Cereals are part of the daily diet of any population and have been this way since the oldest civilizations. Even its cultivation occupies 60% of the arable land in the world. Cereals cover a large group of crops that belong to the grass family, however the most common are wheat first (the most cultivated in the world due to the production of bread), then corn and finally rice. The process they go through before reaching homes causes us to classify them as whole or refined cereals . Let's see the differences between the two.
Whole grains
Whole grains are those that have not gone through the chemical refinement process and therefore preserve the three parts of the grain: germ, bran and endosperm.
The germ is rich in vitamins and minerals. Bran is rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, protecting the grain from adverse climates, insects and diseases. The endosperm constitutes 83% of the grain, its main components are carbohydrates and proteins and in a small portion it contains some vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Consuming them provides a very complete diet : vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and dietary fiber. They are appropriate to include in the daily diet.
refined cereals
They are all those cereals that go through a chemical conditioning process before grinding . The main objective of cereal conditioning is to produce a change in the characteristics of the grain to improve the milling yield and the quality of the flour obtained in terms of color, texture, moisture and appearance, but not in terms of nutrients. To carry out this process, the endosperm is separated from the bran and the germ, resulting in a cereal loaded mostly with carbohydrates and proteins on the home table.
Many cereals are re-enriched with lost vitamins and minerals by finding a label on the product that says ''enriched with'' , and seeds and fiber are even placed to decorate the processed product to restore some fiber.
White bread, white pasta, cakes and the vast majority of food we consume at home are made with processed flours. The germ and bran are separated from the endosperm to ensure a clean, white cereal and also to ensure the shelf life of the cereal.
Now that we know a little more about the differences between whole and refined grains , you can include them in your daily diet wisely. Knowing the nutritional contribution that each one has and trying to balance those nutrients, it is advisable that if you mostly choose refined cereals, you compensate for the absence of vitamins, minerals and fiber with other foods. And also, you should not abuse its consumption to avoid excess carbohydrates.
