1  

Grains Objectives Participant will:

1. Define the difference between whole grains, refined grains, and enriched grains. 2. Name two forms of carbohydrate. 3. Identify one reason fiber is important in the diet and name three good sources of fiber. 4. Identify how many ounces of grains to eat to meet MyPlate guidelines. 5. Name three 1-oz equivalents from the grain group. 6. Identify minimum number of whole grains to eat each day. 7. Name three ways to incorporate whole grains into diet each day. 8. Identify whole grains and serving sizes on packaging and the Nutrition Facts Label.

Required Materials:

• Ingredients and equipment for the demonstration/sample recipe. • Plates, napkins, and plastic-ware for serving the sample recipe. • Packaging for: box of macaroni and cheese, box of donuts (such as Hostess, Little Debbie),

box of whole grain cereal (such as oatmeal, shredded wheat). HINT: keep packaging for future lessons so you don’t have to re-purchase these items.

• Samples of as many of the following as possible: wheat kernels, bulgur, brown rice, wild rice, rolled oats, oat grouts, barley, amaranth, millet, spelt, quinoa, buckwheat, whole grain corn meal. NOTE: this lesson is designed to familiarize participants with the idea of eating whole grains. Is will not cover each grain in detail. Please see F$ Grains lessons for detailed lessons on each grain.

• Paperwork required by program – enough for all class participants. • Handouts – enough for all class participants.

Optional Supplemental Materials:

• For optional activity gather food packaging with a variety of claims such as “made with cracked wheat”, “made with whole grain”, “made with whole wheat”, “multi-grain”, “oat bran”, “seven-bran”, “nine-grain”, “stoned wheat”, “wheat”, “wheat berry”, “whole bran”, “enriched wheat” (see pgs. 5-6, Objective 8).

Preparation Required:

• Review lesson to be familiar with content and handouts. Practice lesson and any activities so that you are comfortable with the material.

• If demonstrating, choose a recipe from the handout or other approved recipe.

  2  

• If cooking or demonstrating, gather the food and equipment necessary. Decide where in lesson to start cooking and make a note of it.

• TIP: if you want each member of the group to have a chance making the bread recipe, it can be assembled in a plastic bag rather than in a bowl. That way each participant could make his/her own loaf. If the group is small and time permits, the bread can be baked on site. If the group is too large for everyone to make the bread and/or time is limited, the bread can be assembled, placed in disposable bread pans and then cooked at home by each participant. FYI - this method is similar to previous Bread in a Bag recipes except the recipe uses 100% whole-wheat flour (see recipe pg. 11).

Teaching tips and ideas:

• Ask questions! Remember that not everyone hears the question the first time or hears the answers. Ask the question twice. It may be appropriate to repeat things that are said. Some questions may need to be rephrased so that your particular audience will understand what you are asking.

• Give time for participants to think after you have asked the question. Just because they don’t answer immediately after you have asked the question doesn’t mean that they don’t know… they may just need time.

• This entire lesson does not need to be taught to every audience. You may go through the lesson plan and select portions that are the most appropriate or interesting for your audience.

  3  

LESSON PLAN

Introduction Time: 2-4 minutes

• Welcome everyone to the class and thank them for taking time to participate. • Introduce yourself and the Food $ense program. • Hold up a package of macaroni, a box of donuts, and a box of shredded wheat, oatmeal, or

other whole grain cereal. • Ask the class: What do these three things have in common?

o They are all made from grains. • In this lesson we will learn about the grain group, an essential and exciting part of MyPlate.

We will learn to distinguish between whole grains and refined grains and learn how to get more whole grains in our daily diets.  

• Ask the class: Do you know the slogan about grains promoted by MyPlate? o Make at least half of your grains whole grains.

Objective 1. Define the difference between whole grains, refined grains, and enriched grains. Objective 2. Name two forms of carbohydrate. Time: 5-10 minutes

• Each food group offers a variety of essential nutrients that our bodies need. The grain group provides a very economical source of carbohydrates and B vitamins.

• Carbohydrates supply fuel for the body. In fact, our brains and central nervous systems prefer carbohydrates rather than protein and fat. The B vitamins are important for metabolism. Metabolism is how the body breaks down the food we eat to get the nutrients we need.

• The grain group includes foods like cereals, breads, crackers, pasta, and rice. • Not all grain products on the grocery store shelf are created equal. Many, if not most, of the

grain products on the store shelves today are refined and enriched grains. • Ask the class: Can you explain what a refined grain is?

o A refined grain has gone through a milling process that strips the outer layer (bran) and innermost layer (germ) from the grain kernel. This creates a soft, white flour that many people love because of its taste and texture, but the process also removes many important nutrients and fiber from the flour.

• Enriched grains are refined grains that have some of the nutrients that were lost in the milling process added back in. However, it is important to understand that enriched grains are still not as nutritious as whole grains are. No matter how smart we are, we can never replace all the micro-nutrients we take out of the whole, complete plant when we refine it.

• Ask the class: Of the three samples I just showed you, which is a whole grain, which is refined, and which is enriched?

o The cereal is a whole grain, and the other two are refined and probably both enriched (look at labels to see).

• Ask the class: What are some other examples of whole grains? o Whole wheat, bulgur, brown rice, wild rice, oatmeal, barley, whole ground corn (not

degermed), buckwheat, amaranth, spelt, quinoa, millet. Have samples of as many whole grains as you can in small bags or containers

to pass around as you discuss them. You could have a contest to see who has tried the most on this list.

Optional: Know the prices of most of the whole grain samples you have. Explain how economical it is to use whole grains. For instance compare the

  4  

price of a bowl of oatmeal or brown rice to a sugary boxed cereal made with refined grains.

• You have probably heard the words simple carbohydrate and complex carbohydrate before. Simple carbohydrates are made from simple sugars and complex carbohydrates are made from starches and fiber. Grains are a complex carbohydrate. Many people think that all simple carbohydrates are the ‘bad carbs’ and all complex carbohydrates are the ‘good carbs’. However this is not necessarily true. There are better choices and not so great choices for simple carbs and complex carbs.

Simple Carbohydrates Complex Carbohydrates

Good for you Not so good for you Good for you Not so good for you Fruit Milk

Candy & other sugar filled treats Soda

Whole grains Vegetables Dried beans & legumes

Refined grain products (pasta made with white flour, white rice, white bread) Cakes, cookies & other baked goods

• The bottom line is that the more refined a product is and the more sugar, fat, and salt it has

added to it, the less nutritious it is, whether or not it is a simple or complex carbohydrate. Instead of worrying about simple or complex carbohydrates, just focus on getting a variety of foods as close to their natural state as possible and you will be getting exactly what your body needs – wholesome foods full of nutrients and fiber.

Objective 3: Identify one reason fiber is important in the diet and name three good sources of fiber. Time: 2-3 minutes

• One of the reasons whole grain products are good for you is that they contain fiber. • Ask the class: Can you tell me why we need fiber?

o The body does not absorb fiber so it travels through the digestive tract, making elimination easier. This helps to keep your digestive tract working properly and may help to prevent colon cancer. It also helps to carry cholesterol out of the body.

• Ask the class: Do you know what the recommendations for fiber are? o About 25 grams per day. If you are not used to eating this much fiber, you should start

slowly and build up so that you don’t experience abdominal pain, gas, and diarrhea. o Increase fiber slowly over 2 weeks to give your digestive tract a chance to adjust. o Drink plenty of liquids to soften the fiber as it moves through the digestive tract.

Good sources of fiber are whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit. Objective 4: Identify how many ounces of grains to eat to meet MyPlate guidelines. Objective 5: Name three 1-oz equivalents from the grain group. Objective 6: Identify minimum number of whole grains to eat each day. Objective 7: Name three ways to incorporate whole grains into diet each day. Time: 5 minutes - 10 minutes

  5  

• MyPlate recommends that the average person get about 6 ounces from the grain group each day. That may sound like a lot of food and if you don’t understand what an ounce of grains is you may easily overeat in this food group.

• Think about the last time you had spaghetti. Visualize the plate and try to decide the amount of spaghetti noodles you had on your plate. A cup? 2 cups? More?

• A 1-oz equivalent of cooked spaghetti or other pasta is ½ cup. So if you ate 2 cups of spaghetti, you ate 4 of the 6 recommended servings!

• Ask the class: What else is considered a 1-oz equivalent in the grain group? o I slice bread o ½ hamburger or hot dog bun o 1 small corn or flour tortilla o ½ cup rice o ¼ bagel o 1 pancake o 3 cups popped corn o ½ cup cooked cereal o 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal (check label) o 3-4 crackers

• Ask the class: Of the 6 ounces of grains we should get each day, how many should be whole grains, according to the Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate?

o Make at least half of your grains whole grains. Obviously, the more whole grains you choose, the better.

• Ask the class: What have you done or can you do to incorporate more whole grains into your diet?

o Be prepared to give some personal examples of things you do or that the class can do – be creative. Examples:

Use brown rice instead of white to make rice pudding. Eat whole-wheat bread instead of white on sandwiches. Use whole-wheat flour tortillas. Choose whole grain cereals. Use whole grain crackers for snacks Try new recipes with grains you are unfamiliar with.

Objective 8: Identify whole grains and serving sizes on packaging and the Nutrition Facts Label. Time: 5 - 10 minutes

• Ask the class: Labels can be so confusing! How can you tell if what you are buying is a whole grain?

o Look at the front label and the ingredients list. If the first words on the ingredients list say “whole wheat”, “100% whole wheat “ or list only the grain and nothing else, it is a whole grain. Examples: “100% whole wheat flour”, “oats”.

o If the front label or list of ingredients say any of the following, it is probably not a whole grain product: “made with cracked wheat”, “made with whole grain”, “made with whole wheat”, “multi-grain”, “oat bran”, “seven-bran”, “nine-grain”, “stoned wheat”, “wheat”, “wheat berry”, “whole bran”, “enriched wheat”. The product may contain some whole grains in it but it is not necessarily100% whole grain.

• The Nutrition Facts Label will list the serving size so you can tell how many ounces of that product you are getting. It will also tell you how much fiber the product contains.

  6  

o Optional Activity: pass around food packaging that make claims above and ask class to identify which are whole grains and which are not.

• Many products now have a Whole Grain Stamp. This stamp was created by the Whole Grains Council and a panel of scientific and culinary advisors as a visual marker to signal products that contain “dietarily-significant amounts of whole grains”. The stamp features a stylized sheaf of grain on a golden-yellow background with a black border.

• There are two different types of the stamp — the Basic Stamp and the 100% Stamp. The Basic Stamp means that a product contains at least 8 grams, or a half serving, of whole grain. In addition to whole grain, the product may also contain refined grains. The 100% Stamp means that all of the product’s ingredients are whole grains. Products with a 100% Stamp must have at least 16 grams, or a full serving, of whole grain.

• Manufacturers know that healthy sounding names and labels can trick costumers into buying their products but you are now armed with the knowledge to keep from being fooled.

Conclusion Time: 5-10 minutes

• Grains are an important part of MyPlate, especially unprocessed, whole grains. They provide the body with an economical source of needed carbohydrate and fiber.

• Most people need about 6 ounces of grains each day and at least 3 ounces should come from whole grains.

• When you plan ahead and shop wisely, you will be able to get all of the whole grains your family needs and add variety to your meals.

• Ask the class: What is one thing you will do this upcoming week to increase the amount of whole grains in your diet?

• Ask the class: What was something new or interesting that you learned about grains today?

• Ask the class: How can your family help with some of the changes that you would like to incorporate?

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572.

  7  

What counts as a serving of grain?

             

Brown  rice  –  ½  cup  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Oatmeal  –  ½  cup  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Popcorn  –  3  cups  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Whole  wheat  cereal  flakes  -­‐  1  cup  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Whole  wheat  bread  –  1  slice  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Whole  wheat  crackers  -­‐  5  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Cornbread  –  2  ½  x  2  ½  piece  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Corn  flakes  –  1  cup  (refined)  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Saltine  crackers  –  7  (refined)  Counts  as  1  oz.  equivalent    

Flour  tortilla  –  8”  (refined)  Counts  as  2  oz.  equivalents    

Kaiser  roll  –  2  ½  oz.  (refined)  Counts  as  2  ½    oz.  equivalents    

White  rice  –  1  cup  Counts  as  2  oz.  equivalents    

  8  

Great Grains Make at least half your grains whole. Better yet, make ‘em all whole!

Your body will thank you. Just because it’s brown, doesn’t mean it’s a whole grain!

Read the label and look for the word “whole” as the first ingredient. An easy way to see if what you are buying is a whole grain is to look for the whole

grain stamp on the package. 100% whole grain is always the best choice!

                                     

The Scoop on Grains Whole grain:  includes the entire grain – the outside bran layer (antioxidants, B vitamins, and fiber), the endosperm (starchy carbohydrate, protein), and the germ (B vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fat). Examples: whole wheat, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, brown rice, popcorn, amaranth, spelt, quinoa.  Refined grain:  outside bran layer and germ have been removed (including the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fat) leaving only the starchy carbohydrate and a little protein. Examples: white flour, white rice. Enriched grain: some nutrients added back into refined grain. This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572.

  9  

Whole Grains the original comfort food – from morning ‘til night!

Crispy Granola 2 egg whites ¼ cup honey ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla Dash salt

3 cups uncooked rolled oats 1 cup shredded coconut (optional) ½ cup sesame or sunflower seeds (optional) ½ cup chopped walnuts or almonds (optional) ½ cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spray a large, shallow baking pan with cooking spray, set aside. Put egg whites in large bowl and mix with fork until frothy. Stir in honey, cinnamon, and salt. Add oats and all other optional ingredients (except dried fruit) of choice. Stir until ingredients are well coated with egg mixture. Spread mixture on baking sheet. Bake 20-30 minutes or until mixture is golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from pan, add dried fruit if using, and cool completely until crispy and crunchy. Store in airtight container. Yield: 6-8 servings

Oatmeal Nut Pancakes 1½ cups whole-wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups low-fat milk 2 eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons honey 1 cup oats, uncooked 1 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium mixing bowl and mix well. Add in milk, eggs, oil and honey and mix until smooth. Stir in oats and pecans. Pour ¼ cup batter on heated non-stick griddle. Cook until browned on bottom and bubbles form on top of pancake. Flip and cook another minute or so. Yield: 8-10 pancakes.

Carbohydrates Simple Carbohydrates Complex Carbohydrates

Good for you Not so good for you Good for you Not so good for you • Fruit • Milk

• Candy & other sugar filled treats

• Soda

• Whole grains • Vegetables • Dried beans &

legumes

• Refined grain products (pasta made with white flour, white rice, white bread)

• Cakes, cookies & other baked goods

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572.

  10  

Wheat Berry Salad 2 cups water ½ cup dry wheat berries* 1 cup black beans or chick peas, rinsed & drained 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed**

1 cup chopped tomato ¼ cup finely chopped red onion 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar Salt and pepper to taste

Combine water and wheat berries in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour or until berries are tender. Place berries in strainer and rinse under cold water. Combine drained wheat berries and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to one day in advance. Yield: 6 servings *Save some time by cooking and freezing wheat berries in advance! ½ cup raw wheat berries is equivalent to 1-½ cups cooked. To thaw, run wheat berries under warm water for a minute or two. **Edamame are fresh soybeans. They are delicious! You can buy them already shelled or in the shell. The shell is not edible so make sure you buy the shelled variety for this recipe!

Oven Baked Brown Rice 2⅓ cups water 1½ cups brown rice 2 teaspoons canola oil Pinch of salt Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bring water to boil. Place rice, oil, and salt in oven safe pot or baking dish with tight fitting lid. Add boiling water to pot and cover with lid. Place pot in oven for one hour or until tender. Remove pot from oven and fluff rice with fork. Let stand 5-10 minutes.

Barley Mushroom Pilaf 1 cup barley 3 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons chopped green onion ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook barley in broth for 45 – 55 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add mushrooms, green onion, and rosemary to skillet. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add vegetables to hot, cooked barley and stir gently to mix. Top with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572.

Intimidated by grains? Not sure how to cook them? Grains are actually pretty easy to cook and hard to mess up. Just put the grain in a pot and add three times as much water as grain (example: 1 cup grains and 3 cups water). Bring the whole thing to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the grain is tender. If you need to add more water, that’s ok. If you have too much water, drain it when the grain is done. That’s all there is to it!

  11  

Coconut Rice and Black-Eyed Peas 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1 teaspoon red chili flakes 2 cups brown rice 2½ cups chicken or vegetable stock

1½ cups light coconut milk 2 cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro leaves Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat oil, garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the chicken stock and coconut milk. Stir well and bring to gentle boil. Lower heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes, until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has evaporated. Fluff with fork and stir in the black eyed peas and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 8 servings

Basic Whole-wheat Bread 3 cups whole-wheat flour 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast 2 teaspoons sugar

¾ teaspoon salt 1½ cups warm water

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl. Add water to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and dough is elastic. Form dough into loaf and place in bread pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise in warm, draft free place until doubled, about 20 – 30 minutes. Bake in 400º oven for 25- 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Awesome Oatmeal Cookies ¾ cup mashed white beans 2 tablespoons canola oil (optional) ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute*

1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups oats 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon soda

Preheat oven to 350º. Beat mashed white beans, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg or egg substitute, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Combine remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix together. Add to bean and sugar mixture; mix well. Drop onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Yield: about 36 cookies Nuts, coconut, raisins, and/or chocolate chips may be added with dry ingredients for variety. *1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed into 3 tablespoons warm water may used in place of 1 egg.

Whole grains are a most nutritious and economical way to feed your family. How will you get whole grains on your next menu?

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572.