whole grain

noun

plural whole grains

: an unmilled grain (such as wheat, rice, or barley) having its bran, germ, and endosperm intact

Start with a whole grain, such as brown rice, millet, or whole wheat.

—Cynthia Lair

Fill half your plate with a variety of vegetables and fruit. Add 20 to 30 grams of protein as well as carbs like sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans and whole grains.

—Emily Marrison

also : a grain that has been ground or processed but not hulled or refined

Processed whole grains are whole grains that have been cracked (as in cracked wheat bread), rolled (as in rolled oat cereal), crushed or ground (as in whole-wheat flour and bulgur) or extruded (as in whole-wheat pasta). They provide the same nutrients found in the original kernel of grain.

—Anastasia Schepers

Whole-grain flours have a more complex taste and create a heartier texture than refined white flours because they include the bran and germ.

—Chicago Sun-Times

Examples of whole grain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And unlike the Mediterranean and other plant-forward diets, keto doesn’t emphasize fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are important parts of a healthy diet. — Stephanie Anderson Witmer, HEALTH, 28 Sep. 2026

At the same time, the 2025 update to the American dietary guidelines appears to downplay fiber’s role in a healthy diet, placing high-fiber whole grains at the bottom as the smallest part of the inverted food pyramid. — Jean Liew, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

Look for a whole grain as the first ingredient and compare fiber among products. — Elizabeth Gall, Verywell Health, 22 Sep. 2026

Eating whole grain food is important, but a single dietary swap is not going to prevent heart disease, Alice Lichtenstein, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, told CNN. — Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whole grain

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• halothane
• hurricane
• hyperplane