Structure of Cereals
To most of the general public, "cereal" is a ready-to-eat breakfast food that can be found in a box on every grocery store shelf. The definition of cereal, taken outside the box, can be traced back to its origins as a cultivated grass. Wheat, corn, rice and oats, some of the more popular grans that make up breakfast cereals, are all types of cultivated grass that produce an edible seed (grain or fruit). While all grains are structurally similar in their original form, they are almost all altered through the processes that transform them into breakfast cereals, breads, pasta and other foods.
-
Significance
-
Throughout the world, we rely on one or more of the cereal grains as a primary food source. This is no coincidence. Though lacking in essential amino acids found in animal protein, cereal grains contain the main food essentials for the human and animal body.
Features
-
The three parts that make up every kernel of grain are the germ, endosperm and bran. The germ is the embryo or oil storage portion of the kernel. This inner portion makes up 2.5 percent of the weight of the entire kernel. It contains protein and B-complex vitamins. Because of its high fat content, it is often removed during milling, so that the shelf life of flour can be longer. The endosperm, at 83 percent of the kernel weight, is the primary starch storage portion and the source for white flour. It contains protein, carbohydrates, iron and B-vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin and thiamine. Bran, the seed coat, makes up 14.5 percent of the kernel weight and contains a large quantity of B-vitamins, as well as insoluble dietary fiber. Bran is found in whole wheat flour.
-
Types
-
If all three parts of the kernel are intact, it is called a "whole grain." If either the bran or germ is separated from the kernel during milling, then it is a "refined grain." Refined grains are commonly fortified with nutrients lost during the milling process. Breakfast cereals are one of the most fortified foods in the grocery store.
Considerations
-
In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced new food labeling guidelines, hoping to help people follow the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommended that whole grains make up at least half the grain that consumers eat each day. For a product to be labeled as "whole grain," it must contain grains in its entirety, with all components present--the starchy endosperm, the germ and the bran--in about the same amounts as those found in the intact grain.
Benefits
-
Enjoy a wide variety of whole grains to ensure that you are getting the maximum amount of fiber and nutrients available in cereals. Fiber keeps you full; complex carbohydrates give you extended energy without blood sugar crashes.
-
References
- Photo Credit felinefuture.com
