Whole Grains and Fiber 101

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By Mindy Hermann, R.D.

If you cleared your cupboard of grains during the recent high-protein craze, it’s time to put them back on the shelf. Grain products, specifically whole-grain foods, are an important part of the heart-healthy food list.

Grain recommendations traditionally have focused on oatmeal, a whole grain rich in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol and leads to better heart health. Other sources of soluble fiber include apples, oranges, carrots, and dried beans.

The labels on packages of oatmeal are permitted to say that eating foods with soluble fiber, the type of fiber in oats, may help lower risk of heart disease. The magic of oats is not limited to oatmeal—round toasted oat cereal (such as Cheerios) has similar effects. Wahida Karmally, director of nutrition at the Irving Center for Clinical Research at Columbia University in New York City, and her colleagues studied the effects of three daily servings of round toasted oat cereal versus the same amount of corn cereal as part of a low-fat, heart-healthy diet. Both LDL and total cholesterol levels went down in the group eating the toasted oat cereal.

“Round toasted oat cereal is a healthy choice for children, and they don’t need to eat three servings each day to benefit. A serving or maybe two is fine,” Karmally says. “Children are not used to getting that much fiber. [More than two servings] could fill them up and cause bloating.”

Any whole grain is recommended for heart-healthy eating. As a result of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommendation to include at least three daily servings of whole-grain foods, manufacturers have been racing to supermarket shelves with new whole-grain pasta, rice, and bread products. Whole wheat couscous, a finely cut pasta, is a quick-cook option for busy parents and has a mild flavor that kids love.

“One of our favorite family meals is whole wheat couscous topped with a hearty stew that is made from chicken breast, carrot, potato, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and ready-to-use Indian simmering sauce,” says Robin Wald, a yoga instructor from Mount Kisco, New York, and the mother of three young children.

Another quick-cooking whole grain is precooked brown rice in microwaveable pouches. While traditional brown rice requires up to 45 minutes of cooking, precooked rice takes only a few minutes.