Evidence indicates that eating whole grains can reduce
the risk of heart disease and some cancers. The newly revised Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2005, recommend
that half of all daily grain servings be whole grains. For an individual
who consumes 2,200 calories a day, this would mean eating 3½
ounces of whole grains a day, equal to 1½ cups of cooked
brown rice or 3½ slices of whole-wheat bread.
Food availability and food intake data tell us that
most Americans are not meeting these guidelines. Historically, Americans
have consumed ever-increasing amounts of refined-grain products
and fewer servings of whole grains. ERS researchers annually calculate
the amount of food available for human consumption in the United
States. The food availability data measure the flow of raw and semiprocessed
food commodities through the U.S. marketing system. Between 1972
and 2003, per capita annual availability of all grain products increased
46 percent, from 133 pounds per person to 194 pounds per person.
After adjusting the availability data for waste and losses, Americans
were eating, on average, 10 servings of grains a day in 2003—three
servings more than recommended by the new dietary guidelines for
someone who consumes 2,200 calories per day. Of those 10 servings,
whole grains accounted for just over 1 serving. In food intake surveys
from 1999-2000, nearly 40 percent of Americans did not report eating
any whole grains in an entire day.
In the past, dietary changes have developed slowly over time. Food
manufacturers can serve as catalysts to change by quickly responding
to or even anticipating dietary trends. ERS researchers found that
for those consumers who said they ate whole-grain foods, the bulk
of those foods consisted of whole-grain crackers, salty snacks,
and ready-to-eat cereals. Responding to greater emphasis on the
health benefits of whole grains, General Mills announced that it
would reformulate all of its breakfast cereals to qualify them as
either a good or excellent source of whole grains. As other major
food manufacturers change product formulations and introduce new
whole-grain products, consumers may find whole-grain products more
plentiful.
This article is drawn from...
ERS annually calculates the amount of grains and several
hundred other foods available for consumption in the U.S. This series
provides data back to 1909 for many commodities and is the only
continuous source of data on food and nutrient availability in the
U.S. For more information, visit the Food
Consumption Data System.
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