Whole Grain

General Mills Big G
cereals now deliver
about 10 percent of the
estimated whole grain
consumed in America.¹⁹

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines strongly recommend whole grains, yet they are largely missing from most Americans’ diets: Only one in 10 Americans eats the minimum recommended amount of whole grain daily.¹⁸

“Whole grain” means it’s the complete grain, including the bran, the germ and the endosperm. The health benefits of whole grain come from those three components working together in their natural proportions.

Every General Mills Big G cereal contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, and more than 20 General Mills cereals deliver 16 grams or more.

Bran

The coarse outer layer of the grain that protexts the seed. It contains fiber, B vitamins and trace minerals.

Germ

The small, nutrient rich core of the grain kernel. It contains antioxidants, vitamin E, B vitamins and healthy fats.

Endosperm

The middle layer that contains carbohydrates and proteins. This is the source of energy for the growing plant.

In a 12-year study
of more than 70,000
nurses, those who ate
more whole grains
weighed less than
those who ate fewer
whole grains.²²

Why are whole grains so good? They contain fiber. They also contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and hundreds of other phytonutrients.²⁰ They also contain fiber. Each individual nutrient offers important benefits, but together they perform in even more powerful ways than they do individually.^{20, 21}

For these reasons and more, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advises:

“Consuming at least 3 or more ounce-equivalents of whole grains per day can reduce the risk of several chronic diseases and may help with weight maintenance. Thus, daily intake of at least 3 ounce-equivalents of whole grains per day is recommended by substituting whole grains for refined grains.” ¹⁷

cereal is the leading whole grain source for Americans - and the top source of whole grain in children's diets.

Extensive research has been done on the health benefits of whole grain. The science shows that eating whole grains as part of a healthy diet may help:

The vast majority
of whole grains –
about 57 percent –
are consumed
at breakfast.⁴¹

Protect heart health
Studies show whole grains may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.²⁵

Manage weight
People who eat more whole grains have healthier body weights and are more successful at maintaining their ideal weight over time.^{22, 26, 27}

Reduce cancer risk
Studies suggest that whole grains may be especially effective in reducing the risk of cancers of the stomach and colon.^28-31

Reduce diabetes risk
Whole grains may help manage healthy blood glucose and insulin levels.^32-40

Big G Cereals

With brands such as Cheerios, Wheaties, Lucky Charms, Total and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Big G has favorites for every family.The entire Big G line is made with whole grains, which can play an important role in health.

Big G cereals are delivering millions more servings of whole grain every day

While most people still aren’t getting enough whole grains in their diet, market research shows consumption of whole grain did increase by 20 percent between 2005 and 2008.⁴² This increase coincided with new dietary guidelines – and with General Mills’ 2005 decision to ensure that every Big G cereal delivers 8 grams of whole grain or more per serving. It was the biggest, single product improvement in General Mills’ history.

Before the conversion, General Mills predicted Big G’s whole grain initiative would provide Americans with 26 million servings of whole grain per day. But we’re actually delivering much more.

Today, General Mills delivers almost 35 million whole grain servings per day via Big G cereals alone – a 35 percent increase over what we delivered in 2005.