What Nutrients Would You Miss By Cutting Out Grains?

I recently got a note from a dietitian in response to my advice on grains (which was, in a  nutshell,  Skip ’em if you want to).  Although she agreed with my conclusion that grains are not necessary for a healthy diet, she was concerned because I failed to point out “all the valuable nutrients in whole grains, and what should be eaten to compensate for the lack of those nutrients when these are eliminated.”

Fair enough. Let’s take a closer a look at exactly what nutrients we get from whole grains, using whole wheat bread as an example–not because I think that whole wheat bread is the ideal whole grain food but because it’s probably the most commonly consumed “whole grain” food in America.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that people eat at least 3 servings of whole grains a day, so  let’s take a look at the nutrients in three slices of whole wheat bread.

Nutrients in 3 Slices Whole Wheat Bread

So, could eliminating grains from your diet lead to serious nutrient deficiencies?  Let’s start with the nutrients that whole grains seem to be highest in and work our way down.

Manganese deficiency is almost never seen–in fact, excessive manganese intake is more of a concern.

Selenium deficiency is also uncommon but if you’re nervous about it, a serving of shrimp, salmon, pork, or 1/3 of a brazil nut would replace what you’d be missing if you cut grains out of your diet.

Fiber intake typically falls short of the recommended 25-30 grams a day–with or without whole grains. Eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables would go a long way toward filling that gap (and offers  a lot more ancillary nutrition than whole wheat bread). And  a half cup  of cooked beans provides more fiber than 3 servings of whole grains.

Niacin intake is typically about twice what’s required for good health so I think most can safely live without the niacin provided by whole grain foods.

Thiamin intake averages right around the recommended amount–so eliminating whole grains could potentially cause a slight gap. Fortunately, thiamin is fairly widespread in the food supply.  Oranges, spinach, and milk each have as much thiamin per serving as whole wheat bread. One ounce of pecans or pork would replace the thiamin in three servings of whole grains.

Magnesium intakes sag below the recommended amounts–due mostly to a highly refined diet. Eating more whole foods fixes the problem. Whole grains are one good source of magnesium but fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes will also do the trick.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U.S. but  whole grains are not a particularly good source of iron. Three servings of whole grains provides 12% of the  recommended intake. Better sources are meat, fish, poultry, prunes, or molasses.

For all the rest of the nutrients, the entire recommended amount of whole grains supplies less than 10% of the recommended intake, so it would appear that grains are not a primary source for these nutrients.

All in all, I think the danger of introducing nutrient deficiencies by eliminating grains is fairly small–especially when you replace grains with other nutritious, whole foods.  What do you think?

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