5 pp. / Studies have shown the integration of whole grains into daily diet correlates with a reduced risk of many chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer. This article outlines the daily dietary nutritional benefits of whole grains, as well as the positive long-term health effects associated with consistent whole grain intake in diet. Also, this article provides how to find, prepare, and utilize whole grains in everyday dietary choices. Whole grain alternative cooking recipes are introduced using relatively new whole grains (quinoa, whole wheat couscous) in typical American diets.

In response to evidence of inadequate fibre and magnesium intakes across the Canadian population, the most recent edition of Canada’s Food Guide included a recommendation for increased whole grain consumption. However, whole grain labelling on food packaging remains voluntary and unregulated. The aim of this research was to examine the nature of nutrition guidance provided by whole grain labelling in the Canadian marketplace through a survey of front-of-package nutrition-related marketing in three supermarkets and a detailed examination of nutrient content, ingredients, and price of breads. Whole grain promotion occurred on relatively few products, predominantly among processed foods, and it frequently appeared in conjunction with references to other nutritional characteristics. The whole grain labelling observed was not misleading with respect to highlighting products with whole grain ingredients and higher levels of fibre and magnesium content; however, products with whole grain labelling were less likely to be lower in price.

In response to evidence of inadequate fibre and magnesium intakes across the Canadian population, the most recent edition of Canada’s Food Guide included a recommendation for increased whole grain consumption. However, whole grain labelling on food packaging remains voluntary and unregulated. The aim of this research was to examine the nature of nutrition guidance provided by whole grain labelling in the Canadian marketplace through a survey of front-of-package nutrition-related marketing in three supermarkets and a detailed examination of nutrient content, ingredients, and price of breads. Whole grain promotion occurred on relatively few products, predominantly among processed foods, and it frequently appeared in conjunction with references to other nutritional characteristics. The whole grain labelling observed was not misleading with respect to highlighting products with whole grain ingredients and higher levels of fibre and magnesium content; however, products with whole grain labelling were less likely to be lower in price.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for the first time emphasized an increase in daily whole grain consumption in children, adolescents, and adults, and identified a recommended intake of 3 one-ounce servings per day. Despite national dietary policy recommendations and current scientific evidence encouraging an increase in whole grain intake, most Americans are consuming less than one whole grain serving per day. Therefore, a need to determine methods to increase whole grain intake in Americans does exist. One identified method would be to increase whole grain intake in children through the incorporation of whole grain foods into school meals. This study was designed to determine, through the creation of an online survey, methods utilized by school food service professionals overseeing HealthierUS School Challenge Gold rated elementary schools to successfully incorporate whole grain food products into school meals. Data collected from the online survey indicated school food service professionals that incorporated whole grains into their school meals by slowly modifying recipes and gradually incorporating new whole grain foods onto their existing menu were the most successful. Survey results also indicated that students preferred partial blend whole grain products compared to those made from 100% whole wheat. Additionally, survey participants reported barriers to whole grain food incorporation which included: product acceptability, whole grain product identification, whole grain product availability, and cost. There is a need to further understand measures that can be taken to successfully introduce more whole grain food products into elementary school lunches without causing a decrease in consumption of the school meals by students. Data gathered from this survey will be shared with the United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) to provide technical assistance to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program on how to successfully menu whole grain food products in their schools and maintain alignment with current national dietary recommendations.

The USDA’s “My Plate” recommends that preschool-aged children consume specific amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods contain essential nutrients that children and adults alike require to maintain good health. Researchers have shown, however, that a significant number of children do not consume the recommended amounts of these foods, specifically vegetables and whole grains. Investigators have become increasingly interested in food deserts and whether living in these areas results in lower consumption of healthy foods. Food deserts by definition are areas where inhabitants have limited access to nutritious food. This study investigated the fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption levels for preschool age children living in food desert or non-food desert areas. The NATFAN (National Food and Nutrition Questionnaire) survey of WIC participants was compared to the USDA’s food desert location data in order to learn the impact of living in a food desert. Using IBM SPSS to test the hypothesis, separate two-sample t-tests were conducted to determine if the mean difference between frequencies of fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption equaled zero. The data showed no difference in consumption of fruits and vegetables between food desert residing children and their non-food desert counterparts. There was, however, a difference in means for the consumption of whole grains. Specifically, food desert residing participants were consuming less brown rice. Using consumption amounts estimated from frequency data, it was discovered that, overall, WIC participants were under consuming fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Dietary adherence is the degree to which participants follow prescribed dietary protocol. Without measuring adherence, it is not possible to validly measure the effect of the intervention. Assessing adherence allows the investigator to better determine whether the results are due to the diet itself. The overall goal of the analyses presented in this thesis was to assess if dietary adherence was higher on a whole grain versus refined grain provided food protocol with specific prescription for calorie consumption. Eighty-two men and women between the ages of 40-65 were assigned to either a refined or whole grain feeding protocol, using a 3-day rotating menu for 6 weeks. Daily food logs were used to assess adherence to the prescribed diets and calculate total energy consumed and macronutrient content. The first objective was to determine the caloric and macronutrient content of the assigned diets, and to compare whether the reported nutrient content was the same as the provided nutrient content. Overall, the median whole grain group consumption was 45.0 kcal per day more than they were assigned to, and the median refined grain group consumption was 10.5 kcal per day less than assignment. The refined grain diet's macronutrient composition was 52.1% carbohydrate, 19.9% protein, and 28.1% fat, whereas the whole grain group's macronutrient composition was 54.4% carbohydrate, 18.0% protein, and 27.6% fat. Both diets were within the average daily macronutrient recommendations of 50-55% carbohydrate, 15-20% protein, and 25-30% fat. There was a statistically significant difference in the percentage of carbohydrate and protein between groups. The second objective was to determine if two different diets had any effect on deviation from the protocol. Overall, there was an 8.9 kcal/day difference in deviation between the two groups throughout the study. When stratifying by diet level, there was no consistent pattern of deviations from the assigned protocol. On the 2000 kcal diet, those in the refined grain group consumed 184.5 kcals/day more than those in the whole grain group. In contrast on the 2500 kcal diet, the whole grain group consumed 105.0 kcal/day more than the refined grain group, while on the 3000 kcal/day diet, those in the refined grain group consumed slightly more kcals/day on average (12.5kcal/day) than the whole grain group. The study found no consistent difference in caloric consumption between the whole and refined grain groups, as well as no consistent difference in deviations from the assigned diet protocol. These results imply that dietary adherence can be achieved in a provided food whole grains study.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / John A. Fox / We designed a mail survey to investigate consumer choices between whole-grain and regular grain products. Consumption of whole-grain foods has been linked to numerous health benefits including reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The prevalence of obesity has increased in recent decades and has been shown to be negatively correlated with education levels and income. Data from the survey are used to investigate correlations between the likelihood of choosing whole-grain alternatives and various demographic and behavioral characteristics including an individual's Body Mass Index (BMI). We also investigate the impact on consumer choices of providing information about the health benefits of whole-grain foods. Results indicate that education level and the use of food labels are both positively correlated with the likelihood of choosing whole-grain foods. Provision of information about health benefits also had a positive impact on the likelihood of choosing a whole-grain over a conventional grain product, but given a low sample size in this study the effect was not statistically significant. Choices were found to be largely insensitive to changes in relative prices, and no correlation was found between BMI and the likelihood of choosing a whole-grain product.

Lunch Is In The Bag (LIITB) was a multi-level behavioral intervention with the goal of increasing the amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that parents pack in their preschoolers' lunches. The purpose of this dissertation project was to: 1) to examine the temperatures of perishable food items packed in preschoolers' sack lunches; 2) to examine parents' psychosocial constructs that relate to packing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at four periods during the booster study; 3) to assess the servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with the related nutrient content at four periods during the booster study. The four assessment periods are before LIITB, after LIITB, before the one-week booster, and after the one-week booster. Results showed that more than 97 percent of perishable food items in the sack lunches were stored at unacceptable temperatures (40-140°F). Servings of vegetables (-0.15, p=0.05) and whole grains (-0.53, p<0.0001) in preschool lunches decreased significantly before the booster in the intervention group. The booster increased the servings of vegetables (0.10, p=0.09) and whole grains (0.16, p =0.01) compared to booster baseline. The one-week booster increased thiamin, dietary fiber, and vitamin C content of foods in preschoolers' lunches. During the booster study, parents experienced improvement in psychosocial variables after LIITB and before the booster. Knowledge decreased before the booster. Parents' psychosocial variables were linked to packing more vegetables and significantly more whole grains due to the intervention. Education for parents and the public must focus on methods of packing safe, healthy lunches in order to prevent foodborne illness and chronic disease. The results of this study provide data for continued examination of an area of parental behavior related to packing lunches for their children. The booster study demonstrated that a booster was important for maintenance of program outcomes, and to increase the servings of vegetables and whole grains that parents packed in their preschool children's lunches. / text

Obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poor dietary habits are major healthcare problems in the United States. These issues are especially prevalent in the state of Kentucky and among at-risk populations such as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants. Studies have found that whole grains play a role in weight maintenance, protection against type 2 diabetes, and lowering cholesterol. Interventions aimed at improving WIC participant dietary behavior and intake has been successful as well. This study assessed Kentucky WIC participants’ knowledge of the benefits of consuming grains, attitudes and beliefs regarding food purchasing and grains, and identified grains consumed in a two-week period. A survey, created with the input of Registered Dietitians and WIC staff, examined these factors. Results from the survey found that WIC participants might benefit from education on: purchasing nutrient-dense foods (especially whole grains), the nutrition facts panel, types of grains, nutrients such as calories, fat, sugar, and fiber, serving sizes, and how to get children to eat whole grains.

Darbo tikslas: išanalizuoti ir įvertinti riebalų rūgščių sudėtį dažniausiai vartojamuose grūdų gaminiuose, įvertinti terminio apdorojimo įtaką riebalų rūgščių sudėčiai kepiniuose su spelta miltais. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Atlikti vartotojų apklausą apie grūdų produktų vartojimą, pasirinkimo kriterijus bei žinias apie palankias sveikatai riebalų rūgštis. 2. Atlikti riebalų rūgščių sudėties tyrimus grūdų gaminiuose: kruopose, miltuose, džiūvėsėliuose , palyginti riebalų rūgščių kompozicijas. 3. Įvertinti gautus rezultatus ir nustatyti palankiausia sveikatai sudėtimi pasižyminčius grūdų gaminius. 4. Atlikti terminio apdorojimo įtakos riebalų rūgščių sudėčiai kepiniuose su speltos miltais tyrimus. 5. Pateikti rekomendacijas vartotojams apie saugiausius ir palankiausius sveikatai grūdų produktus. Atlikus „Riebalų rūgštys žmogaus mityboje“ žmonių apklausą, nustatyta, kad vartotojai vartoja maisto produktus, kuriuose gausu riebalų rūgščių, žino, kad grūdai vieni iš pagrindinių riebalų rūgščių šaltinių, dažnai juos vartoja savo mityboje, žino teigiamą jų poveikį žmogaus organizmui. Atlikti riebalų rūgščių sudėties tyrimai grūdų gaminiuose: kruopose, miltuose, džiūvėsėliuose parodė, iš visų tirtų mėginių duomenų daugiausia sočiųjų riebalų rūgščių nustatyta ryžių dribsniuose su džiovintais vaisiais 89,8 proc. (%), mažiausias kiekis - miltiniame mišinyje speltos miltų blynams su gemalais 13,8 proc. (%), polinesočių riebalų rūgščių didžiausias kiekis nustatytas iškeptų spelta miltų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of work: analyze and evaluate the fatty acid’s compositions in commonly consumed grain products, assess the impact of thermal processing fatty acid’s compositions in bakery with spelta flour. Work objectives: 1. Make the survey of users’ about consumption of grain products, criteria of selection and knowledge about positive fatty acid’s influence to the health. 2. Conduct fatty acid’s compositions’ researches in grain products: in grits, flour, breadcrumbs, compare the fatty acid’s compositions. 3. Evaluate the results and determine the most favorable to the health composition, which having the characteristics of grain products. 4. Make the researches of thermal processing impact to fatty acid‘s compositions in bakery with spelta flour. 5. Leave recommendations to the users about the safest and to the most favorable health grain products. Completed "Fatty acids in human dietary" users survey was found that users are eating food rich of fatty acids, they know, that grains are one of the main essential of fatty acids, which often used in our dietary and know their positive effect on human‘s organism. Completed compositions of fatty acid‘s in grain products analysis: in grains, flour, breadcrumbs showed that in all analyzed samples data mainly saturated fatty acids found in rice flakes with dried fruits 89.8 percent (%), and the lowest amount found in flour mixture spelta for pancakes with germs 13.8 percent (%), the maximum amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids were... [to full text]