Whole Wheat, Whole Grain, Multi-Grain - What is the Difference?

We have talked about food labels and what they really mean when they say enriched, fortified, and refined. But what about labels like "Whole Wheat" "Whole Grain" and "Multi-Grain"? They all kind of sound like the same thing and they all seem like they would be good for you. Take this information with you the next time you go food shopping so you make better decisions when buying food for your family:

Whole Wheat / Whole Grain

Product examples that may contain whole wheat or whole grains: Whole wheat breads, pastas, cereals, tortilla, chips, and flours; brown rice; oatmeal; popcorn; quinoa.

Whole wheat refers to the whole wheat grain (see the picture we made below) and to be whole wheat, a grain must still have all it's parts: the bran, germ, and endosperm. Most nutrients are in the bran and germ parts of the whole grain. (Whole wheat comes from grinding the entire wheat berry.)

Whole wheat and whole grains are so good for your body and health. Here are just some of their benefits:

• Promotes gastrointestinal health
• Reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• May decrease cholesterol levels and blood pressure, reducing risk of heart disease
• Good source of dietary fiber, iron, manganese, and other vitamins and antioxidants

Multi-grain
Product examples that label their foods as multi-grain: Breads, cereals, tortillas, crackers, snack bars

Multi-grain means that a food contains more than one type of grain (example, oats, flax, millet). Keep in mind when you are buying these products that it does not necessarily mean that the product contains whole grains. In other words, many multi-grain products contain refined grains.

Through the food manufacturing refining process, grains lose most of the bran and germ parts of the wheat germ. Remember, this is where most of the nutritional value is in the wheat grain. And yes, manufacturers can add back fiber, vitamins and minerals to their products that are lost during the refining process. However, natural whole grains provide healthy nutrition that cannot be duplicated in enriched multi-grain products. Stick to the natural whole foods!

**Whole Wheat and Whole Grain Foods are, in general, MUCH Better for you than Multi-Grain Foods.**

Make sure you know what you are buying. Look at the ingredients label and make sure that all grains include the word 'whole'. Stay away from products where 'enriched wheat flour' is listed near the top of the ingredient list. We hope this clears things up. Let us know if you have any other questions we can answer!

Here's a picture we made of a whole grain and it's "parts":