WHAT AND WHAT ARE THE CEREALS OF THE PLATE OF GOOD EATING? - NUTRITION - 2025

The grains are an important part of the plate of good food, one of the three fundamental pillars of this nutritional plan implemented in order to get citizenship feed properly and stabilize your body weight.

The plate of good eating, also called "the plate of well-eating" or "the plate of healthy eating", is an eating plan created by nutrition experts at Harvard University as a way to reinforce the deficiencies of the proposed MyPlate plan by the United States Department of Agriculture.

In this article, we will delve a little deeper into the group of cereals, making special reference to the grains that are part of this group and their benefits.

What cereals do we find in the Plate of good eating?

Cereals are essential elements of the human diet since they are rich in carbohydrates, which provide energy. In addition to their nutritional value, cereals are popular due to their abundance.

However, not all cereals are abundant in all regions, which is why each area has a distinctive cereal that is part of the basic diet.

For example, in Europe and India, wheat is the most consumed cereal; in China, Japan, and South Korea it is rice; while in Central America it is corn.

Most common cereals

The most common cereals that are included in the Plate of good eating are rice, corn, wheat, barley, amaranth and rye.

Maize, rice and wheat constitute 87% of the total cereal production worldwide.

Amaranth

Amaranth is a cereal that is consumed mainly in Central America. This grain has several benefits, among which the optimization of digestion and the increase of blood circulation stand out.

Rice

Rice is one of the most popular and well-known cereals. It is consumed in all the countries of the world, but it is produced only in areas with tropical climates, because it cannot grow in cold temperatures. Brown rice is one of the existing types of rice, which is rich in vitamin B.

Barley

This cereal is popular due to its high nutritional content. In addition, it is used to make milkshakes.

On the other hand, barley has multiple benefits: it is used to treat asthma, arthritis, obesity, hypertension, constipation and some skin conditions.

Rye

Rye grows in cold climates. It is used to produce bread, beer, whiskey and vodka. This cereal increases the efficiency of the digestive system (so it helps you lose weight), lowers blood pressure and prevents some types of cancer.

Corn

Corn, along with wheat and rice, is one of the best known cereals. From this, various products are manufactured such as corn flour, roasted corn flakes and popcorn.

Wheat

This cereal is produced in temperate zones, such as Australia, North America, Europe and New Zealand.

With wheat, a wide variety of products is created, such as flour, bread, oats, pasta, cookies or muesli, among others.

Benefits of consuming cereals for health

Power source

Cereals are the main source of energy in humans, since they provide 30% of the total calories in the diet; It should be noted that in some Asian countries, cereals provide up to 80% of calories.

Contain minerals

In addition to providing energy, cereals contain minerals: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and calcium are present in large quantities, while zinc, copper and manganese are found in smaller quantities.

Prevent cancer

Eating whole grains lowers your chances of getting breast cancer. Also, some studies show that the consumption of products based on whole grains and high-fiber cereals prevents colon cancer.

Prevents constipation and other disorders in the colon

Cereals contain fibers that contribute to the digestion process and prevent constipation, helping to keep the digestive system clean. Some grains, like brown rice, have laxative properties.

They maintain the level of sugar in the blood

Fiber in cereals slows down glucose secretion from foods, which helps regulate blood sugar.

Provide protein

Cereal grains contain various proteins, such as gluten. The protein content varies from one cereal to another, but in general these have between 6% and 12% protein.

Source of vitamins

Cereals are high in vitamin B. Very few cereals contain vitamin C, most notably corn. For their part, the oils extracted from cereal grains are rich in vitamin E.

Characteristics of the plate of good eating

This dietary guide has been, in addition to the United States, implemented in other countries such as Mexico, where it has served to complement the existing food pyramid.

The Good Eating Plate provides a detailed guide to help people choose what to eat. In this guide, foods are divided into three groups:

• Vegetables and fruits: source of vitamins. They should be consumed in abundance and variety.
• Legumes and foods of animal origin: these two elements belong to the same group due to the high protein content of both. It is recommended to limit the consumption of red meat, processed meat, bacon and cheese. Instead, the consumption of beans, nuts and fish is promoted.
• Cereals and tubers: source of energy. According to this guide, you should increase your consumption of whole grains and products derived from them, such as brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta. On the contrary, the consumption of refined grains, such as processed rice and white bread, should be reduced.

In addition, healthy fats and water are included. The plate of good eating recommends the use of vegetable oils, such as olive or canola; He also advises limiting the consumption of butter and trans fats.

References

1. Healthy Eating Plate & Healthy Eating Pyramid. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from hsph.harvard.edu.
2. Healthy Eating Plate. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from health.harvard.edu.
3. Healthy Eating Plate vs. USDA's MyPlate. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from hsph.harvard.edu.
4. The Eatwell Guide. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from nhs.uk.
5. My Healthy Plate. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from healthhub.sg.
6. Healthy Eating Plate. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from takingcharge.chs.umn.edu.
7. 6 Benefits of Eating Cereals in the Morning. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from natureword.com.
8. Health Benefits of Cereals. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from organicfacts.net.
9. Benefits of Cereals. Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from snaaz.org.
10. Why is Cereal Important in Diet? Retrieved on May 26, 2017, from livestrong.com.