Take the Wholegrain Goodness challenge: testers can win £250 – NON TESTERS: chance to win £150. NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Try something different for your new year's resolutions this year - take part in the WholegrainGoodness.com challenge and be in with a chance of winning supermarket vouchers worth up to £250.

Here's what WholegrainGoodness.com, a not-for-profit campaign aiming to inspire people to eat more wholegrain, say about the challenge: "Most of us know it's important to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg every day, but did you know you should be eating more wholegrain to keep you healthy too? Nutritionists encourage eating at least three servings of wholegrain a day. But despite the nutritional benefits, national surveys show that 95% of adults don't do this, and almost a third don't eat any at all. So take part in our wholegrain challenge to help us inspire mums to get more nutritious wholegrain into their family's diet and we'll enter you into a prize draw"

The challenge is to include wholegrain in at least ONE meal or snack for the family per day for two weeks and then to add your feedback here by Sunday 9th February to be entered into a prize draw.

• "Official testers" (already selected) can win a £250 supermarket voucher of their choice

• "Non-official testers" (open to all UK MNers with at least one child aged between 2 and 16 living at home) can win a £150 supermarket voucher of their choice

You can use the variety of wholegrain foods available, such as wholegrain breads, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, flour and even popcorn. And feel free to take part if you and your family already eat wholegrains. Visit WholegrainGoodness.com if you need help finding out what wholegrains are and to see what a serving of wholegrain looks like, as well as to get recipe ideas for inspiration and some top tips. If you have any further questions about wholegrain, ask their independent registered dietitian or go to the wholegrain FAQs (frequently asked questions) page, which we'll keep updating. You can get a free recipe booklet and sign up to their e-news alerts too.

Please add your feedback here on the following:

~ Let us know what you think of wholegrains and if you knew about the benefits already or not

~ Have you tried out any WholegrainGoodness.com recipes? How did you and your family find them?

~ Please add any other comments, recipes, tips or ideas you have too - we'd love to hear from you at various stages of the challenge

Thanks
MNHQ

Please note: comments made on this thread may be reproduced by Wholegrain Goodness (AHDB)

Brown rice - not as chewy as it used to be (maybe its different types they sell these days)
Brown pasta - slather it in sauce and no one is the wiser!
Couscous - whod've thought it came in spelt and kamut? Both very nice .

I always try and eat wholemeal bread and encourage the kids to do the same - with mixed success! I have tried the scrambled egg pittas which went down well, I've also bought the wholegrain pasta which the kids definitely didn't like! I have found that wholegrain ingredients are more expensive.

I've been really pleased with how easy it is. Most days we've managed 2 and occasionally 3 meals with whole grains.

The DC have had weetabix, porridge or shreddies every day...we did have to add honey to the porridge as ds said it was 'tasteless!' but they had fruit with the other cereals.

I've swapped from 50/50 to wholemeal bread...dd2 (4) is unimpressed with the 'burnt crust' (because of the colour) but has eaten them anyway. I've found it really tasty

Then, any days when we've had pasta or rice, it's been brown/wholemeal. This has had mixed results...the bolognese was fine, carbonara less so...was a bit dry.

I was kind of aware if the benefits, but have definitely been made more aware. It's been easier than I expected.

TBH the recipes were a bit odd IMO...and made the swap more complicated than I could cope with. I prefer to make changes as easy as possible to avoid a rebellion from the DC...too much change and they just refuse to eat

I will be sticking with the changes we've made.

Just one point...would be a good idea to advise to increase fluid intake when increasing the wholegrain. DD2 did have a couple of bunged up,marathon toilet sitting moments in the first week

I am trying this in conjunction with the 5 2 diet. We always eat wholegrain bread and cereal, but I am trying to replaced the pasta with wholegrain ( without telling the children) and also trying to use more whole grains generally, quinoa, bulgar wheat (not couscous), wholegrain rice (or basmati), it is surprisingly easy, and also I am trying to make them eat lentils once a week (green puy lentils, not sure whether these count as wholegrain.). My intention is to lose two dress sizes to get down to a size 10 by my holiday, and also to help my children improve their general and long term eating habits, we are also trying to cut down on biscuits etc.....

Fruit is always on the menu here, but we have focused a lot on increasing vegetable intake.

I think I kind of knew that we should be eating whole grains and why. What has really surprised me is that it turns out we already were eating quite a lot without me even thinking about! We tend to eat a lot of porridge and whole grain breakfast cereals, and will always buy "quality" whole grain bread if it's on offer, though I have to admit that I tend to buy white bread if none is on offer as I find cheap white bread to be more palatable than cheap brown.

I looked at the recipes and was going to try some out but unfortunately my boys have been ill and I've been spending more time at the doctors or the hospital than in the kitchen. Fortunately we've kept up with the challenge easily enough by eating sandwiches and porridge. My 5 yo had an allergic reaction to something he ate on Saturday, the one day he didn't have a whole grain breakfast! (He's fine now.)

Another thing that surprised me - how quickly whole grain bread products go off! They keep going mouldy before we even get to the best before date, so I've had to buy loads more than I'd expected.

Tester at end of test....

~ Let us know what you think of wholegrains and if you knew about the benefits already or not

I was aware that wholegrain was better than equivalent processed foods. But I wasn't aware that wholegrain was important in its own right, ie that it should be part of a balanced diet. I'm still not 100% convinced that we need 2 servings of it a day but I'm happy to subscribe to wholegrain over alternatives. We haven't struggled at all - particularly enjoyed muffins, waffles, homemade bread (home baking basically), wild rice, quinoa. Pasta - OK, but not better IMO. Popcorn has gone down a treat! Not convinced by the nutritional value of those sunbite things...

~ Have you tried out any WholegrainGoodness.com recipes? How did you and your family find them?
No. I have tried recipes but used my own cookbooks.

In conclusion, we will carry on wholegrain mostly, certainly in bread products and muffins, and keep up the wild rice/quinoa etc. Pasta I won't always swap if I'm being honest.

Thank you for the challenge - it's been great and surprisingly easy!

We had got very slack with our eating habits over Christmas so this challenge was a god way of reigning things in a bit.
We got shredded wheat for breakfast but unfortunately that went down like a lead balloon :-( we used them to make chocolate nests instead so not all bad I guess.
Swapped to wholemeal bread & rolls & we all did ok with this although I can't say wholemeal toast hits the spot in the sane way white bread toast does.
We tried the Thai Turkey burger recipe & they were lovely, a hit with everyone & something we will make again. I enjoyed the warm bacon, mustard & potato salad too.
I have noticed that the change to whole grain has helped DS with his toileting habits & we have all been a bit more energetic.

I knew many of the benefits already and always eat whole grain cereals for breakfast, but had always found brown rice or whole meal pasta etc to be not as tasty as 'white' versions. This challenge gave me the impetus to try whole grain food again with some great ideas for recipes to boot.
I've made several whole grain pasta recipes including the pasta bake and carbonara, and the kedgeree. I'm also planning to make the risotto - didn't realise you could make it with whole grain rice.
All the meals have gone down well with DH and DDs (2.5 and 1). Thanks - will definitely keep this up!

We used to occasionally have whole grains as a family, it wasn't something we paid a lot of attention to but since the challenge we have been buying and eating a lot more. Whole grain bread is something we all prefer to white bread now and snacks such as popcorn have been very popular too! We have also started having whole grain pasta and I was surprised that the kids didn't notice a difference! It's definitely something we will keep up :)

I hope you run this challenge again, I wish I'd seen it sooner!

We have porridge at weekends, which both kids love, and bran flakes with a handful of raisins or weetabix during the week.
We buy either wholemeal bread (which DD complains about), or when we use the breadmaker we make either 50/50 or 70/30 wholemeal/white flour - DD loves this!
Oatcakes are an easy wholemeal snack, especially for DS (1 1/2).
Sainsburys do a brown rice rice cake too, which is a good out and about emergency snack.

I really would like to up the about of brown rice and pasta however, OH in particular dislikes wholemeal pasta. A repeat challenge would be a good way of seeing if I can get him to change his mind!

mummy keep your bread in the fridge. It keeps just fine in there too. And unlike white bread, being in the fridge doesn't make it go hard. Just stops it going off.

Official tester

I am so glad that I got picked for this challenge and have already noticed health benefits in the short 2 weeks.

Although I was dubious about managing to get my 5 yo to eat any whole wheat I had no problems at all. I will now only be buying whole wheat pasta, rice and bread.

I was aware of whole grains and we already eat porridge and 50/50 bread. I eat quinoa but hadn't really pushed it with my dd.

During the challenge we switched our weekend sweet cereals for porridge and even experimented with quinoa porridge.

We also switched our wraps to wheat and white instead of plain white and our pasta to brown. My dd loved both but partner didn't.

We baked some muffins ( from breakfast section of website) and had these for our morning snack and found them v filling.

I noticed I didn't slump in the afternoon as much as I had before ( despite having a newborn - we started the trial the day after I came home from hospital). My DDs energy levels are up overall too.

I was surprised at the new world of food stuffs I read about when researching whole grain diets. It's definitely something I'll be continuing to follow, and hopefully persuading my DP to consume a few too.

Last but not least my recipe for my creamy chicken and chorizo which goes perfectly with brown wholegrain rice!
Hijacked By Twins Chicken and Chorizo

Tester

I was fairly aware of the benefits of wholegrain and have always kept to wholegrain cereal etc but I did not realise the extent of whole grain products that are actually available.

So far we have tried the seeded cheese tear and share scones and the oaty pork and cider. Both went down a treat but I did have to double up the ingredients for the pork. We will use these recipes again.
These have really made me think about adding grains to casseroles etc. I had got into the habit of adding pulses to most things but am now looking for a wider range of grains to add.

We have stuck to several wholegrain items a day and I have shopped a lot more carefully for basic items which do have whole grain equivalents.

The DCs have not really noticed and difference and have been very happy with all of the now replaced items such as bagels and bread so we are going to stick to this from now on as a family and only have wholegrain in the house.

This has been a really positive test and has certainly made me plan and think more carefully about shopping and cupboard staples.

The brown basmati rice has been the surprise of the test because it is delicious. I used it to make Jambalaya and the entire family loved it with several requests to have it again already so I will post that recipe.

What I have noticed during the two weeks is that the DCs have not asked for snacks in between meals and have also declined treats after dinner due to feeling satisfied after their meal.

Official tester

First off, thanks the voucher, we put it to good use! I did know most of the benefits of whole grains but wasn't really aware just how much healthier they are. We added wholegrains to our diet in a few ways:

I replaced our white pasta/rice with brown pasta and rice. I bought wholemeal bread for me and the children to eat. I started adding a tablespoon of oats to my morning smoothie. I bought wholemeal flour and some oat biscuits (Nairns).

The oats were an easy addition to my smoothie, I couldn't taste them at all (although I do like oats anyway).DD had porridge a couple of mornings which she loves but it's a bit of a faaff everyday because she takes forever to eat it. We haven't got round to trying the pasta and rice yet although we will. The kids have loved the wholemeal bread for toast and packed lunch sandwiches and it does seem to satisfy them more so I will keep on using that. The wholemeal flour has been a big success too, I've made some fan things. Wholemeal banana muffins were very asty and popular with everyone. Wholemeal raisin and almond Florentines went down well too. I've been using these in packed lunches/after school treats and it seems to keep the kids happy. I hadn't tried baking with wholemeal flour before but will definitely keep a bag in the cupboard and use it more often.

Overall, the trial has been a big success. The kids haven't complained at all and seem to be much fuller, particularly after school. I've felt better too despite being quite unwell atm, the whole grains seem to have kept me going. We will definitely keep up with it.

I used to be a health fanatic years ago, not allowing any fat or refined sugars/carbs into my diet, and well... as I have become a mother and pregnant again, I find myself becoming a bit lazy in my healthy decisions. To be honest, eating really healthy is a but more time consuming (reading all nutrition labels, food preparation, etc) and expensive. So, this challenge was a good way for me to reintroduce some aspects of my previous lifestyle, and not feel guilty for spending a few extra quid on specific items. A few key changes I tried to make over these past few weeks involve healthier substitutions. For example, rather than a regular starchy potato, I swapped sweet potatoes. In place of cous cous or pasta, I have found quinoa to be a lifesaver. I have introduced more porridge and whole grain cereals into our morning routine. In baking, I have tried to use banana, no fat greek yogurt and agave to replace to other fatty key ingredients. And no one in my house misses them or has even noticed! I think it is about making small steps, especially if the steps you need to take for a healthier lifestyle aren't leaps.

Sorry I'm late coming back with more comments...

Since I last posted we have completely ditched white rice in favour of brown rice. However, this means we haven't been able to use our rice cooker which is a bit annoying, but I'm getting better at doing it in the microwave (I'm assuming they only do white rice? Can somebody correct me if I'm wrong)

We've also found these wholegrain ready cooked rice, bulgher wheat and quinoua packs in Waitrose which can be heated up in 2 mins. They're great made into a salad. We have 2 packs between the four of us with roasted veg, cherry tomatoes and feta. It feeds the four of us for one meal, and then there is enough left over for the kids to have it for their packed lunches on another day. Talking of packed lunches, we've also replaced the kids crisps with sun-bites. They're eating them, but complaining that they don't do a salt and vinegar flavour.

Will be trying pizza with whole-wheat flour soon. Like the idea of that. Will also try crumble with whole-wheat flour and oats.

We've stuck to this challenge really well.

I've been craving carbs in this preg so snacking as been a big of a worry (I get GD so mustn't overload of bread etc) but with more wholegrain I've been less snacky, and at least when I have had a sneaky butty it's been healthier for me and baby than all the white bread I ate in my other pregs.

I think the kids are getting real benefit from it too, they have certainly been asking for fewer snacks between meals! That has to be a good thing!

Second week down,

Lots of wholemeal bread and weatabix. I also tried wholegrain pasta and brown rice; both of which I preferred to white although DH wasn't as keen. As a family the only thing we didn't really like was wholemeal tortillas.

Wholegrain hovis biscuits were great with cheese and I loved Onken wholegrain strawberry yoghurt it was really filling too. My homemade flapjacks went down well with the DCs as did toasted oats in a crumble topping.

I agree with others that have mentioned the high cost of wholegrain products and although I want to use more of them that will be budget dependent week to week.

I really enjoyed this challenge and was surprised by how many wholegrains we already ate as a family and enjoyed trying the new foods too.

We've enjoyed being part of this challenge, we ate brown bread and brown rice anyway - my 4 year old knows no different. We've started eating more wholewheat pastas and pittas. I've used a couple of the recipes and will think about adding oats to meals in future. We always have breakfast and this has a wholegrain element too.

This test was quite enjoyable and easier than what I thought it would be. Was quite easy for the family to swap to wholegrain cereals and change to wholemeal bread (must be eaten when really fresh though otherwise found it was quite dry). Also tried brown rice and wholemeal pasta but found them to be quite acquired tastes so needed stronger sauces with them but I'm sure we'll get used to the taste if we continue to use them.

Thanks for the tip Bubble80