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Parts of the Wheat Kernel
A wheat kernel contains three distinct parts:
Endosperm
- The substance within a seed that nourishes a plant embryo.
- The part of the wheat kernel that yields white flour and provides the gluten essential for bread making.
- Comprises about 83 percent of the total kernel mass.
Bran
- About 14 percent of the kernel, this part is included in whole-wheat flour.
- The outer coat and is an excellent source of fiber.
Germ
- The embryo of the wheat kernel that will develop into a wheat plant.
- About 2.5 percent of the kernel, it is usually separated because it contains the fat that limits the keeping quality of flours.
Why Eat Wheat?
Nutrition
- Wheat is primarily made up of complex carbohydrates, which provide a source of time-released energy. The nutrition community recommends that 55 to 65 percent of our daily calories come from carbohydrates.
- Wheat products provide dietary fiber in our diets. Consumption of dietary fiber clears the digestive tract and is related to a decrease in colon cancer and some types of heart disease.
Whole Grain
- Whole wheat flour is composed of the bran, endosperm, and germ, whereas white flour is made from the endosperm only. Without the bran and germ, about 25% of a grain’s protein is lost, along with at least seventeen key nutrients. But whole grains are healthier, providing more protein, more fiber and many important vitamins and minerals.
- If a food label states that the package contains whole grain, the "whole grain" part of the food inside the package is required to have virtually the same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the harvested kernel does before it is processed.
- The medical evidence is clear that whole grains reduce risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity.
- According to the USDA’s Food Pyramid, half of your grain intake should be whole grains.
Convenient and Wholesome Wheat Products
Pizza
- Each person in the U.S. eats an average of 46 slices (23 lbs) of pizza per year.
Cereal
- Cereals are processed grains that are generally 75 to 80 percent carbohydrates, a ready source of fuel for our brains and bodies.
- One bushel of wheat makes about 45 (24 oz) boxes of wheat flake cereal
Pasta
- A bushel of wheat makes about 42 lbs of pasta or 210 servings of spaghetti.
- Pasta is a good source of B vitamins, iron and niacin. It is very low in sodium and is cholesterol free.