Celebrate Whole Grains Month in September
September is whole grains month and every year the Whole Grains Council celebrates with special events and promotions all month. This year, the 2011 Whole Grains Month was better than ever, with a special sweepstakes for consumers.
Congratulations to Vicki Burt of Shamokin, PA, our first prize winner, and Diane Kleeman of Rockford, IL, our second prize winner. You can read more about our winners here.
We invited people to join the Whole Grains Stampede during Whole Grains Month this year, by visiting the WGC website anytime from September 1-30, and telling us about their favorite whole grain products bearing the Whole Grain Stamp.
Their entries put them in the running for a random drawing to win two great prizes:
| 1st Prize | $5,000 of grocery money and a year's worth of Quaker whole grain products* courtesy of The Quaker Oats Company |
| 2nd Prize |
An iPad2, loaded with food and health apps |
* In addition to the $5,000 grocery money, our 1st prize winner will receive a quarterly delivery of each of the following: 12 boxes of Chewy Granola Bars; 6 boxes of Quaker Oatmeal Squares; 3 boxes of Instant Quaker Oatmeal; and 3 boxes of Standard Quaker Oatmeal.
Plus, the first 300 people to enter received a selection of some of the great discount coupons listed below, for products from WGC member companies.
| Company | Discount Coupon for... |
|---|---|
| American Italian Pasta Co | A Wide Assortment of Whole Grain Pastas |
| Attune Foods | Uncle Sam's and Erewhon Cereals |
| ConAgra Mills | Ultragrain Flour |
| Crunchmaster / TH Foods | Crunchmaster Gluten Free Crackers |
| Dr. Kracker | Dr. Kracker Flatbreads |
| Flower Foods | Any Nature's Own Items |
| Frontier Soups | Frontier's Whole Grain Soups and Oatmeal Breakfast Cereal |
| Grain Millers / Country Choice | Any Country Choice Product |
| Heinz | Heinz Smart Ones Brand Foods |
| Home Free | Home Free Cookies |
| King Arthur Flour Company | King Arthur Flour |
| Late July Organic Snacks | Organic Multigrain Snack Chips |
| Lundberg Family Farms | Any Lundberg Grain |
| Marion's Smart Delights | Marion's Gluten-Free Baking Mixes |
| Mars Foods / Uncle Ben's | Any Uncle Ben's Product |
| Mary's Gone Crackers | Crackers, Cookies, & Twigs |
| McDonald's | McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal |
| Old Wessex | Old Fashion Irish Oatmeal |
| Ozery's Pita Break | One Buns or Morning Rounds |
| Pamela's Products | Whenever Bars |
| Peace Cereals | Any Peace Cereal |
Stay tuned next year for more great Whole Grains Month activities!
What can you do for Whole Grains Month?
Whole Grains Month is a great time for everyone to get on the whole grains bandwagon. Eating better is not an all-or-nothing choice; every little improvement you make in your food helps – in every month.
Post this list of "baby-steps" on your fridge, and try as many as possible this month:
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I'll buy three different loaves of whole-grain bread and taste all of them to see which one we like best. -
I'll serve bulgur or brown rice instead of potatoes with dinner one night this month.
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I'll look for the Whole Grain Stamp every time I shop.
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I'll try a new breakfast cereal with at least 16 grams of whole grain per serving.
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I'll buy some whole-wheat pasta and try it.
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I’ll visit the health food store or a major grocery and look at all the different grains in bins.
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I'll make my favorite whole grain recipe for a friend.
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On the weekend, I’ll try cooking a pot of steel-cut oatmeal.
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I’ll make pizza for the kids with whole wheat pita as the crust.
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I’ll make our favorite cookies with whole wheat flour next time instead of white.
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I’ll serve hamburgers with whole wheat buns this week.
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I'll try all of the WGC's Dozen Easy Family Whole Grain Recipes.
What else does the Whole Grains Council do?
Here are a few more ways the WGC celebrates Whole Grains Month every year:
Support for Health Professionals. Teachers, RDs, doctors, and nurses are helping us spread the word about the health benefits of whole grains. And we're supporting them with educational materials, "Just Ask for Whole Grains" buttons and stickers, and posters, through our "Just Ask for Whole Grains" campaign. If you're an educator, order your free educational materials ahead of time, so you'll be ready for Whole Grains Month.
Sampling and Coupons. Members of the Whole Grains Council offer special consumer promotions, including discount coupons, new product introductions and instore sampling.
The Whole Grains Store Tour. We've designed a great resource for supermarkets – or community health professionals – who want to introduce the public to whole grains. Click here to learn more about this kit, which can be downloaded from the Resources section of this website. It's now available in both English and Spanish.
The Whole Grains Challenge. Every year we run a Whole Grains Challenge around the time of Whole Grains Month (in October, to be exact). The Challenge is open to any restaurant or foodservice operation that offers at least one whole grain choice at all times, day in and day out. You can learn more about this year's Whole Grains Challenge by clicking here.