There are many healthy benefits of incorporating whole grain foods into your diet. Whole grain foods help lower the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. Contrary to popular belief, foods that have whole grain do not add to weight gain. The reason why people gain weight is because of refined carbohydrates. These can be found in cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and other types of bread. If you are looking to incorporate more whole grain foods into your diet, try replacing your usual bread for whole grain bread, eat brown rice instead of white rice and try whole grain crackers for snacks. Another way to incorporate whole grain into your diet is to cook with wheat pastas. Wheat pasta tastes great and is even better for your health. Below is a list of different types of whole grain foods that you can pick up next time you are going shopping.

Cereal

• Health Valley Organic Amaranth Flakes
• Kashi Go Lean Protein/High Fiber Cereal & Sesame
• Kellogg's Complete Oat Bran Flakes
• Organic Wetabix Whole Grain Wheat Cereal
• Uncle Sam Cereal- Toasted Whole Gran Wheat Flakes w/Crispy Whole Flax Seed

Crackers

• Ak-Mar 100% Whole Wheat Stone Ground Sesame Crackers
• Health Valley Original Oat Bran Graham Crackers
• Health Valley Original Oat Bran Crackers
• Health Valley Original Amaranth Graham Crackers

Rice

• Texmati Long Grain American Basmati Brown Rice
• Trader Joe's California Brown Aromatic Rice
• Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley
• Trader Joe's Red Rice

Granola

• Kashi Go Lean Crunch
• Health Valley Low-fat Granola-Tropical Crunch
• Health Valley Low-fat Date Almond Flavor
• Health Valley Low-fat Raisin Cinnamon

Bread

• The Baker Whole Grain Rye
• Pepperidge Farms Natural Whole Grain 9 Grain
• The Original Bran for Life Bread-Organic Grains

One thing that a lot people do not know is that corn is a whole grain. Whether it is out of a can, frozen or on the cob, it is still considered a whole grain. You can add corn to many different meals because it has a flavor that is light, fresh and can be seasoned to accompany many flavor themes. Foods that are made from cornmeal are not actually whole grain. For example, Corn Flakes are not whole grain but other cereals, such as Wheaties and Shredded Wheat, are made from whole grain.

Looking at Labels

While shopping to find whole grain products, one great tip to keep in mind is to pay close attention to labels. A label should include phrases like "Whole Grain" instead of "Multi Grain". Also, take a look at the ingredients. You should see "Whole Wheat Flour" as opposed to "Wheat Flour". This is a great way to pick the perfect whole grain product. And just because a product is darker in color, does not mean that it is made with whole grains. Sometimes manufacturers add coloring to darken their products. It is important to always check the labels. As you begin to purchase whole grain products regularly, it will be easier to spot the imitators.