Ag Minute: From Field to Flour - The Role of Illinois Mills
- Sangamon County News
- Jan 22
- 3 min read
Across the country, a new nutrition trend is gaining momentum. Protein has dominated food conversations for years, but fiber is now emerging as the next key nutrient for consumers and food producers alike. You may have heard the trending term “fibermaxxing,” which refers to the intentional effort to increase daily fiber intake in order to capture its health benefits. Unlike protein or carbohydrates, fiber can be harder to identify in everyday diets, as it is most often found in whole grains, legumes, and fruits or vegetables with their skins intact. Here in Illinois, farmers and millers are well positioned to play a growing role in supplying the fiber consumers are seeking.
The fiber craze is closely tied to the broader “Food Is Health” movement that has gained traction in recent years. Alongside the rise of GLP-1 medications and increased nutrition awareness, protein was first identified as a macronutrient in need of greater consumption, boosting demand for meat, dairy, and legumes like peanuts. Now, as Americans continue to evaluate the quality of the food they eat, fiber has become the next target. It is estimated by the NIH that only about 5 percent of Americans consume the recommended daily amount of fiber. For men ages 19 to 50, that recommendation is 38 grams per day, according to the Institute of Medicine.
A dietician at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, Candace Pumper has written about fibermaxxing and the many roles fiber plays in the diet. Increasing fiber intake is associated with improved digestion, better blood sugar control, weight management, and reduced risk of chronic disease. Within the body, fiber helps lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, increase satiety, and reduce inflammation. Diets high in fiber have been linked to lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and colorectal cancer.
Where exactly does fiber in the diet come from though? As mentioned earlier, whole grains are a great source of fiber, alongside legumes and raw fruits or vegetables with the skin left on. The National Cancer Institute has a list of foods best for consuming fiber and these are listed in the table below:
Main Meals | Fruits and Vegetables | Snacks |
Bran Muffins | Apples | Bran Snack Bars |
Bran Cereals | Berries | Granola |
Peas and Beans (Cooked, Dried or Canned) | Broccoli | Nuts |
Peanut (and other nuts) Butter | Brussel Sprouts | Popcorn |
Vegetable and Bean Soups | Corn | Seeds |
Oatmeal | Dried Fruit | Trail Mix |
Shredded Wheat Cereals | Peas | Whole Grain Crackers |
Whole Wheat Bread | Potatoes (with Skins) | |
Whole Wheat Pasta | Sweet Potatoes |
Breads and cereals particularly have very different fiber types depending on the type, making it critical for consumers to understand the nuances between whole grain products and their alternatives.
As far as milling flour and seeds to produce these high fiber products, Illinois holds more mills than some would anticipate. Across Illinois there are both large-scale commercial mills and smaller specialty mills that are gaining traction through online sales and increased national demand for organic and other niche products. Siemer Milling Co in Teutoplis produces products primarily suitable for the soft red winter wheat grown across Illinois and the Eastern Corn Belt such as cookie, doughnut, cake, and cracker flour. Ardent Mills, the largest wheat miller in the U.S., has a facility on the Mississippi River in Alton accepting wheat from across the state. In Northern Illinois lies a new ADM flour milling facility (Mendota) that can mill 30,000 hundredweights (cwts) of different wheat varieties both grown by local producers and shipped in by railcar. Looking to the specialty side, Janie’s Mill is a smaller family-owned mill that deals directly with farmers, processing wheat, corn, oats, buckwheat, rye, and ancient grains. They only process organic grains through their stone mill, and sell products grown, milled and packaged in Ashkum, Illinois. Farm 2 Flour has a similarly business model, processing Organic grains through their stone mill in Alvin, Illinois. While corn and soybeans may be the dominant crop types seen across the state, soft red winter wheat and other small grains play a role in supporting these Illinois flour mills that will be important factors in supporting the fiber demands of American consumers going forward.
Fiber continues to be an essential yet under-consumed part of the American diet. As interest grows in weight management, digestion, and overall health, whole grains will remain a cornerstone of fiber intake. Though often overshadowed by other crops, Illinois wheat producers and the mills that serve them will play an increasingly important role in delivering the nutrition consumers demand.
For more information on “Fibermaxxing” and the role that fiber plays in the diet, follow the link below;
For more information on recommended daily fiber intake, follow the link below;
