Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.
Grains are divided into 2 subgroups, whole grains and refined grains.
Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel — the bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples include:
- whole-wheat flour
- bulgur (cracked wheat)
- whole cornmeal
- brown rice
Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. Some examples of refined grain products are:
- white flour
- degermed cornmeal
- white bread
- white rice