CEREALS AND NUTRITION

Cereal is any grain or edible seed of the grass family that may be used as food. Cereals are collectively known as corn in the UK; in the USA corn is specifically maize.

Cereals provide the largest single foodstuff in most diets; in some less developed countries up to 90% of the total diet may be cereal; in the UK bread and flour provide 25–30% of the total energy and protein of the average diet.

Barley

Barley.

Grain of Hordeum vulgare, one of the hardiest of the cereals; mainly used as animal feed and for malting and brewing. The whole grain with only the outer husk removed (pot, Scotch or hulled barley) requires several hours cooking; the commercial product is usually pearl barley, where most of the husk and germ is removed. Barley flour is ground pearl barley; barley flakes are the flattened grain.

Composition/100 g: water 9.4 g, 1482kJ (354kcal), protein 12.5 g, fat 2.3 g (of which 26% saturated, 16% mono-unsaturated, 58% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 73.5 g (0.8 g sugars), fibre 17.3 g, ash 2.3g, Ca 33mg, Fe 3.6mg, Mg 133mg, P 264mg, K 452mg, Na 12mg, Zn 2.8mg, Cu 0.5mg, Mn 1.9mg, Se 37.7µg, vitamin A 1µg RE (173µg carotenoids), E 0.6mg, K 2.2mg, B1 0.65mg,B2 0.28mg, niacin 4.6mg,B6 0.32mg, folate 19µg, pantothenate 0.3mg. A 100g serving is a source of Zn, vitamin B2, B6, a good source of Fe, niacin, a rich source of Cu, Mg, Mn, P, Se, vitamin B1.

Maize

Maize

Grain of Zea mays, also called Indian corn and (in USA) simply corn. Staple food in many countries, made into tortillas in Latin America, polenta in Italy, and flaked as corn flakes breakfast cereal; various preparations in the southern states of the USA are known as hominy, samp and cerealine. Two varieties of major commercial importance are flint corn (Zea mays indurata), which is very hard, and dent corn (Z. mays dentata); there is also sweet corn Z. mays saccharata, and a variety that expands on heating (Zea mays everta). The starch prepared from Z. mays dentata is termed cornflour; the ground maize is termed maize meal. There is a white variety; the usual yellow colour is partly due to cryptoxanthin (a vitamin A precursor). Because of its low content of the amino acid tryptophan (and available niacin), diets based largely on maize are associated with the development of pellagra.

Yellow sweet corn, composition/100 g: (edible portion 36%) water 76 g, 360 kJ (86 kcal), protein 3.2 g, fat 1.2 g (of which 18% saturated, 27% mono-unsaturated, 55% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 19 g (3.2 g sugars), fibre 2.7 g, ash 0.6g, Ca 2mg, Fe 0.5mg, Mg 37mg, P 89mg, K 270mg, Na 15mg, Zn 0.4mg, Cu 0.1mg, Mn 0.2mg, Se 0.6μg, vitamin A 10μg RE (961μg carotenoids), E 0.1mg, K 0.3mg, B1 0.2mg, B2 0.06mg, niacin 1.7mg, B6 0.05mg, folate 46μg, pantothenate 0.8mg, C 7mg. A 90 g serving (1 cob) is a source of Mg, vitamin B1, pantothenate, a good source of folate.

Millet

Millet

Cereal of a number of species of Gramineae (grass family) smaller than wheat and rice and high in fibre content. Common millet (Panicum and Setaria spp.) also known as China, Italian, Indian, French hog, proso, panicled and broom corn millet, foxtail millet (Setaria italica); grows very rapidly, 2–21/2 months from sowing to harvest.

Composition/100 g: water 8.7 g, 1582 kJ (378 kcal), protein 11 g, fat 4.2 g (of which 19% saturated, 22% mono-unsaturated, 58% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 72.8 g, fibre 8.5 g, ash 3.3 g, Ca 8mg, Fe 3mg, Mg 114mg, P 285mg, K 195mg, Na 5mg, Zn 1.7mg, Cu 0.8mg, Mn 1.6mg, Se 2.7µg, vitamin E 0.1mg, K 0.9mg, B1 0.42mg, B2 0.29mg, niacin 4.7mg, B6 0.38mg, folate 85µg, pantothenate 0.8mg. A 30 g serving is a source of Mg, folate, a good source of Cu, Mn.

Bulrush millet, pearl millet, bajoa or Kaffir manna corn is Pennisetum typhoideum or P. americanum. Other species are hungry rice (Digitaria exilis), jajeo millet (Acroceras amplectens), Kodo or haraka millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), teff (Eragrostis tefor, E. abyssinica).

Oats

Oats

Grain from Avena spp., especially A. sativa, A. steritis and  A. strigosa. Oatmeal, ground oats; oatflour, ground and bran removed; groats, husked oats; Embden groats, crushed groats; Scotch oats, groats cut into granules of various sizes; Sussex ground oats, very finely ground oats; rolled oats, crushed by rollers and partially precooked.

Composition /100g: water 8g, 1628kJ (389kcal), protein 16.9 g, fat 6.9 g (of which 20% saturated, 37% mono-unsaturated, 42% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 66.3 g, fibre 10.6 g, ash 1.7 g, Ca 54mg, Fe 4.7mg, Mg 177mg, P 523mg, K 429mg, Na 2mg, Zn 4mg, Cu 0.6mg, Mn 4.9mg, vitamin E 1.1mg, B1 0.76mg, B2 0.14mg, niacin 1mg,B6 0.12mg, folate 56µg, pantothenate 1.3mg. A 30g serving is a source of Cu, Mg, P, vitamin B1, a rich source of Mn.

Rice

Rice

Grain of Oryza sativa; the major food in many countries. Rice when threshed is known as paddy, and is covered with a fibrous husk making up nearly 40% of the grain. When the husk has been removed, brown rice is left. When the outer bran layers up to the endosperm and germ are removed, the ordinary white rice of commerce or polished rice is obtained (usually polished with glucose and talc).

Composition/100 g: water 11.6 g, 1528 kJ (365 kcal), protein 7.1 g, fat 0.7 g, carbohydrate 79.9 g (0.1 g sugars), fibre 1.3 g, ash 0.6 g, Ca 28mg, Fe 4.3mg, Mg 25mg, P 115mg, K 115mg, Na 5mg, Zn 1.1mg, Cu 0.2mg, Mn 1.1mg, Se 15.1µg, vitamin E 0.1mg,K 0.1mg, B1 0.58mg, B2 0.05mg, niacin 4.2mg, B6 0.16mg, folate 231µg, pantothenate 1mg.A 30g serving is a source of Mn, vitamin B1, a rich source of folate.

Rye

Rye

Grain of Secale cereale, the predominant cereal in some parts of Europe; very hardy and withstands adverse conditions better than wheat. Rye flour is dark and the dough lacks elasticity; rye bread is usually made with sour dough or leaven rather than yeast.

Composition/100 g: water 10.9 g, 1402 kJ (335 kcal), protein 14.8 g, fat 2.5 g (of which 18% saturated, 18% mono-unsaturated, 65% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 69.8 g (1 g sugars), fibre 14.6 g, ash 2g, Ca 33mg, Fe 2.7mg, Mg 121mg, P 374mg, K 264mg, Na 6mg, Zn 3.7mg, Cu 0.4mg, Mn 2.7mg, Se 35.3µg, vitamin A 1µg RE (217µg carotenoids), E 1.3mg, K 5.9mg, B1 0.32mg,B2 0.25mg, niacin 4.3mg,B6 0.29mg, folate 60µg, pantothenate 1.5mg.

Sorghum

Sorghum

Sorghum vulgare, S. bicolor; cereals that thrive in semiarid regions, staple food in tropical Africa, central and N. India and China. Sorghum produced in the USA and Australia is used for animal feed.  Also known as kaffir corn (in S. Africa), guinea corn (in W. Africa), jowar (in India), Indian millet and millo maize. The white grain variety is eaten as meal; red grained has a bitter taste and is used for beer; sorghum syrup is obtained from the crushed stems of the sweet sorghum.

Composition/100 g: water 9.2 g, 1419kJ (339kcal), protein 11.3 g, fat 3.3 g (of which 17% saturated, 34% mono-unsaturated, 48% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 74.6 g, ash 1.6 g, Ca 28mg, Fe 4.4mg, P 287mg, K 350mg, Na 6mg, B1 0.24mg, B2 0.14mg, niacin 2.9mg.

Triticale

Triticale

Polyploid hybrid of wheat (Triticum spp.) and rye (Secale spp.) which combines the winter hardiness of the rye with the special baking properties of wheat.

Composition/100 g: water 10.5 g, 1406 kJ (336 kcal), protein 13.1 g, fat 2.1 g (of which 27% saturated, 13% mono-unsaturated, 60% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 72.1 g, ash 2.2 g, Ca 37mg, Fe 2.6mg, Mg 130mg, P 358mg, K 332mg, Na 5mg, Zn 3.5mg, Cu 0.5mg, Mn 3.2mg, vitamin E 0.9mg, B1 0.42mg, B2 0.13mg, niacin 1.4mg, B6 0.14mg, folate 73µg, pantothenate 1.3mg.

Wheat

Wheat

The most important of the cereals and one of the most widely grown crops. Many thousand varieties are known but there are three main types: Triticum vulgare, used mainly for bread; T. durum (durum wheat), largely used for pasta; and T. compactum (club wheat), too soft for ordinary bread. The berry is composed of the outer branny husk, 13% of the grain, the germ or embryo (rich in nutrients) 2%, and the central endosperm (mainly starch) 85%.

Composition/100 g (varying between red and white varieties, and spring or winter sown): water 9–13 g, 1370–1430 kJ (330–340 kcal), protein 10–15 g, fat 1.5–2 g (of which 27% saturated, 18% mono-unsaturated, 55% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 68–75 g (0.4 g sugars), fibre 12–13 g, ash 1.5–1.9 g, Ca 25–32mg, Fe 3–5mg, Mg 90–130mg, P 290–490mg,K 360–430mg,Na 2mg, Zn 2.7–3.5mg, Cu 0.4mg, Mn 4mg, Se 30–70µg, 225µg carotenoids), vitamin E 1mg, K 1.9mg, B1 0.4–0.5mg, B2 0.1mg, niacin 4–5mg, B6 0.3–0.4mg, folate 40µg, pantothenate 1mg. European wheats are lower in Se than those grown in N America. Wheat germ oil is 20% saturated, 16% mono-unsaturated, 65% polyunsaturated, vitamin E 149.4mg, K 24.7mg/100g.

Compiled by Leopoldo Costa from the book 'Benders Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology' (David A. Bender), Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, England, 2006. Adapted to be posted.