April 2nd is Whole Grain Sampling Day

What if there were one day when, everywhere you went, there were opportunities to try delicious whole grain foods?

You'd stop into the cafeteria at your workplace, and you'd be offered a taste of quinoa salad. You'd visit the supermarket, and one of those friendly sampling ladies would ask if you'd like to try a new whole grain pretzel. Your teenager would duck into a quick-serve restaurant, and they'd ask, "Would you like that on a whole grain wrap, instead of the usual bun?" In the park downtown, a food company would be passing out granola bars to joggers. At dinner, as you serve whole grain pasta to your family, your fourth-grader would report about the whole grain pizza in her school lunch.

That's what happens every year on the first Wednesday in April, when the Whole Grains Council holds its annual Whole Grain Sampling Day.  Our goal is to have people everywhere saying, "That was great! Where have you been all my life?" 

According to a 2009 survey by Kellogg's, 36% of consumers said "because I enjoy the taste" when asked for their reasons for eating more whole grains.  That's up considerably from a 2006 Harris Interactive survey where 13% cited taste as a purchase motivator. You've come a long way, whole grains. Today, most people have only to try a new whole grain to realize they like it.