Side Label Highlighting Grams Of Whole Grain Per Serving (Graphic: Business Wire)

General Mills Big G cereals, more than 50 cereals with the white check, are making it easier to follow the Dietary Guidelines recommendation to choose products with whole grain listed first. As of January, every cereal with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient with the same great taste. Whole grain is listed first on the ingredient list, indicating that a whole grain is the first and most prevalent ingredient. This includes family favorites like Honey Nut Cheerios ^®, Lucky Charms ^®, Total ^®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch ^® and Cheerios ^®.

The Dietary Guidelines recommend that at least half the grain included in the diet come from whole grain (at least 48 grams recommended daily). To help people keep track of their intake, the cereals with the white check now highlight the grams of whole grain per serving on the side of each cereal box. White check cereals are the only leading line with whole grain as the first ingredient in all of its cereals. It also is the only leading line to list whole grain per serving on all cereal packaging.

“Whole grain makes a vital contribution to good health, and we know Americans value it in their cereals,” said Jeff Harmening, president of General Mills Big G cereal division. “As a company, we always strive to improve the health and nutrition of our products while never compromising taste. That’s why we’re proud to announce that, no matter which of our more than 50 cereals people choose, they can be assured they’re getting more whole grain than any other single ingredient, with the same great taste their family loves.”

With so many healthy options available in grocery stores, it can be tough to know you’re making the right selections for meeting whole grain recommendations. To help people make clearer choices, General Mills introduced Fast Lane for Whole Grain, an online educational game. Consumers are challenged to quickly identify products that have whole grain as the first ingredient while shopping virtual grocery store aisles. Players have the option to enter a sweepstakes to win one of each of the more than 50 cereals with the white check. The sweepstakes runs through March 18, 2012 on www.WholeGrainNation.com.

“We’re committed to making it easier to choose whole grain,” said Jean Storlie, MS, RD, director of the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. “In connection with living healthy, whole grain has been linked to healthier body weights, and it may help reduce the risk of heart disease. It is a powerful nutrient package that has vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber that are important to our diets – and too few of us are getting enough of it.”