The Sustainable Restaurant Association (The SRA) is on a mission to accelerate change around the world towards a hospitality sector that is socially progressive and environmentally restorative. We do this through the world’s leading sustainability certification for hospitality: the Food Made Good Standard — the only comprehensive assessment designed specifically for foodservice, helping businesses understand their impact, take action and celebrate progress.

Restaurants hold real power to shape diets that are better for both people and the planet. That’s why we support the #SwitchToWholeGrains initiative. The Food Made Good Framework is built around three areas: Sourcing (what ingredients are used and how they’re grown), Society (impact on teams, customers and communities) and Environment (effects on greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, water use and food and material waste). In Sourcing, one focus is More Plants, Better Meat — encouraging businesses to put more plants at the centre of the plate. In Society, one focus is Feed People Well — examining the nutritional profile of dishes and drinks to support healthier customers (and since healthier choices are often better for the planet too, this has a double impact).

Whole grains and ancient grains are a vital part of this shift, offering both nutritional value and climate-friendly benefits.

Whole grains are grains kept in their complete form, like brown rice, quinoa, barley and oats. Compared to refined versions, they’re more nutrient-dense, minimally processed and far less resource-intensive. They deliver better flavour, texture and slow-release energy while ranking low on greenhouse gas emissions, using less water to grow and supporting healthier soils when farmed regeneratively or organically.

Ancient grains are heritage varieties grown for centuries with little modification — millet, amaranth, teff, einkorn, spelt, khorasan. Often eaten as whole grains, their strength lies in diversity and resilience. They thrive in tough conditions, need fewer chemical inputs and adapt well to climate and disease pressures. Bringing them back into kitchens adds flavour and cultural richness while reducing over-reliance on the four crops (wheat, rice, maize and soy) that currently provide 60% of global calories — a system that weakens biodiversity and increases vulnerability.

For kitchens, whole grains aren’t a constraint — they’re a creative opportunity. They bring bigger flavour, better texture and a strong nutrition story, while staying cost-stable, batch-friendly, long-lasting — and delivering good gross profit when bought smart, for example by matching sack sizes to turnover.

With the right techniques, chefs can unlock their full potential: pre-soaking to cut cook time; fermenting overnight for tang and digestibility; toasting for nutty depth; and pressure cooking or combi-steaming for consistency and reduced water use.

Switching doesn’t mean losing the familiar. Barley makes a rich “farrotto” in place of risotto rice. Buckwheat or freekeh bring new dimensions to tabbouleh. Rye or wholegrain crumbs add crunch, millet and sorghum shine in pilafs and stuffings, and doughs for buns, pizza or pasta can be made with 30 to 60% wholemeal flour and higher hydration for depth of flavour. Whole grains can also elevate pastry (think rye chocolate tart), be turned into porridge bread using leftover oats from breakfast, or add texture as toppings like puffed grains, grain crisps or savoury granola. Why not make one high-volume side a whole-grain base year-round — warm grains dressed with vinaigrettes, broths or miso-butter are the perfect way to serve them.

This November, the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) is encouraging everyone to make simple, delicious changes through its #SwitchToWholeGrains campaign.Hospitality has a unique opportunity to lead the way, showing diners that choosing whole grains can be both flavourful, nutritional and climate-friendly.

Through the Food Made Good Standard and our wider work, The SRA helps hospitality businesses take the right steps to do better — because small changes on the plate can add up to a big shift for people and the planet. Get in touch at hello@thesra.org to learn how your business can join our growing global community of hospitality operators creating change.