How to include whole grains into your diet

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Everyone knows that healthy eating can be a challenge. But sometimes even small changes can make a big difference. For instance, Cristin Connor, RN, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, suggests switching bread, cereal and pasta to whole grain products to give your body a boost.

Whole grains are a critical part of a healthy diet. They are low in fat, high in fiber and contain many vital vitamins and minerals. They're a rich source of vitamins B and E, in addition to trace minerals and calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Whole grains also provide fiber, which is vital to maintaining good health. Among other benefits, whole grains are proven to improve heart health, along with reducing the risk for cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Current dietary guidelines suggest that at least half of the grains we eat be whole grains. And that might be easier than you might think.

Consider some of the most popular whole grains: whole wheat, oats, popcorn, brown rice, whole grain cornmeal, quinoa and millet. Happily, more food manufacturers are offering whole grain options in response to consumer demand, which means that adding whole grains to your diet can be as simple as switching bread or pasta for a whole grain version.

Many of these grains can also be worked into foods you're already eating - stir them into yogurt, add oats to dessert recipes and include wild rice in soups.

In the store, buyers should use caution. Some people mistakenly assume that they can identify foods made with whole grains via color or texture, or even the marketing on the front of food packaging. Whole grain products aren't necessarily darker colored or grittier in texture than their refined cousins. Instead, shoppers should look at food labels and specifically aim for ingredients with "whole" before the grain name.

Whole grains are a great way to increase your vitamin intake with foods you're already eating. It might seem simple, but making these small changes can mean real long-term benefits for health.

*This is not a medical recommendation, anyone with concerns or questions about their health should contact their physician. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield is a paid advertiser for Sonoran Living Live