Whether sipping on iced beverages, or enjoying weekends at the pool and beach, August is full of reminders that water is a cherished resource.

Did you know that it takes over twenty times as much water to produce one food calorie from beef as it does to produce one calorie of grains? Reduce your contribution to drought by making hardy whole grains the foundation of your meals. Many lesser-known whole grains (like teff and millet) are especially tolerant to extreme weather,  compared to more common crops. To learn more about the water footprint of different foods, check out our full blog post.

Grain based meals don't have to be served piping hot. Cool off this summer with Chilled Avocado and Red Quinoa Soup (featured below) or a cold bowl of whole grain cereal, or re purpose leftovers into a chilled grain salad (perfect for both summer picnics and school lunchboxes).

For resources to help plan & promote a Whole Grains Month event, contact Kelly Toups at [email protected].

A July 2015 study in the British Journal of Nutrition adds to the growing body of evidence that whole grains are linked with longer lives!

To learn more about the study, and other related research on whole grains and longevity, see here.

Think that early humans just ate meat and berries? Think again! New research shows that carbohydrates (like whole grains) were important to our brain development millions of years ago. Click here to learn more.

Yellow Squash Stuffed with Saffron Rye Berries