Whole grains… you may or may not have heard of how important they are to maintaining a healthy diet.

What is it that makes them so vital? Whole grains are just that, grains that have been minimally processed. To be more specific, the bran, germ, and endosperm of the grain are still on the grain or in the product.

Alternatively, other grain products such as enriched flour have been striped of their outer layers. These products do not contain the fiber that whole grain products do.  More information about what makes a whole grain just that can be found here.

While it may seem daunting to incorporate whole grains into your life, there are easy ways to swap what you may already be eating for healthier alternatives!

Choosemyplate.gov recommends that we make half of the grains we consume, whole.

These can be easy swaps such as:

• Try making your sandwich on your work break with whole grain bread instead of white
• You could eat oatmeal or whole grain cereal for a quick breakfast.
• Another easy switch is to eat brown rice instead of white.
  Most restaurants have while grain or brown rice available as an option, so next time you’re eating out, just ask!
• Watch for the keyword “whole” in the top of the ingredient list when purchasing groceries.
• Make half your grain  chooses "whole". Like when choosing a snack, enjoy popcorn, a whole grain food, instead of processed snacks.

If you’re interested in more ways on how to switch up your grains, check out these ten tips and tricks on choosing whole-grain foods!