FBDG 2

Eat whole grains and their products including less polished or parboiled rice, instead of refined grains and their products

Except for rice other commonly used cereals in Sri Lanka are Kurakkan, maize, and wheat. Cereals, other starchy food (e.g. yams, jackfruit, breadfruit) and their products mainly provide carbohydrate, and they should provide 55% – 65% of the daily requirement of energy.

• Whole grains including parboiled or less polished rice give more micronutrients than refined grains and their products, as these nutrients are removed during milling.
• Grains and starchy food need to fill up half of the plate and a healthy adult can consume 8-13 servings (1 serving equal to 100ml or half of a 200ml size tea cup) per day depending on the sex and physical activity level or physiological status.
• It is important to distribute the daily recommended cereals and starchy food intake among the three main meals.
• When consuming other starchy food (e.g. boiled/curried yams, jack fruit, breadfruit) with rice, needs to reduce the amount of rice proportionately.