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

How nuts and whole grains add up Peanuts lead the nut category, according to Lindsey DeSoto, RD, with Health. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026

The pledge also encourages hospitals to emphasize whole grains over refined grains. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Foods containing resistant starches, including some beans, whole grains and seeds, resist easy conversion into usable energy and don’t trigger that same storage response. — ABC News, 7 July 2026

Small, sustainable changes — such as eating more vegetables and whole grains, choosing nuts or fruit instead of ultraprocessed snacks, and replacing sugary drinks with water — add up over time. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 July 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