Infographic: Easy Ways to Add Whole Grains
MD Anderson News Release March 07, 2013
UT MD Anderson experts encourage adults to eat more whole grains to lower colon cancer risks
MD Anderson News Release 03/07/13
Adults can learn how to increase their daily consumption of whole grains by using a new whole grain infographic created by experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“A diet rich in whole grains may help curb a person’s risk of colon cancer and other chronic diseases,” said Mary Ellen Herndon, an MD Anderson wellness dietitian. “Plus, March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to start adopting this healthful habit.”
Whole grains have lots of fiber. And, fiber helps the body stay full longer, maintain a healthy weight, and keeps cholesterol and blood sugar at healthy levels.
“If you don’t eat a lot of whole grains, start slow until your stomach and taste buds get adjusted to the switch,” Herndon said. “Start by including whole grains in one meal and one snack every day. Your end goal is to make whole grains a part of every meal. And make sure to drink plenty of water.”
The following infographic demonstrates examples of healthy whole grain options.
“Not all grains provide cancer-fighting benefits,” Herndon said. “Choose foods with grains that haven’t been processed and contain the whole grain kernel.”
How to find foods with real whole grains:
- Read the label. Look for the word “whole” and ingredients like whole grain barley, whole oats and whole wheat. When possible, pick items that list the whole grain ingredients first on the food label.
- Look for the Whole Grain Stamp. Foods with this stamp contain at least 8 grams of whole grains per serving.
Grab the embed code to place this infographic on your website. Or, grab the infographic link here.
To embed our whole grains video, grab the YouTube embed code under the “share” tab.
Take Healthy Bites
This infographic is part of MD Anderson’s Healthy Bites 2013 challenge, which encourages adults to make healthier food choices to lower cancer risks. Participants take on a different nutrition challenge every month.
“Maintaining a healthy diet can be difficult,” Herndon said. “That’s why we created the Healthy Bites program, which encourages small dietary changes and each one supports a cancer prevention message.”
People who join Healthy Bites will have access to additional MD Anderson nutrition materials, food journals, healthy recipes and expert tips.
For more information, including details on how to join the challenge, visit www.mdanderson.org/healthybites.