"Nutrition Knowledge" Series | How do nutrition experts eat whole grains? We asked three experts

The "Report on the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020)" shows that more than 80% of adult residents in my country have a serious lack of whole grain intake (it is recommended to eat 50 to 150 grams of whole grains and beans per day). The survey found that men only consume 13.9 grams per day and women only 14.6 grams per day. How do nutrition experts eat whole grains on a daily basis? We asked three experts to share their experience.

Eat whole grains in different ways

Tan Bin, chief researcher at the National Grain and Material Reserves Administration Scientific Research Institute: My family has whole grains for all three meals a day, and there are many varieties. We use a variety of whole grains to make whole grain rice, porridge, noodles, steamed buns, pancakes, etc. We rotate them. We also often make whole wheat scallion rolls, which are fragrant. We also make whole wheat dumpling soup, using whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour to make dumplings, which is very delicious. Even when we go out, we will bring our own ready-to-eat whole grains, such as instant brown rice porridge, which can be drunk in a few minutes, which is very convenient.

Oatmeal and millet are must-haves

Han Junhua, Secretary General of the Chinese Nutrition Society: For breakfast, I usually add two spoons of oatmeal to milk, stir well, and heat it in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds (one minute longer for the elderly). Sometimes the elderly will cook oatmeal porridge in the morning and beat an egg into it, like egg soup, which makes the stomach feel comfortable. For dinner, I often drink millet oatmeal or millet quinoa and mixed bean porridge. In addition, sometimes I eat whole wheat bread for breakfast, and when making steamed buns and noodles, I use whole wheat instead of refined white flour, which is delicious and nutritious.

Oatmeal porridge is good

Zhu Dazhou, a researcher at the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: My family sometimes has oatmeal porridge for breakfast. Oatmeal porridge is similar to mung bean porridge and red bean porridge, but it has a unique flavor and is chewier. If you don't like oatmeal, you can cook it with oatmeal. Some yogurt cups on the market now have oatmeal. Mixing them together is also a good choice. My child likes to eat whole wheat bread, so I will toast him two slices in the morning or evening.

This article was scientifically reviewed by Tan Bin, chief researcher of the Scientific Research Institute of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, Han Junhua, secretary-general of the Chinese Nutrition Society, and Zhu Dazhuo, researcher of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.