Multi-grain may not always mean whole grain. Multi-grain means that the food contains different or multiple kinds of grains, but they may not be whole grains. As food ingredients, grains can be either whole grains or refined.
Refined grains have some parts of the grain removed during processing. Whole grains have all three parts of the plant seed: the outermost layer called bran, the inner endosperm and the germ. Whole grain foods are a healthier choice because they provide more of the valuable nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals that play an important role in health and wellness. Examples of whole grain foods include wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn, wild rice, and rye, as well as quinoa and buckwheat.
To see if a food is made with whole grains, check the ingredient list and look for the words “whole grain” before the name of the grain. For example: ‘whole grain wheat’ or ‘whole grain oats’. If whole grains are the main ingredients in a food, they would appear first in the ingredient list. For healthy living, make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day.