Whole Grain Week is approaching

The Whole Grain Week campaign is coming up — it will run from 12 until 19 June and is a collaboration between the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council and elements of the supply chain including grain growers, good manufacturers, retailers, dieticians and other health-focused organisations. Some of the industry partners involved are Arnott’s, Nestlé and Sanitarium.

The event will see these organisations working to encourage Australian consumers to increase their whole grain consumption. Whole grains are highly nutritious, yet most Australians eat less than half of the daily recommended amount, so the event is meant to stimulate interest in whole grain products. Part of the aim of the campaign is specifically to get consumers to eat the suggested 48 g per day of whole grains, with the health and sustainability benefits of eating whole grains also being heartily emphasised by the campaign.

This year’s theme is ‘whole grains for whole body health’, so recipes are going to be shared that reflect this message. As part of Whole Grain Week, cooking author and broadcaster Alice Zaslavsky will be sharing recipes that feature whole grains on her Instagram to thousands of followers.

“The evidence shows that eating three serves of whole grain foods a day is linked to a 20–30% reduction in risk of total mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers — comparable to that observed for 5–6 serves of fruit and vegetables. It’s key we get more Australians eating whole grain; it’s great for gut and digestive health, heart health, immune support and even planet health,” said Kathy La Macchia, General Manager of the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council.

The Whole Grain Week page on the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council site has more information about the campaign, including resources for companies to celebrate the week.

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