General Mills' 2005 whole grain initiative
has been called one of the biggest health initiatives in the food industry.
Providing nourishment is an important mission. The information that follows provides key insights and facts about cereal, its ingredients and the roles they play in contributing to overall health. Select titles from the list below to read more.
Ninety-five percent of Americans still aren’t eating enough whole grain. 13 But General Mills is working to change that.
In 2005, we converted our entire line of Big G cereals to include at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving (at least 48 grams recommended daily). This was the single biggest health-driven product improvement in our history.
Today all Big G cereals have at least 9 grams of whole grain per serving, and more than 20 have at least 16 grams.
Beginning in 2012, all Big G cereals will contain more whole grain than any other single ingredient – a continuation of our efforts to help consumers get whole grain in their diets.
General Mills delivers 38 million whole grain servings per day – a 50 percent increase in whole grain servings since 2004.
Big G cereals are America’s No. 1 source of whole grain at breakfast.
All Big G cereals now havemore whole grain than any other single ingredient – which means whole grain is the first ingredient listed.
Why are whole grains so good? They contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and hundreds of other phytonutrients.32 They also contain fiber. Each individual nutrient offers important benefits, but together they perform in even more powerful ways than they do individually.32-33
For these reasons and more, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that people:
One recent study found that people who ate several servings of whole grain each day, instead of refined grains, had less “belly fat” – the type of fat linked to higher risk for certain chronic diseases. 34
Studies show whole grains may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.14
People who eat more whole grains have healthier body weights and are more successful at maintaining their ideal weight over time.15-17
Studies suggest that whole grains may be especially effective in reducing the risk of cancers of the stomach and colon.18-21
Whole grains may help manage healthy blood glucose and insulin levels.22-30