WHOLE GRAINS 
WHOLE GRAINS
The USDA has recommended eating 6-8 ounces of grains each day (for the average healthy adult) and to "Make Half Your Grains Whole." At Great Harvest, we agree. We also believe that eating healthy should taste great and that the best taste comes from the freshest ingredients. That's why we fresh grind our flour every day. You will taste the difference in breads made with the freshest, most flavorful ingredients and you'll benefit from superior whole grain nutrition.
The Skinny on our Fresh Ground Whole Wheat Flour
Each and every local Great Harvest bakery mills their flour daily to keep it whole and maintain all the protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals the wheat kernel naturally provides. Federal Dietary Guidelines recommend that most healthy adults consume 6-8 one ounce equivalents of grains every day. When you make at least half of them whole grains, you start seeing important benefits — including a decreased risk of some of the biggest killers in America, such as:
Important new research published in 2015 found that by making simple daily swaps in your diet, it is possible to significantly extend your life. Trading just one serving of refined grains for one serving of whole grains every day can lower your risk of death from heart disease by 8%. Swapping your red meat consumption every day for one serving of whole grains can reduce your risk of death from heart disease by 20%. This major study of 118,000 men and women across two decades found that for every 28 grams of whole grains consumed per day, there was an associated 9% reduction in mortality from heart disease, and 5% reduction in overall mortality. You can get your 28 grams in just one slice of our Honey Whole Wheat Bread, so eat your slice a day and enjoy a long life!
Some studies are even suggesting that the risk of developing asthma in children, inflammatory disease, and gum disease may also decrease with increased whole grain intake, while digestive health improves. Not to mention eating whole grains is linked to slim waistlines, better long term weight management, and keeping you feeling fuller longer! Keep it skinny by keeping it whole and reap the health benefits and delicious flavors of Great Harvest's whole grains.
Choose a whole foods diet
Whole foods not only provide you with many micronutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, but they do so in specific ratios and forms. All of which are perfectly coordinated to work synergistically to promote and protect your health. Studies are consistently discovering health benefits linked to whole foods — supporting the notion that whole food truly does provide us with benefits greater than the sum of its parts.
Click through any of the links on this page to view additional information about the research supporting the substantial health benefits of whole grains, including:
- The Whole Grains Council, Health Studies on Whole Grains. Updated regularly, here.
- USDA and Dept. of Health and Human Services, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, here.
Visit our Nutritional Info & FAQs here.
Don’t forget to grab our Guide to Whole Grains,
written by our Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Specialist:
Great Harvest Bread of Birmingham
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