A few pointers:

• Start with bread. "Getting whole grains is as simple as picking out whole-wheat bread at the grocery store," said registered dietitian Lona Sandon, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Always look for breads whose first ingredient is "whole," as in whole wheat or whole rye flour. Bread made from "wheat flour" doesn't make the cut as whole grain.

PARKER C. SMITH/SPECIAL (ENLARGE)
(ENLARGE)
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR

• Look for stamps. New whole-grain stamps can provide guidance. Developed by the Whole Grains Council, a consortium of chefs, industry scientists and the Oldways Preservation Trust — a nonprofit that calls itself a "food issues think tank" — the stamps are poised to appear on packages containing "good" or "excellent" sources of whole grains.

"Good" products must provide at least half a serving of whole grains; "excellent" must provide at least a full serving.

• Eat oatmeal. Whether it's instant, steel cut, quick or just plain rolled, this staple is 100 percent whole grain. Oatmeal has 147 calories and 4 grams of fiber per cup. About half that fiber helps protect the heart, and the rest helps keep things regular.

Add any cooked grain to your morning oatmeal for a wider variety of nutrients and flavors. Try millet, quinoa, couscous or even wild rice. Add nut butters, sliced banana or another fresh fruit, milk and sweetener, if desired. Or look for packaged whole-grain hot cereal blends with at least 4 grams of fiber per serving.

• Breakfast like a champion. Wheaties, original Cheerios, plain shredded wheat and most raisin bran contain whole grains and are low in added sugar. All General Mills cereals have been reformulated to include whole grains, but some have more sugar and non-whole-grain ingredients, such as cornmeal, than others. Good choices: Total, Fiber One, Wheat Chex and Rice Chex.

• Snack on popcorn. This popular food is a whole grain. Just go easy on the salt and butter. That also goes for commercially prepared varieties, whether bought at the movie theater or put in the microwave. A lot of that may come loaded with salt, saturated fats and trans fats.

• Buy whole groceries. As in whole-wheat pastas, brown rice and barley. Corn tortillas are a whole-grain product. If your family's palate needs a chance to adjust, start by mixing regular with whole-grain pastas, white with brown rice, etc.

• Snack well. Triscuits are a whole-grain cracker. So are Ryvita, Wasa and Ry-Crisp crackers. Graham crackers can be another option, provided that the first ingredient is graham flour — not enriched flour. Taco chips are made from whole grains, but also often contain added fat and salt. Don't be fooled by "degerminated cornmeal," which is not a whole grain.

• Don't confuse fiber with whole grains. Many whole grains are also good sources of fiber — but some, such as puffed whole-grain cereal, are not. And high-fiber foods may not be good sources of whole grains. One hundred percent bran cereals are a good example: Bran is just one part of the grain.

The dietary guidelines recommended 25 grams of fiber per day for women, 38 for men. You may meet this guideline by choosing whole-grain foods that are high in fiber. But it's worth watching labels to make sure you're hitting both goals.

• Cook batches of whole grains ahead of time. Keep them in the refrigerator all week and reheat for quick meals, or freeze them in quart-size resealable bags.

• Buy whole-grain salads and side dishes at supermarket deli counters. They are an easy way to grab grains to go. Even the most basic store sells tabbouleh (made with whole-wheat bulgur) in the deli case, while some have as many as half a dozen grain-based salad options.

• Rethink your cookware. Rice cookers, countertop vegetable steamers and crockpots make it easy to cook grains while you tend to other things. Some of these cookers have handy "warm" settings. A pressure cooker halves cooking times for grains.

• Brown rice cooks in about half the time if you soak it overnight. Place 1 cup brown rice in 3 cups water in a medium saucepan; refrigerate. The next day, cook it in the soaking water for 20 to 25 minutes. Other long-cooking whole grains can be soaked in water for an hour or more to trim cooking time.

• Check out precooked brown rice. Even Uncle Ben is riding the whole-grain train. New "Ready Rice," precooked brown rice in a microwavable pouch, makes a whole-grain side for your grilled chicken in 90 seconds flat. For five-minute vegetarian chili, mix the rice with canned black beans, salsa and corn. Heat and top with sliced avocado. You could make the same dish with frozen cooked organic brown rice.

— Sources: Washington Post, [Portland] Oregonian