#Myth: Multigrain is The Same as Whole Grain

 
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Do you ever get overwhelmed when shopping for bread at the grocery store? White bread, whole grain bread, whole grain wheat bread, multigrain bread, etc. Which to choose from ?! …and also, why?

With the ever-growing release of new food products coming out on the market, labeled with terms that we are soon to be more familiar with, it’s very easy for us to be confused by all of this information and to be driven into making certain assumptions about the foods that we eat ─ which, often time, can be completely wrong!

So…what’s the difference between whole grain and multigrain? Which is healthier?

Let’s find out!

1. “Whole Grain”

Whole grain refers to a food in which the entire grain is used. Whole grain foods include…

  • Quinoa;

  • Whole grain pasta;

  • Whole oats;

  • Whole grain brown rice;

  • Whole grain bread (of course).

In sum, whole grain foods are always a healthy choice because they contain important sources of nutrients including fibre, trace minerals and certain vitamins.

2. “Multigrain”

Multigrain refers to a food that contains more than one type of grain (e.g. oats, buckwheat, cracked wheat, flax and millet). These foods are often very hearty, packed with nutrients, have a dense texture and are rich in flavour. However, unless specified, multigrain foods do not necessarily contain whole grain ingredients. They could therefore contain whole grains, refined grains or a mixture of both.

As a result, multigrain foods may be less nutritious than whole grain foods if they contain refined grains. When a grain is refined, most of the bran and some of the germ is removed, resulting in a loss of fibre, B-vitamins, Vitamin E, trace minerals and unsaturated fat.

Bottom line: Both whole grain and multigrain foods can be great options, so long as they don’t contain refined grains!

➝ When opting for a multigrain bread, look closely at the food labels to make sure that all the grains are ‘ WHOLE ’. This will ensure that your bread is packed with as much healthy nutrients as possible!

Whole grain means more fiber, and more fibre means a happy gut!

Source(s):

 [1] https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/make-it-a-habit-to-eat-vegetables-fruit-whole-grains-and-protein-foods/eat-whole-grain-foods/

Pour la version française, cliquez ici.

 
Laura Nguyen