Canadians misjudging grain intake

New research shows that while most Canadians think we're getting too many grain products in our diet, a mere 10% of us are actually getting enough.

Dempster's Grain Counter Survey, conducted by Harris/Decima for the bread-making company, shows that Canadians are grain deprived. Canada's Food Guide recommends consuming six to eight servings of grains, including bread, rice and oats, for a healthy diet (with at least half coming from whole grains).

But the survey shows only 5% of 34- to 44-year-olds get the recommended number of whole grain servings per day. Eight per cent of 45- to 54-year-olds eat the recommended number and only 4% of 55- to 64-year-olds do. The younger demographic does a better job of consuming the recommended number of servings: 15% of 25- to 34-year-olds do.

Looking at whole grains consumption from a geographic perspective, Atlantic Canadians and Ontarians rank #1 at 10%. Next come Quebec and British Columbia at 9%, then Alberta at 6% and Manitoba/Saskatchewan at 5% in third and fourth place respectively.

And when it comes to comparing how many whole grains men eat versus women, the study reveals men eat more whole grain products (12%) than females (6%).

Registered dietitian Jean LaMantia listed some of the health benefits of whole grains in Dempster's release about the survey. "Not only are they an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but people who eat more whole grains tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and digestive issues," said LaMantia. "And for those of us watching our intake, whole grains can help with weight management as you feel full longer."

With whole grains, all three parts of the grain are present. The three parts are the bran (outer layer), the germ (food for the seed), and the endosperm (inner layer of the seed).