What qualifies as a “whole grain option?”

Foods like these count as whole grain options. it’s not so hard to offer at least one a day!

  • A side dish made with any whole grain, such as brown rice, exotic colored rices, wild rice, quinoa, or barley

  • Whole grain pasta

  • Oatmeal, Cheerios® or other whole grain breakfast cereals

  • Whole grain breads, crackers, and flatbreads in the breadbasket

  • Whole grain cakes, cookies, brownies for dessert

  • Ethnic dishes like whole corn tortillas, buckwheat soba noodles, or kasha

You can click here to see a list of hundreds of qualifying retail products, to give you a better idea of how many options exist in the market – before you even begin to make your own delicious dishes inhouse.

How much is 8 grams?

To qualify, a food must contain at least 8 grams of whole grain ingredients per serving. If you’re measuring ingredients using grams, simply count the grams.

If you feel more comfortable with common kitchen measurements, any of these amounts per serving will ensure that you’ve met the requirements.

  • Whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, etc.): ¼ cup cooked or ½ oz dry

  • Hot cereal (oatmeal, etc.): ¼ cup cooked or ½ oz dry

  • Whole grain pasta: ¼ cup cooked or ½ oz dry

  • Bread: 1 small slice 100% whole grain bread; 1 large slice “half and half” bread

Just one tablespoon of whole grain flour per serving counts… But more is always better!