Sometimes I’m good at keeping secrets, and sometimes, it’s really hard not to say something. Thankfully, I love surprises – I love being on the receiving end and I love surprising people – so that often helps me keep my mouth shut and my fingers away from the keys. When we get ready for Whole Grains Month, it feels like it gets harder and harder to keep a lid on what we have planned for each year. The closer we get to September, the more I want to boast how this year’s Whole Grains Month is going to be bigger and more bad-ass than ever before! We love shaking things up, we enjoy trying new and interesting ways of encouraging you to eat more whole grains, and we appreciate and enjoy the enthusiastic responses we get to each of our unique Whole Grains Month celebrations.

This morning I realized, I just can’t keep this a secret any longer! I mean, it isn’t a total secret per se, ‘cause we already told you some of what we’re doing on this page. You already know we’re running another cool consumer contest, and you already know we’re doing something cool for whole-grain-o-philes in the Boston area. (Don’t worry non-Boston friends, we’re keeping you in mind too!) We’ve given you bits of what’s going to happen when September rolls around, but I’ve had to keep a lid on the full awesomeness that is the Boston Whole Grains Dine Out for weeks and weeks and I just can’t do it any more!!! Apologies in advance to the Powers That Be, I hope they don’t scold me too harshly, but I have to let you know what I’ve been working on over here.

It is my sincere pleasure to introduce you to our info page for the Whole Grains Dine Out! For the past few weeks, I’ve been chatting with restaurateurs and surveying menus, looking for all the incredible Boston establishments who feature whole grains on their menus and inviting them to let us sing their praises on our website. It’s very cool to learn more about all the whole grain options that are already out there, and it’s been very cool to hear how many ways diners are getting their whole grains even if they didn’t know it. For example, I was amazed to learn that b.good packs their homemade veggie burgers with “tons of bulgur.” I already knew their whole wheat buns are the only option when it comes to buns for their fantastic sandwiches and burgers, but I had no idea that they used bulgur in their veggie burgers. They’re already one of my favorite places for a fast and healthy lunch, and this just makes me love them even more!

For all you Boston foodies who love whole grains and want to be “in” on the Whole Grains Dine Out, keep an eye on our info page. We’ll keep adding restaurants as we hear back from them, and when September rolls around, be sure to follow us on Twitter ‘cause we’ll be tweeting about whole grain options all month long! If you know any places in the area featuring whole grains that we haven’t listed yet, just Email me and let me know. And for all you caterers, restaurant managers, and bakery owners in and around Boston, the same thing goes for you – if you’re serving whole grains, drop me an Email so we can figure out how to make sure we send hungry customers your way!

Three cheers for the Whole Grains Dine Out! It’s going to be GREAT!!!  (Kara)

*Don’t live in the Boston area but still want to enjoy tasty whole grains when you go out to eat? Like I said, we’ve got you covered! Just check out our full list restaurants serving up whole grains and find your favorite neighborhood dining establishment. Go, enjoy, and be sure to tell us how you celebrated Whole Grains Month for a chance to win in our Chat ‘Em Up contest starting September 1st!