Abstract
Adolescents and young adults in the United States do not consume recommended amounts of whole grains. University dining services have opportunities to inform students about whole grains and to offer foods containing blends of whole grains with refined flour to increase daily consumption of these healthful foods. An online survey of university students (n = 100) found that 70% of respondents did not know the proportion of servings of whole grains that should be eaten daily. Mini blueberry muffins containing 50, 75, and 100% white whole wheat flour were served to 50 undergraduate students who rated their liking of the muffins using a nine-point hedonic scale. Respondents liked all muffin formulations similarly for appearance, taste, texture and overall liking. After the whole grain content of each muffin was revealed, 66% of students increased their liking of the muffins containing 100% whole wheat flour. Only half of the students increased their liking for the 75% whole wheat flour muffins, and most students reported no change in liking for the muffins made with the lowest percentage of whole wheat flour. Labeling whole grain foods in university foodservice operations may increase consumption of this food group by some students. Further research with actual purchase behavior is needed.
Highlights
Increased consumption of refined grains and lower consumption of whole grains has been associated with increased risks for developing health problems including obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer [1,2,3,4]
After the whole grain content of each muffin was revealed, 66% of students increased their liking of the muffins containing 100% whole wheat flour
Foods consumed at breakfast supplied more than 40% of whole grains consumed by children and adults according to the 2001–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), yet less than 20% of dietary fiber consumption occurred at breakfast in children and adults under the age of 51 years [9]
Summary
Increased consumption of refined grains and lower consumption of whole grains has been associated with increased risks for developing health problems including obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer [1,2,3,4]. Whole grain and dietary fiber consumption are low, Kranz et al [8] recommended that public health messages focus on high fiber whole grain foods. Foods consumed at breakfast supplied more than 40% of whole grains consumed by children and adults according to the 2001–2010 NHANES, yet less than 20% of dietary fiber consumption occurred at breakfast in children and adults under the age of 51 years [9]. The eating habits of young adults are a concern since avoidance of whole grain foods leads to increased risk of disease later in life, and poor dietary choices may be passed on to the generation [10]
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