It’s the final week of Whole Grains Month, and we’re so pleased that organizations across the country have been celebrating with us – we’ve seen TV spots, supermarket promotions, Twitter parties and lots of newspaper and magazine articles focusing on whole grains this month. And that’s not even counting our own “Good Grains for a Good Cause” project; there are still a few days left to nominate your favorite charity here.

One of the Whole Grains Month events that we’re most excited about is GrainUP! Twin Cities, a whole grain “dine-around” from Sept 19-29 that has been encouraging whole grain awareness by connecting restaurants and consumers with delicious and nutritious whole grain dishes. 

GrainUP! is being put on by the Grains for Health Foundation (GHF), an organization in Minneapolis that the Whole Grains Council has been working with for many years. As GHF describes it, “GrainUP! Twin Cities invites the community to celebrate, learn about and enjoy whole grain foods through increased offerings of whole grain menu items at area restaurants.” 

The folks at GHF enrolled more than a dozen restaurants to participate in this first annual event, including Brenda Langton, chef/owner of Spoonriver restaurant. As Langton explained to the Minneapolis CityPages, “I believe restaurants have a real responsibility in society to expose people to healthy whole foods.” For the GrainUP! event, Langton added a whole grain croquette made with buckwheat and quinoa to Spoonriver’s menu – a menu that regularly includes a wide range of whole grains.

Diners participating in GrainUP! will find some great menu selections at participating restaurants, including Munster Cheese and Wild Rice Salad from Lucia’s Restaurant; Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Spicy Azuki Beans, Sofritto and Bonito Flakes from Restaurant Alma; and Black Bean and Corn Salad with Romaine, Tomato, Quinoa, and Feta from Mill Valley Kitchen. With scrumptious dishes like these, you can see why GrainUP! is such a success!  

By bringing together community members, restaurants, nutritionists, grocers, chefs and public health officials, the GrainUP! initiative seeks to increase the understanding and consumption of whole grains, during Whole Grains Month and every month of the year! By highlighting whole grains on local menus, the initiative is hoping not only to celebrate whole grains but also to educate the community and increase awareness about the many benefits they have to offer including delicious taste, health and economic benefits.

In conjunction with GrainUP!, Whole Grains Council Culinary Advisor Robin Asbell visited a local Minnesota news program to discuss the benefits of whole grains and to encourage people to cook more whole grains by sharing a delicious Salmon, Wild Rice and Hazelnut Cakes & Sweet Potato Aioli recipe. As a local and celebrated chef, Asbell and GrainUP! seek to get people to eat more whole grains. As Asbell puts it, “It’s just a mindset to realize how easy and wonderful they are.”

While we encourage consumers to fill their homes and kitchens with whole grains, we also encourage people to seek out restaurants that offer whole grains. We invite you to find restaurants in YOUR community, that have whole grain options on their menus. Our Eating Away From Home section on our website is a great place to start. Do any of your local or favorite restaurants serve spectacular whole grain items? Send us an email and we’ll add them to our list so we can continue to spread the whole grain love!  

We certainly hope GrainUP! and Whole Grains Month celebrations will encourage people to embrace whole grains, both in the Twin Cities and beyond! We look forward to continuing to celebrate and encourage you to share your local whole grain celebrations with us, and of course to keep nominating your favorite food related charity for Good Grains for a Good Cause! (Mallory)