As part of its effort to challenge Americans to increase their whole grain consumption, General Mills is donating 1 million servings of whole grain cereal.   

Less than 5 percent of Americans get the recommended minimum three full daily servings of whole grain. The average is a little more than half a serving of whole grain daily.

General Mills is donating the cereal to families in need as part of the new, aggressive marketing campaign that highlights that Big G provides America with more whole grain at breakfast than any other breakfast food from any other manufacturer.

This isn’t the first time that General Mills has made such a donation.

The company in late 2009 donated 49 million bowls of whole grain cereal – a number that matched the number of people in the U.S. who struggled to get enough to eat in 2008 – or about 4.4 million boxes.

The donation was in addition to the support of 14 cents to Feeding America for every pound of weight participants pledged to lose in the Pound for Pound Challenge.

Partnership with Feeding America, Dr. Stork More broadly, General Mills is one of the top contributors of food in the United States. Last year, the company donated more than $18 million in products to Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger relief organization whose network consists of more than 200 food banks.

As part of the new whole grain campaign, General Mills also has partnered with Dr. Travis Stork, author and host of Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, “The Doctors,” to help educate Americans on the importance of whole grain and to shine a spotlight on the whole grain gap.

During the next few months, Stork will speak out on the importance of whole grain and challenge Americans to ensure that they get the recommended amount.

Whole grain provides vital nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients for a healthy diet.

Whole grains are those that contain the complete grain, including the bran, the germ and the endosperm. The health benefits of whole grain come from these three components working together naturally.

 Inside General Mills