VIV Says: Blog

These stamps can help you get your daily fill of whole grains.

We’ve been noticing the snazzy gold-and-black “Whole Grain” stamp on food packaging recently, ranging from energy bars to veggie burgers. The Whole Grains Council, a nonprofit U.S. consumer advocacy group, created the logo, which comes in two forms: the Basic Stamp and the 100% Stamp. Products printed with the Basic Stamp must contain at least 8 grams of whole grain, or half of a serving. Even if a product contains large amounts of whole grain, it will sport the Basic Stamp if it also contains extra bran, germ or refined flour. Products marked with the 100% Stamp must contain 16 grams or more of whole grain per full serving and cannot contain any refined grains.

The idea is to help busy shoppers eat more whole grains, since experts recommend that adults consume at least 3 servings of whole grains a day. Just so you’re clear, a whole grain is a plant seed, such as barley, millet or quinoa, that still contains its healthy parts — the bran, germ and endosperm — even if the whole grain has been cracked (like cracked wheat), rolled (like flakes of oatmeal) and/or cooked (like instant brown rice). Aside from being delicious, inexpensive and readily available, whole grains brim with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, like vitamin E, which protects the heart.

What’s important to realize as you food shop is that there are plenty of excellent whole grain products that don’t have a stamp. That’s because those products haven’t become a member of the Whole Grains Council, who must qualify and approve the product for a stamp. In the meantime, to find out which of your favorite foods bear the stamp, click here.

Our favorite whole grain is air-popped popcorn. What’s yours?