Grains covers oats, rice (brown, white, jasmine, basmati, wild), pasta, bread, tortillas, cereals, and ancient grains (quinoa, farro, bulgur, millet). FoodScore evaluates both dry and cooked forms — cooked entries dilute nutrients with water and typically score a few points lower on a per-100g basis even though the underlying grain is identical.
The USDA DGA recommends at least half of all grain servings come from whole grains. Grains provide carbohydrates, fiber when intact, and useful amounts of iron, magnesium, and B vitamins (especially when enriched). They are a dietary staple in most cuisines but the gap between whole and refined grains is one of the largest quality differentials in the entire food supply.
Whole grains (oats, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread) consistently clear 70/100 because of fiber and micronutrients. Refined grains (white rice, white bread, white pasta) stay in the 55-70 range — not bad, but noticeably lower. Sweetened cereals and bakery items fall further because of added sugar and NOVA 4 classification.
Score distribution
Top 20 grains
ranked by FoodScore (0–100)- 0185Barilla Whole Grain SpaghettiVery good
- 0285Jovial Organic Whole Grain Einkorn PenneVery good
- 0385Jovial Organic Einkorn SpaghettiVery good
- 0485Multigrain BreadVery good
- 0585Quaker Old Fashioned OatsVery good
- 0685Quinoa DryVery good
- 0785QuinoaVery good
- 0885Rolled oats (dry)Very good
- 0985Shredded WheatVery good
- 1085Steel-cut oats (dry)Very good
- 1185Sushi Roll CaliforniaVery good
- 1285Wheat GermVery good
- 1385Whole Wheat FlourVery good
- 1484Barilla Chickpea RotiniVery good
- 1584Barilla Red Lentil RotiniVery good
- 1684QUAKER Instant Oatmeal OriginalVery good
- 1784Quaker Oats Old Fashioned OatmealVery good
- 1884Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute OatmealVery good
- 1983Brown SugarVery good
- 2083English Muffin Whole WheatVery good