You’ve probably heard of whole grains – they include all three parts of the grain (bran, endosperm, germ) and are linked to health benefits such as a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Intact grains are whole grains that have not been processed. Now, I want to stress that “processed” is not a bad word. Whole grains can be processed by milling the grain into some flour to make other foods (such as whole wheat bread) or by steaming and rolling the grain into thinner pieces so that they cook faster (such as rolled oats or instant oats).
Here are a few examples of intact grains and whole grains.
Wheat berries are an intact grain. They have not been processed.
Bulgur is a whole grain. It’s made by boiling, drying and then cracking the wheat berries. This processing speeds up the cooking time of bulgur.
Whole wheat bread is a whole grain. It’s made by milling the wheat berries into flour used to make the bread.
Oat groats (also called oat kernels) are an intact grain. They have not been processed, milled or cut.
Steel cut oats are a whole grain. They’re minimally processed oat groats that have been cut into 2-3 pieces with a steel blade.
Old-fashioned rolled oats are a whole grain. They’re made by steaming the oat groats and then rolling them into large flakes.
Instant oats are a whole grain. The groats are steamed the longest and rolled out the thinnest, making them the fastest to cook.
Other examples of intact grains are amaranth, buckwheat, farro and quinoa.
Both whole grains and intact grains provide excellent nutrition. Intact grains can take longer to cook but may have a slight health advantage. For example, research shows that blood sugar levels were lower after eating intact oats compared to very thinly cut oats.
The bottom line: Whole grains and intact grains are nutritious and versatile. Eat a variety of whole grains and intact grains every day! Here are a few simple ideas:
- Have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.
- Make a tabbouleh salad with bulgur.
- Add a handful of quinoa to your favourite salad.
- Try soba noodles (buckwheat noodles).
- Make a sandwich on whole wheat bread.
