At Nestlé Cereals we passionately believe in the importance of whole grains at breakfast time and we’re very proud that all our cereals with the green banner have whole grain as their number one ingredient. Here’s what whole grains really are and what makes them so special among our ingredients.
What exactly is whole grain?
The bran
Fiber, vitamins and minerals
The starchy center
Carbohydrates & vitamins
The nutritious core
Protein, vitamins and minerals
Every grain grows whole grain
but a grain is only whole grain
if it has all three parts intact
which are all full of nutrients.
IMPORTANCE OF WHOLE GRAIN
Here is why it's important to eat whole grain in our day-to-day diet:
Whole grain is much more than fibre, it contains carbohydrates, proteins, some lipids and B vitamins, Minerals and antioxidants. You can find at least 8g of whole grain per 30g serving from any of our breakfast cereals with the Nestlé Green Banner!
WHY WE CARE ABOUT whole grain?
Like you care for them, at Nestlé Breakfast Cereals we care for our grains
That's why we’ve made whole grain the number one ingredient in all of our breakfast cereals with the green banner. The bold, bright green banner with the whole grain tick on our cereal packs shows our commitment to making it as easy as possible for you and your family to get tasty whole grain every morning. Wherever you see the green banner, you can be sure the breakfast cereal contains at least 8 grams of whole grain in each 30g serving. Guaranteed!
That’s pretty helpful when you’re rushing round the supermarket and there’s no time to think, let alone read the small print.
Always look out for the Green Banner!
WHY WHOLE GRAIN?
Whole grain provides a range of vitamins, minerals, fibre, starch and other nutrients – that’s why it’s often recommended we eat three to five servings a day. But research shows we’re not getting enough.
When we wanted to know what people around the world think of whole grain, we asked them. We spoke to more than 16,000 people from 11 countries about the importance of whole grain.
8 out of 10 people of people we spoke to think it's important to eat whole grain. But the same number of people don't know how much whole grain they should eat each day.
Less than half of the people we talked to think they eat enough whole grain. And over a third said people do not know where to find whole grain.
Fortunately, breakfast is a good way to get some whole grain first thing. So we’re always working behind the scenes to make sure our whole grain cereals give you and your family a daily dose of the good stuff.
BENEFITS OF whole grain
Whole grains mean you are getting all 3 parts of the grain in the same proportions as they are naturally found - this includes the outer bran, the starchy centre and the core, all bringing a unique combination of nutrients to our whole grain cereals! All our products with the green banner have whole grain as the number one ingredient and are also a source of fibre.
From field to bowl, we take responsibility at each step of the way about how we select ingredients, how we produce the whole grain cereals you love, how we pack them and how they are transported to customers.
What is Whole Grain? (And Where do You Find It?)
Whole grains are complete grains. Unlike refined grains, none of its parts has been taken away (except the inedible parts, such as hull and husk). Whole grains mean you are getting all 3 parts of the grain in the same proportions as they are naturally found - this includes the outer bran, the starchy centre and the core, all bringing a unique combination of nutrients to our cereals!
Whole grain foods
Grains are everywhere! Drive out into the countryside in summertime, and you’ll see fields of wheat, oats, barley and corn (for rice, which is grown in waterlogged paddy fields, you might have to travel a bit further…)
If your child is curious about how grain is grown, why not have them try for themselves? Follow our guide of how grain is grown and they’ll be little farmers in no time!
But when you’re back in town, staring at the supermarket shelves, how can you tell the whole from the not-so-whole? You may be surprised that some of the foods you’d imagine to be whole grain, actually aren’t.
Whole grain foods list
- Bulgur wheat
- Whole corn
- Cracked wheat
- Whole oats
- Durum wheat
- Rolled oats
- Buckwheat
- Porridge
- Spelt
- Oatmeal
- Whole barley
- Oat flakes
- Hulled barley
- Brown rice
- Naked barley
- Wild rice
These are not whole grains
- Bran
- Corn meal
- Polenta
- Corn grits
- Pearled barley
- White rice
What about refined grains?
When grains are refined to make ‘white’ products, like white bread, and white rice and pasta, the outer parts of the grain removed and only the middle section is used. It’s fine to eat refined foods, they often don't contain as many nutrients as their whole grain sibling.
Why are Nestlé Cereals committed to providing more whole grain and fibre in our cereals?
Here at Nestlé Cereals, we are part of a global consortium of public health experts, scientists, consumer groups, manufacturers and government regulators to support International Whole Grain Day every November: raising awareness of whole grain and calling on governments to prioritise it in their national dietary guidelines.
Known as ‘the Whole Grain Initiative’, the consortium unites high-profile organisations including Cereal Partners globally, CEEREAL, Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council, Healthgrain Forum and the Oldways Whole Grains Council in the shared aim of increasing whole grain intake worldwide to contribute to healthier lives.
And at Nestlé Cereals, we are committed to helping you and your family lead healthier lives. Discover more about our breakfast cereal mission. In fact, every Nestlé Cereal with the green banner has whole grain as the number one ingredient which means it contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, helping you to get more fibre and whole grain in your diet.
According to the World Health Organization, we should be eating more whole grain products along with more fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
Based on the wealth of evidence showing that whole grain is an important part of a balanced diet, we have taken significant steps to add more whole grain in our cereals over the last 18 years.
Curious about the journey of our whole grain cereals?
From field to bowl, we take responsibility at each step of the way about how we select ingredients, how we produce the cereals you love, how we pack them and how they are transported to customers.
It all starts with sourcing responsibly - ensuring consistent quality for our ingredients
Setting up buying standards
Supporting our farmers
This continues all the way through to our factories by improving packaging sustainability
Implementing quality and safety standards
Optimising our logistic chain to reduce our impact on the planet.
We want to make sure that our cereals taste great and are sourced in the best way possible!
So whole grains are an important part of a varied, balanced diet for your whole family – and they taste great too. Go whole grain!
Our whole grain survey
Our survey found that many people are unsure which foods contain whole grain.
-1 in 10 people think whole grain can be found in bananas.
-14% say whole grain is in white rice.
-Almost 1 in 5 people (17%) believe it’s in white bread.
-21% think it’s in nuts.
None of these foods contain whole grain.
Where can you find whole grain?
Whole grain can be found in:
-Wholemeal brown bread.
-Wholewheat brown pasta.
-Brown rice.
-Porridge made with whole grain oats.
-Whole grain breakfast cereal.
You'll need to check the label and always look out for the Green Banner.
Working to Make Breakfast Better!
Your voice is leading the way to make breakfast better every day and helping us to provide a more nutritious breakfast option.
