ABSTRACT
Objective: To estimate current consumption of whole grains in college students and determine whether
there would be an increase in whole-grain consumption after the students completed an interactive
introductory nutrition course focusing on disease prevention.
Methods: Eighty college students, 18–24 years old, participated in the study. Grain and whole-grain consumption,
whole-grain food sources, and energy intake were measured before and after the nutrition
course. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed.
Results: After the study, whole-grain intake significantly increased from 0.37 ounces (oz) to 1.16 oz
(P < .001), whereas total grain intake remained the same (3.07 oz). The number of whole-grain food
sources increased from 7 to 11 food items after the intervention.
Conclusions and Implications: A general nutrition course can be used as an avenue to increase wholegrain
intake by college students.