of them.

How to Identify Multigrain Foods

Identifying multigrain foods can be a little tricky. Carefully read and examine all the labels. Multi-grain foods can have a few whole-grains in them, but they usually contain refined flour—the same that can be found in bleached white bread.

An ingredient to also look for is maple syrup. Companies use maple syrup to give food products a darker color, in an attempt to make it look more like whole-grain bread.

Multigrain Food List

• Bread
• Doughnuts
• Energy/Snack Bars
• Pancakes
• Waffles