An important Whole Food Plant-Based guideline is to consume Whole Grains. But what exactly are Whole Grains? How are they different from Refined Grains? What are examples of Refined Grains commonly consumed in Indian cuisine?

A collection of Dr Greger explaining the nutritional superiority of whole grains over refined grains.

Refined rice (white rice) consumption actually led to outbreaks of beri beri in parts of Asia in 1800s and early 1900s.

Americans eat an average of 7 oz of grains daily. That's equivalent to about 7 slices of bread. However, less than 10% of these are in the form of whole grains. More than 90% are refined grains.

If we don't buy packaged foods, we don't have to develop label reading skills! :) However, if we do wish to purchase packaged foods, how may we figure out if a product has whole grains or refined grains?