Whole Grain Diet Plans

Whole grain diet plans involve reducing your intake of refined grains, like white bread, and instead eating more whole grains, such as brown rice, which are higher in fiber, will make you feel fuller and prompt you to eat less.

Losing Weight With Whole Grains

Diets that involve eliminating one or more elements from your diet--such as sugar or carbs--have become increasingly popular in recent years.

Weight loss plans that involve substituting whole grains for refined grain foods are one of the latest diet trends. White rice, for example, is a refined grain. The germ content and bran has been removed from white rice through a process called milling.

Whole grains--unrefined grains such as brown rice and oatmeal--haven't been milled, so they still contain their original bran content and are generally higher in fiber and other nutrients than refined grains. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, a slice of white bread contains 0.6 g fiber; a slice of wheat bread has 1.9 g.

Books such as "The Whole Grain Diet Miracle," by Dr. Lisa Hark and Dr. Darwin Deen and the "Whole Foods Diet Cookbook: 200 Recipes for Optimal Health" by Ivy Larson and Andrew Larson, M.D. describe the basic principle of a whole grain diet: Choosing whole grains over processed carbohydrates.

According to "The Whole Grain Diet Miracle," switching to whole grains can help control your blood pressure and weight.

Whole Grains and Eating Right

Whole grains can be a useful way to eat less. Because whole grains contain more fiber, eating a slice of wheat bread will tend to make you feel fuller than eating a slice of white bread.

In an interview with Amazon.com, Hark and Deen explained that the theory behind their whole grain diet involves avoiding refined carbs, which contain extra sugar and will increase your appetite, and focusing on eating whole grains, which will help control hunger.

If you're hoping to use whole grain foods to help you lose weight, you should be able to find many whole wheat options at your local grocery store to stick to your whole grain diet. Many companies are now offering whole grain versions of traditionally refined grain foods, ranging from whole grain English muffins to high-fiber tortillas.

The Mayo Clinic advises that you look for the word "whole" on the package, read the nutritional label to see if whole grains are one of the first ingredients listed and aim for foods that contain a minimum of 3 g of fiber per serving.