Media Statement on 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

News provided by

Jan 31, 2011, 05:17 ET

CHICAGO, Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Quaker Oats Company, a division of PepsiCo, supports the updated Dietary Guidelines recommendations on the importance of whole grains and fiber in the diet issued today by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). The Dietary Guidelines state, "consume at least half of all grains as whole grains."

Research reveals that many Americans are not consuming enough whole grains, which can play an important part in overall health. In fact, while many Americans consume more than the recommended amount of total grains per day, they need to replace at least one-half of their refined grain consumption with whole grains, like oats, which are 100 percent whole grains.

Quaker Oats is committed to supporting a healthy lifestyle for Americans by helping them reach the recommended daily servings of whole grains. We continually strive to provide consumers with a variety of delicious, wholesome choices, beginning with a whole-grain breakfast. Additionally, a nutrient-dense breakfast was recognized by the Dietary Guidelines as aiding in weight management and calorie balance. Breakfast offers a prime opportunity to include whole grains in the diet. For example, one packet of Quaker Instant Oatmeal has up to 4 grams of fiber and provides 38 grams of whole grains – over 2 servings of whole grains in just one bowl.

In addition, Quaker hopes to advance the scientific understanding and definition of a healthy breakfast as requested by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's June 2010 report. We are looking forward to collaborating with the healthcare community to broaden our knowledge in this area through research and education. Eating a healthy breakfast can be a fundamental first step in building a nutritious, total diet, and a growing body of research supports eating breakfast regularly for heart health, lower body weight and improved overall diet quality. Yet, despite the evidence showing the positive role breakfast can play in helping adults and children meet nutrition recommendations, only half consume breakfast daily.

Thus, Quaker aims to be a part of the public-health solution by closing America's whole-grain gap and alleviating America's breakfast deficit. For more than 130 years, Quaker Oats has been providing healthy, whole-grain breakfast choices for American families. In 2010 alone, Quaker brands contributed about 505 million pounds of whole grains to the American diet, an amount equal to 5.7 billion bowls of oatmeal. We are also committed to helping Americans understand the importance of breakfast in achieving a healthy lifestyle. For health tips, educational tools, and product information, Quaker invites consumers and health professionals to visit www.quakeroats.com.