Building a Whole Grain Generation: aligning policy and industry innovation for healthier diets from the earliest stages  

Join the 7th International Whole Grain Day Celebration!

Despite strong evidence of their health benefits, whole grain consumption remains far below recommended levels globally, especially among children. Yet whole grains play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk, supporting gut health, and promoting lifelong healthy eating habits.

This year’s event highlights the power of innovation to make whole grains more appealing, convenient, and fun for children. Real change requires supportive policies, inclusive school procurement standards, and stronger consumer education, areas often overlooked in current frameworks.

The event will bring together policymakers, health experts, industry, and civil society to explore how we can build a 'Whole Grain Generation'. Through smart regulation, collaboration, and product innovation, we can make whole grains an easy, attractive part of daily life from a young age.

Presented by: Rebekah Schulz, RD, PhD Candidate, University of Minnesota

Understanding consumer acceptance of whole grains and local grains can aid in developing products and campaigns that get consumers excited about these delicious products. This webinar will provide up to date information on the current state of American consumers’ attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions about whole grains based on recent findings from a University of Minnesota scoping review. In addition, we will explore the findings on consumer acceptance of local grain products and the food systems that produce these products — local grain networks — which are alternative systems to the commodity grain market. We will wrap up with a summary of key findings from the latest WGC 2025 Consumer Insights Survey about consumer interests, awareness, and understanding of local grains.

This webinar is being hosted in celebration of International Whole Grain Day – an annual campaign organized by the Whole Grain Initiative to help spotlight whole grains in communities around the globe.

Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0KNuZuDmRFWSVGFRnyAx-w

Diets low in whole grains are the leading dietary risk factor for ill-health, disability, and early death in Europe. To help change this, the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) launched SwitchToWholeGrain in 2024, a 4-week challenge inspiring Europeans to eat more whole grains.

More than 23,000 people visited the website to learn more about whole grains, and over 640 joined last year’s challenge, with 70% saying they would recommend it to a friend. This year, the challenge is going even bigger.

Throughout November, SwitchToWholeGrain will tackle common myths, share practical tips and child-friendly recipes to help get everyone on board, and showcase how different stakeholders are helping to put whole grains in the spotlight. It will also collaborate with influencers and the food service sector, both of which can inspire thousands of meals every week and help set the trend beyond people’s kitchens.

Learn more and join the movement: switchtowholegrains.com

As part of the IWGD celebration, the Danish Whole Grain Partnership (Fuldkornspartnerskabet) will be producing three short videos – one from Denmark, one from Sweden, and one from Japan. These videos will highlight different ways of enjoying whole grains in each country:

• Sweden will focus on their classic whole grain crispbread.

• Japan will showcase how to make rye bread.

• Denmark will present a delicious bowl of oatmeal.

The finished videos will be posted on the Danish Whole Grain Partnership’s Instagram account (@fuldkornspartnerskabet).

To mark International Whole Grain Day, the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance (FWGA) will raise awareness and spotlight the growing momentum across Africa to increase production and consumption of fortified whole grains. Activities will include a month-long digital campaign highlighting the health, economic and environmental benefits of whole grains, a LinkedIn webinar on the integration of fortified whole grains into school meals, and a celebration of key milestones, highlighting Rwanda’s leadership in integrating fortified whole grains into national school feeding and the private sector’s role in driving this shift. Efforts that reflect a deepening commitment to improving diets across the continent.

The Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC) is proud to celebrate Whole Grain Day as part of Whole Grain Week, from the 17th to 23rd of November. This year’s theme, Whole Grains for a Whole Future, highlights the role whole grains play in supporting a healthier today and a better tomorrow.

To mark Whole Grain Day, we’re hosting a special breakfast event for health professionals at the inspiring OzHarvest Refettorio in Sydney, a zero-waste, social impact collaboration that gives back to the community. The event will feature expert speakers sharing the latest insights on the health benefits of whole grains and exploring the barriers and enablers to increasing whole grain consumption.

Throughout the week, we’ll also be sharing:
• Evidence-based resources for health professionals
• Engaging content across social media
• A dedicated webinar
• And more! 

The Oldways Whole Grains Council will be organizing a webinar about heritage grains and local grain economies in collaboration with researchers from the University of Minnesota for International Whole Grain Day. We’ll be exploring how regional networks of farmers, millers, bakers, and consumers can support more resilient, sustainable food systems that emphasize a diversity of grains consumed in their whole form to maximize nutrition and flavor. The session will highlight the economic, environmental, and nutritional advantages of strengthening local grain infrastructure, alongside fresh consumer data from the 2025 WGC Consumer Insights Survey that sheds light on public awareness, interest, and demand for locally grown whole grain products.

You can watch the recording of the 2023 Whole Grain Day Webinar at the button, and you can view the final slide deck HERE.