Whole grains are important!

Whole grains are important for your health, but what exactly is a grain? And how do we know if it's good for you?

The following is just a basic overview of what a single grain looks like, what the parts of it are, and what that means to you and your body.

When grains are whole, they include the germ, the bran, and the endosperm.

The germ is the part from which the plant sprouts, it is a concentrated source of thiamin, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and zinc. The germ also contains some fat and protein.

The bran is what forms the outer layer of the seed, it is a rich source of thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. Most of the seed's fiber is contained within the bran.

The endosperm, also called the kernel, makes up the majority of the seed. It has small amounts of vitamins and minerals and contains most of the grain's protein.

We'll get into the details of why this all is important a bit later...for now you at least have a good overview of a what a whole grain looks like.