What are the nutritional characteristics of cereal?

Cereals are the seeds of Gramineae plants. China people eat mainly wheat and rice, followed by corn, sorghum, millet and naked oats, which are called miscellaneous grains. Grain is the staple food on people's table, which provides most energy for people's daily activities. It has the following nutritional characteristics.

(1) High carbohydrate content: Grains are rich in carbohydrates and are the main source of heat energy needed by human body. 60% ~ 80% of China residents' daily calorie intake comes from cereals.

(2) The quality of protein is poor: Because most cereals contain low amino acids (especially lysine), although adults can take cereals as the main source of protein (50% ~ 70% of China residents), developing children must supplement better protein from other foods.

(3) Low fat content: Except rice and wheat germ are excellent sources of unsaturated fatty acids, most cereals have low fat content.

(4) Low dietary fiber content: milling reduces the dietary fiber content of grains, making them easier to digest, but reducing satiety.

(5) Minerals are not easily absorbed: there are a lot of phosphorus in grains, and phosphorus often exists in the form of unusable inositol hexaphosphate, which is combined with calcium, iron and zinc and cannot be absorbed by human body.

(6) Loss of nutrients due to processing: Because the minerals and vitamins contained outside the grain are higher than those contained inside, the more peeled (i.e., whiter) during milling, the more nutrients such as minerals and vitamins are lost.