Abstract
Despite their recognized health benefits, intakes of whole grains (WG) are below recommended levels in almost all countries worldwide. This observation highlights the need to increase WG consumption by understanding factors influencing this consumption and how they could be favorably impacted. This review focused on facilitators of and barriers to WG consumption and how to improve the effectiveness of programs aiming at increasing WG consumption. The main methods to facilitate WG intakes in both adults and children seem to be to (i) increase the availability and the variety of foods containing WG, (ii) improve their sensory appeal, (iii) reduce their purchase cost, (iv) use a familiarization period to introduce them to consumers (with a gradual increase in consumed amounts and repeated exposure), and (v) improve communication and labeling to enhance consumers’ ability to identify products with WG. These strategies may be used to improve the effectiveness of programs aiming at promoting WG consumption, with a further emphasis on the need to apply them over a long period of time, and potentially to include tasting sessions of new foods containing WG. Finally, these strategies should involve broad partnerships between multiple stakeholders at the regulatory, institutional and industrial levels.
Highlights
Whole grain (WG) consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of several non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer [1,2]
We considered the conclusions regarding the impact of the tested program or intervention on the subjects’ WG intakes, and we used these conclusions to determine whether a program/intervention was effective or not
A last factor that would be important for all age groups seems to be the implementation of programs through a broad partnership thatand would involve both of public and Despite the recognized nutritional health benefits
Summary
Whole grain (WG) consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of several non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer [1,2]. Few countries have integrated quantitative recommendations for WG in their dietary guidelines. When such recommendations exist, they go from 48 g/d (three servings) in the United States to up to 90 g/d for men in Sweden and Norway. Other countries have qualitative (i.e., descriptive) and non-specific recommendations based on “increasing” consumption of WG or “choosing” preferentially. WG options [3,4] (see Table 1). Nutrients 2020, 12, 2217; doi:10.3390/nu12082217 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients Country USA UK Brazil Issuing
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