What is a whole grain?

A grain is a small, hard, edible seed produced by cereal grasses. Cereal grass is any grass plant that is grown for its edible seed (grain). Wheat, rice, and corn are some examples of cereal grasses.

The grains or seeds of these grass plants are called kernels. It comes from the Old English word cymel which means "small seed".

Sometimes it's called a berry even though it really isn’t a berry. It’s just slang. So, when not being scientifically exact, the words: grain, seed, kernel, and berry all mean the same thing. 

A grain is made up of 3 separate parts:

Bran – The protective outer layer of the seed. It surrounds the endosperm and germ. It’s made up of dietary fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, minerals and a small amount of protein.

Endosperm – This is the starchy interior that the plant uses for energy to grow. Think of it as the gas tank for the plant. It’s the biggest part of the seed and it’s made up of protein, carbohydrates, B vitamins, and minerals.

Germ – This is the tiny new plant that is waiting to grow. It’s loaded with healthy fat, protein, vitamin E, and B vitamins.

When a label says whole grain, it means all 3 parts of the grain are used in making that product.

And that’s it.