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What's the difference between whole grains and refined grains?

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Sarah Alligood, MPH, RD
International Food Information Council Foundation
http://www.ific.org/  
 

<span>Sarah Alligood is a registered dietitian specializing in nutrition communications. She has always loved food and cooking and operated by the principle that food is just as much a pleasure as a necessity.  Sarah recently moved from North Carolina to Washington, DC where she works at the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation <font><span>(<a>www.ific.org</a>). </span></font>IFIC is a nonprofit organization that communicates science-based information on food safety and nutrition to the media, health professionals, and others that come into contact with consumers.  At IFIC, Sarah monitors the ever-evolving nutrition communications environment and analyzes how this environment influences the decisions that people make when it comes to food and health.  She has also authored several articles on nutrition topics and delivered presentations to a variety of audiences ranging from preschoolers to college students to professionals.  Sarah is an active member of the American Dietetic Association and the Society for Nutrition Education.  She earned her Master of Public Health in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has diverse experience in the food and nutrition arena from the Stanford University Dining Services in Palo Alto, CA, to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC, and Piedmont Health Services WIC clinic in Prospect Hill, NC.  Sarah also performed with a modern dance company in college and has recently dusted off her dancing shoes. </span>

What's the difference between whole grains and refined grains?

 

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Host: What is the difference between whole grains and refined grains?

Sarah Alligood: Well, whole grains and refined grains both have a role in your diet. You should probably strive to get about half of your grains from whole -- whole grains and the other half would probably come from refined grains. Whole grains have the whole grain intact which gives them some proprieties so that they provide health benefits. Refined grains also serve a purpose in the diet. Refined grains have had part of the grain removed which makes them a little bit softer than whole grains, so in certain food products when you do want them to a little bit softer, refined grains maybe more appropriate. The other thing about refined grains is that a lot of them have something called folic acid added into them. This is a really important nutrient for women of child bearing ages because having adequate amounts can prevent very serious birth defects. So women of child bearing ages need to make sure that they are getting some refined grains in their diet, so that they will be getting enough folic acid. Now trying to make half of your grains whole is a lot easier now than it used to be. There are a lot of products in the marketplace that are made with whole grains that maybe werent done so in the past. For example, you can get all pastas whole grain now, you can get whole grain breads, crackers, even some snack chips. So it is really a lot easier now to make half of your grains whole.

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