This time of year, we’re all thinking about losing weight to fit into that swim suit,so whole grains will fit right into these goals, wont they? It depends.

If you want to shed pounds, some whole grains are good for you but with some you may need to limit your intake or run the risk of taking in way too many calories.

Brown rice, whole oats, unhulled barley, and buckwheat groats, that have not gone through the grinding, or processing, of their kernels into flour will all help you loose weight. These whole grains contain only about 500 calories per pound, which means you can eat them until comfortably full without being concerned that you’re taking in too many calories.

Whole-grain breads, whole-grain bagels, and whole-grain crackers and chips, in which the kernels have been ground into flour are the whole grains that need to be taken in moderation. That is because with processing the product becomes very calorie dense. Whole-grain breads, for example, have a calorie density of around 1,200 to 1,500 calories per pound. Whole-grain, fat-free chips are 1,600 to 1750 calories per pound. Yes you read it right! Ounce for ounce, you’re getting about three times as many calories than if you were eating unground, unprocessed whole grains.

And those ounces disappear quickly. Just think about it. It would be easy to put away five slices of whole-wheat bread in one sitting but five bowls of oatmeal? No chance!

“Dry” versus “wet”
Another way to think about it is “dry” versus “wet.” Highly processed, ground whole grains are all dry grains, which makes them more compact (and less filling). By contrast, unground grains like whole oats and brown rice are cooked in water (therefore wet), which adds bulk and a lot more stomach-filling satisfaction, but not more calories.

Keeping your stomach full and happy is a very good thing because it keeps hunger from taking over your brain and taking you places you don’t want to go. For losing weight, and a healthy diet, first focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure you’re eating up to nine servings and more a day. Yes, lots of them! Calorie for calorie, veggies and fruits have more nutrients and fewer calories than anything else.