Whole-grain consumption in the United States is usually measured through individual dietary intake rather than household purchasing. The available food-source data still provides a useful household planning lens: food prepared at home supplied 0.52 ounce-equivalents of whole grains per 1,000 calories in 2017–18, compared with 0.19 from food obtained away from home. Across the population aged 2 and over, the national density was 0.43 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 2017–18, while the Healthy People 2030 target is 0.62.
Contents
- National whole-grain consumption over time
- Consumption by age group
- At-home and away-from-home food sources
- School food and children’s intake
- Adult differences by sex, race, and income
- Benchmarks for meal planning
National whole-grain consumption over time
USDA Economic Research Service estimates describe whole-grain density as ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories. This measure adjusts for the amount of food energy consumed, so it is not the same as a household’s weekly ounces purchased or a person’s total daily intake. It is nevertheless useful for comparing periods with different overall calorie intakes.
For people aged 2 and over, the national whole-grain density was 0.40 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 1994–98. It fell to 0.29 in 2003–04, then rose through the following periods: 0.34 in 2005–06, 0.35 in 2007–08, 0.42 in 2009–10, 0.47 in 2011–12, and 0.46 in 2013–14. The estimate reached 0.48 in 2015–16 before standing at 0.43 in 2017–18. These estimates come from USDA ERS, Trends in U.S. Whole-Grain Intakes 1994–2018.
The same USDA ERS source reported refined-grain density at 2.77 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 2017–18. For context, total grain intake averaged 3.34 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 1994–98. Whole-grain and refined-grain measures should be read as separate parts of the grain pattern, not as interchangeable measures of a household’s grocery volume.
The federal Healthy People 2030 objective lists a most recent value of 0.41 ounce-equivalents of whole grains per 1,000 calories for people aged 2 and over, for 2017–20. That value is reported by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Its period differs from the USDA ERS 2017–18 estimate, so the two figures should not be treated as duplicate readings of exactly the same interval.
Consumption by age group
Age differences are important when a household plans meals for children, working-age adults, and older adults at the same time. USDA ERS estimated that children aged 2–19 averaged 0.34 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 1994–98 and 0.33 in 2017–18. Their measured level was 0.39 in 2011–12.
Adults aged 20–64 averaged 0.35 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 1994–98, 0.42 in 2011–12, and 0.37 in 2017–18. Older adults aged 65 and over averaged 0.62 in 1994–98, 0.70 in 2011–12, and 0.56 in 2017–18. The figures indicate higher whole-grain density among older adults than among the other two age groups in each of the cited comparison periods, but they do not identify the meals or products responsible.
| Age group | 1994–98 | 2011–12 | 2017–18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children, 2–19 | 0.34 | 0.39 | 0.33 |
| Adults, 20–64 | 0.35 | 0.42 | 0.37 |
| Older adults, 65+ | 0.62 | 0.70 | 0.56 |
All figures in the table are ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories from USDA ERS. Because these are age-group averages, they do not predict the intake of every person in a household. They can, however, help meal planners recognize that one whole-grain approach may not fit every age group equally.
At-home and away-from-home food sources
Food source is the closest available measure to the household question in this evidence. USDA ERS reported that food prepared at home supplied a whole-grain density of 0.51 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 1994–98. The home-prepared estimate was 0.41 in 2003–04, 0.55 in 2009–10, 0.59 in 2011–12, and 0.52 in 2017–18.
Food obtained away from home supplied 0.17 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 1994–98, 0.14 in 2009–10, and 0.19 in 2017–18. Across the cited periods, the away-from-home density was lower than the corresponding home-prepared estimate. The source describes food origin, not the location where a household member ate the food or the amount purchased for a household.
| Food source | 1994–98 | 2009–10 | 2011–12 | 2017–18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prepared at home | 0.51 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 0.52 |
| Obtained away from home | 0.17 | 0.14 | Not reported here | 0.19 |
Source: USDA ERS, Trends in U.S. Whole-Grain Intakes 1994–2018. The home and away-from-home values are densities, so they should not be added to create a household total. For meal planning, they are best used as separate benchmarks for meals prepared in the kitchen and foods obtained elsewhere.
School food and children’s intake
School food is a distinct food-source category in the USDA ERS analysis and is especially relevant to households planning children’s breakfasts, lunches, and dinners around school schedules. Its whole-grain density was 0.18 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 1994–98 and 0.12 in 2003–04. It then reached 0.17 in 2009–10, 0.30 in 2011–12, 0.83 in 2013–14, 1.15 in 2015–16, and 1.04 in 2017–18.
The school-food series is not interchangeable with the overall child series. For example, children aged 2–19 averaged 0.33 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories overall in 2017–18, while school food had a density of 1.04 in that period. The measures have different denominators and scopes: one describes children’s overall dietary intake, while the other describes food categorized as school food.
The USDA ERS also reported that before 2012, fewer than 25% of children who ate school foods consumed whole grains as part of those foods. From 2013 to 2018, the estimated likelihood that a child eating school food consumed whole grains ranged from 0.48 to 0.58. These estimates are summarized in USDA ERS Amber Waves.
Among school-food whole-grain consumers, average intake rose from 0.51 ounce-equivalent in 1994–2010 to 1.20 ounce-equivalents in 2013–18. For the regression base group of schoolchildren who consumed whole grains from school food, conditional intake was 0.96–1.19 ounce-equivalents per day during 2013–18, compared with 0.34–0.44 per day during 1994–2010. These are conditional measures for consumers, not averages for every child.
Adult differences by sex, race, and income
CDC data provide another view by reporting whole grains as a percentage of total grains intake among U.S. adults aged 20 and over during 2013–16. Whole grains accounted for 15.8% of adults’ total grains intake on a given day. The share was 12.9% among adults aged 20–39 and 19.7% among adults aged 60 and over.
By sex, whole grains accounted for 14.8% of men’s total grains intake and 16.7% of women’s. By race and Hispanic origin, the reported shares were 11.1% among Hispanic adults, 16.5% among non-Hispanic White adults, 13.7% among non-Hispanic Black adults, and 18.3% among non-Hispanic Asian adults. These percentages describe composition of grain intake, not the percentage of meals containing a whole-grain food.
Income-related differences were also reported. Whole grains accounted for 12.0% of total grains intake among adults at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, 14.8% among adults above 130% and at or below 350%, and 17.8% among adults above 350%. Within the lowest income category, whole grains contributed 10.7% of men’s and 13.1% of women’s total grains intake. Among adults above 350% of the federal poverty level, the corresponding shares were 16.0% for men and 19.8% for women.
The CDC National Center for Health Statistics also reported that whole grains made up 12.6% of adults’ total grains intake in 2005–06 and 15.9% in 2015–16. Those years show a higher whole-grain share in the later period, but the CDC’s 2013–16 demographic estimates and its 2005–06 to 2015–16 comparison should remain identified by their separate measurement periods.
Benchmarks for meal planning
Healthy People 2030 set a national target of 0.62 ounce-equivalents of whole grains per 1,000 calories for people aged 2 and over. Its baseline was 0.46 ounce-equivalents per 1,000 calories in 2013–16, and its most recent value was 0.41 in 2017–20. The 0.62 figure is a 2030 target, not a 2026 measurement or a forecast of a particular household’s intake.
For a separate dietary benchmark, USDA ERS cited the federal recommendation for a 2,000-calorie diet as 1.5 ounce-equivalents of whole grains per 1,000 calories. The same cited Dietary Guidelines example calls for 6 ounce-equivalents of total grains per day, with at least 3 ounce-equivalents from whole grains. These recommendations are presented as benchmarks for a 2,000-calorie diet, not as a household average.
| Measure | Value | Period or status |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy People 2030 baseline | 0.46 oz-eq/1,000 calories | 2013–16 |
| Healthy People 2030 most recent value | 0.41 oz-eq/1,000 calories | 2017–20 |
| Healthy People 2030 target | 0.62 oz-eq/1,000 calories | 2030 target |
| Federal benchmark cited for a 2,000-calorie diet | 1.5 oz-eq/1,000 calories | Dietary Guidelines example cited in 2023 |
| Whole-grain portion within 6 oz-eq total grains | At least 3 oz-eq/day | Dietary Guidelines example cited in 2023 |
The Healthy People 2030 objective and USDA ERS school-food analysis use different types of benchmarks. A household can use the density figures to compare food patterns with national measurements, while the 2,000-calorie example provides a daily planning reference. Neither converts directly into a required grocery quantity without knowing the household’s calorie needs, ages, and foods eaten.