I'm on a mission to better understand whole grains because as we all know and Maggie recently told us, it's kind of confusing trying to figure out what counts as a whole grain and what doesn't. Slowly but surely and with some help from The Whole Grains Council, I'm unraveling the mystery. And so I thought you might want to know what I'm learning.

First, a definition from The Whole Grains Council: Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. If the grain has been processed (e.g., cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded, and/or cooked), the food product should deliver approximately the same rich balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed.

And now, here are examples of whole grain foods and flours.

Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Corn (including whole cornmeal and popcorn)
Millet
Oats (including oatmeal)
Rice (both brown rice and colored rice)
Rye
Sorghum (also known as milo)
Teff
Triticale
Wheat
Wild Rice

This list is not comprehensive but serves as a general guide of whole grains most familiar to consumers.

Oilseeds and legumes -- flax, sunflower seeds, soy, and chickpeas -- are not whole grains.

This is just a snippet of what The Whole Grains Council has to offer. I'm definitely going back for more. I'll let you know what else I discover.