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Home > Six Food Groups for a Healthy Vegan Diet > Whole Grains for a Healthy Vegan Diet

Whole Grains for a Healthy Vegan Diet

How to eat more whole grains as a vegan

Whole grains are a staple food group for a healthy vegan diet. Research consistently demonstrates a health benefit to consuming whole grains and they provide important nutrients for vegan diets.

While learning about health benefits and nutrient content of whole grains is great, it’s also important to learn how to include more of them in your diet. See below for my favourite recipes that include whole grains.

This page covers:

  1. What are Whole Grains?
  2. Health Benefits of Whole Grains
  3. Nutrition Content of Whole Grains
  4. Why Whole Grains are Important to Eat as a Vegan
  5. List of Whole Grains to Include in a Vegan Diet
  6. How to Include more Whole Grains in your Diet
  7. Recipes with Whole Grains from Lettuce Veg Out

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What are Whole Grains?

Whole grains are the grain portion of cereal and pseudo-cereal plants. Whole grains are made up of three distinct parts and each part of the seed contains different nutrients.

The three parts of a whole grain are: endosperm, germ and bran.

For a grain to be considered whole, it must contain all three of these parts. If a grain is rolled, cracked, crushed or cooked, the resulting product still contains these three parts and is therefore still a whole grain 1.

What are Refined Grains?

A refined grain has had one or two of the three parts of a whole grain removed. Typically, the bran and germ are removed, leaving the endosperm. Since each part has a different nutritional profile, a refined grain doesn’t have the same nutrient content as a whole grain.

Processing a grain is not the same as refining a grain. Processing is simply any action that is taken to change the grain from its original form. Many different processing actions leave the full nutritional value of the grain (ex. rolling or crushing). As long as all three parts of the grain are present, it’s a whole grain.

Health Benefits of Whole Grains

The health benefits of whole grains are numerous. Whole grain consumption is associated with:

  • Decreased systemic inflammation 2, 3, 4
  • Lower body weight 5
  • Lower risk of heart disease 6, 7, 8, 9
  • Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes 10, 11, 12, 13
  • Decreased risk of mortality 14, 15, 16, 17

The health benefits associated with grain consumption are almost always found with whole grain consumption and not for consumption of refined grains. Some of these studies looked at replacing refined grains in the diet with whole grains.

Remember, processing a grain is not the same as refining. Refining a grain removes one or two of the components of the whole grain, and changes its nutritional composition.

Please keep in mind this is a brief overview of the subject. Not all studies show as strong of a result compared to the ones referenced above. However, the overall summary of research seems to clearly point to the health benefit of consuming whole grains.

Additionally, the health benefits found in some of these studies were leveled off after a certain daily intake of whole grains was reached. This suggests that consuming whole grains above this level (varies based on the study) wouldn’t pose additional benefits.

Nutrition Content of Whole Grains

Each of the three parts of a whole grain contains a different array of nutrients 18.

The bran contains:

  • Most of the fibre
  • B-vitamins
  • Iron
  • Zinc
  • Magnesium
  • Antioxidants and phytochemicals

The germ contains:

  • Vitamin E
  • B vitamins
  • Healthy fats
  • Antioxidants and phytochemicals

The endosperm contains:

  • Most of the starchy carbohydrate
  • Some protein
  • Some vitamins

Whole grains can also be a good source of selenium, depending on the selenium content of the soil in which the grain is grown.

Nutrition Content of Refined Grains

Since the bran and germ are often removed from a whole grain when creating a refined grain, you can see that much of the nutrient content is lost.

In particular, fibre, minerals (iron, zinc, magnesium), B-vitamins, vitamin E, antioxidants and phytochemicals are lost.

In Canada, there is mandatory fortification of breakfast cereals, refined flour, pre-cooked rice and pasta 19. Generally these foods need to be fortified with B-vitamins and iron. Adding magnesium is typically voluntary 19.

While it’s great that some of the nutrition is added back into a refined grain, the vitamin E, healthy fats, antioxidants, phytochemicals, fibre and often magnesium are lost.

Why Whole Grains are Important to Eat as a Vegan

Some of the nutrients found in whole grains can be challenging to get on a vegan diet. Therefore, whole grains are an important staple for ensuring nutrient adequacy as a vegan.

In particular, iron, zinc and B-vitamins are important reasons for vegans to aim to include whole grains into their diets. Absorption of iron and zinc from whole grains may be a concern. Adding vitamin C to the meal containing whole grains can boost absorption of iron. Soaking, sprouting, cooking and fermenting whole grains can help improve zinc absorption.

Some whole grains are inexpensive which can make them a great staple in any diet. Other grains, especially “ancient” grains which are gaining popularity, can be on the pricier side. However, the nutritional benefit could be worth the price (if it fits within your food budget).

List of Whole Grains to Include in a Vegan Diet

Many people only consume a few grain products. From my experience, wheat, oats and rice are by far the most popular grains consumed in the average Canadian (or American) diet. Barely and quinoa are also somewhat common. There is a much wider range of whole grain options out there to choose from!

Variety is always helpful when planning a healthy diet. Not only does each food contain a different array of nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals, it’s also nice to keep meals exciting with different tastes and textures.

The following is a list of whole grains: 1

  • Amaranth*
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat*
  • Corn (including popcorn!)*
  • Millet*
  • Oats*
  • Quinoa*
  • Rice (brown rice and coloured rice)*
  • Rye
  • Sorghum
  • Teff
  • Triticale
  • Wheat (including varieties such as: spelt, emmer, farro, kamut, durum, bulgur, cracked wheat, wheatberries)
  • Wild rice*

All the grains listed above with an asterisk (*) are gluten-free options! While most people have no need to avoid gluten, it’s nice to know that there are many whole grain options for those who must avoid gluten for medical reasons.

Sometimes it’s challenging to find these grain options in the average grocery store. Some bulk food shops or farmers markets may carry them; or buy them online.

How to Include more Whole Grains in your Diet

Since whole grains are a staple food for a healthy vegan diet, it’s important to know how to include more into your diet. Whole grains can easily become a part of any meal. Here are my top tips for including more whole grains into your vegan diet:

  1. Prep a Batch of Whole Grains Each Week: Select a whole grain and cook up a batch of it once per week. It’s great to have leftover grains on hand to add to any recipe.
  2. Use Whole Grains as the Base of a Salad: To make a salad into a meal, try using a whole grain as the base (ex. quinoa salad, wild rice salad etc.). Or just toss onto any regular salad for a boost of nutrition!
  3. Try a New Whole Grain Each Month: Haven’t tried many of the whole grains listed above? Challenge yourself to find and make a recipe for a new whole grain each month!
  4. Get Baking: Many of the whole grains listed above can be ground into flours and used in different recipes/ baking. This can be a fun way to try new grains.
  5. Make a Grain Bowl: Grain bowls, Buddha bowls, macro bowls, hippie bowls – whatever you want to call them, these recipes are a perfect way to eat whole grains. Add a cooked whole grain to a bowl with protein, veggies and flavour/ sauce then enjoy!
  6. Enjoy a Sandwich or Wrap: Sandwiches and wraps sometimes get a bad rep, but if you start off with a nice whole grain bread/ wrap, you can build yourself a healthy and convenient lunch.

There are countless other ways to enjoy whole grains. It’s easy to use cooked whole grains as the base for any stir fry or curry dish. They also go great in fillings for any number of recipes (think stuffed peppers or burritos).

The possibilities are endless!

Recipes with Whole Grains from Lettuce Veg Out

Check out the latest recipes featuring whole grains from Lettuce Veg Out.

Some of my favourites include:

  • Stuffed squash with wild rice
  • Banana pancakes
  • Raspberry peach crisp
  • Radicchio cups with quinoa, pear and walnuts
  • Vegan sushi bowls
  • Burrito bowls
  • Mediterranean couscous salad
  • Minestrone soup
  • Breakfast cookies
  • Fried rice
  • Soba noodle stir fry
  • Wild rice and bean salad
  • Quinoa tacos

Summary: Whole Grains for a Healthy Vegan Diet

Whole grains consumption is associated with numerous health benefits. Beyond that, whole grains contain many important nutrients for a healthy vegan diet. Since they are a staple food group for vegans, it’s important to learn how to include a variety of whole grains into your diet!

Join the Community for Vegan Recipes

References cited:

  1. Definition of a whole grain
  2. Whole grain-rich diet reduces body weight and systemic low-grade inflammation
  3. Whole-grain intake favorably affects markers of systemic inflammation in obese children: a randomized controlled crossover clinical trial
  4. Whole-grain consumption is associated with a reduced risk of noncardiovascular, noncancer death attributed to inflammatory diseases in the Iowa Women’s Health Study
  5. Whole grain-rich diet reduces body weight and systemic low-grade inflammation without inducing major changes of the gut microbiome: a randomised cross-over trial
  6. Meta-analysis of the association between whole grain intake and coronary heart disease risk
  7. Association of whole grain intake with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis from prospective cohort studies
  8. Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: a randomized controlled trial
  9. Food groups and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies
  10. Whole grain and refined grain consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies
  11. Food groups and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies
  12. A whole-grain diet reduces peripheral insulin resistance and improves glucose kinetics in obese adults: A randomized-controlled trial
  13. Wholegrain Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence from Epidemiological and Intervention Studies
  14. Association between dietary whole grain intake and risk of mortality: two large prospective studies in US men and women
  15. Association between whole grain intake and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of cohort studies
  16. Association of whole grain intake with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis from prospective cohort studies
  17. Food groups and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies
  18. Whole Grains
  19. Foods to Which Vitamins, Mineral Nutrients and Amino Acids May or Must be Added

Please note that this is a curated list of references for the topics above and is not intended to be comprehensive.

Disclaimer: it is always advised for you to speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diet; please read our full website disclaimer.

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