Whole grain and pulse nutrition consumers trust

Ingredients that power great tasting, cleaner eating

What cleaner eating means to consumers—and your brand

Consumers are eating cleaner, seeking out products with fewer, more recognizable ingredients¹. But what does “cleaner eating” mean for consumers—and for your products? It’s a constantly moving target, with no official definition. But according to Harvard Health, most agree that cleaner eating involves “choosing whole foods and foods in their less processed states—choosing from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pulses (beans, lentils, and peas), …. and when choosing packaged foods with a label, foods with shorter ingredient lists.”²

Even with the ambiguity around it, the projected growth in cleaner eating over the next year is +62 percent³, making strategies for implementing it into operations a top priority for food brands and manufacturers. If you’re looking to simplify your labels and lean into the power of whole grains and pulses, Ardent Mills is here to help you adjust formulations to meet the growing demand.

Whole grains and pulses can mean multiple benefits for your brand

Today’s consumers are seeking out multiple benefits from the foods they eat. This new mindset is known as benefit stacking, and whole grains and pulses are a smart way to give consumers more of the nutrition they’re prioritizing. Despite a clear-cut, singular definition, consumers see cleaner labels as one of those sought-after benefits when making product or ingredient purchases. The key phrases they associate with the term are recognizable ingredients, minimal treatments, organic and non-GMO.³ And depending on the ingredient, whole grains and pulses have the ability to deliver on all of these.

By the numbers: A look at how consumers connect whole grains and cleaner eating

Consumers associate whole grains and pulses with cleaner eating, meaning the more you add to your formulations, the higher your chances your products can win at that moment of purchase with consumers seeking out ways to eat cleaner.

Whole ingredients that fit consumer cleaner eating priorities

Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of consumers agree that grains and pulses can play a positive role in clean label eating.¹ At Ardent Mills, we have the trusted ingredients to help you address today's cleaner eating demands for minimal treatments, recognizable ingredients, organic, non-GMO and minimally processed options—so you can stay ahead of the trends and stack the benefits in your favor.

The right partner for solving your cleaner eating challenges

To deliver on cleaner eating priorities, ingredient lists must be simple. Grains and pulses are smart solutions for creating simpler labels, but reformulating with fewer ingredients can be challenging if it means sacrificing functionality. At Ardent Mills, our ingredient experts work to strike the right balance between top-level performance, great taste and freshness.

We’ll provide the insights and manufacturing knowledge to support your clean-label goals, allowing you to help your customers better understand what’s in your products and how they align with their priorities.

We combine trusted, recognizable and traceable ingredients, technical expertise, regulatory readiness and scale to create our solutions—and enable brands to create cleaner eating products confidently, efficiently and at scale. When you partner with us, you’ll receive trusted, end-to-end solutions that deliver on today’s growing demand for products powered by whole grains.

Click to expand for more information

Simplified labels, recognizible ingredients

Choose from a broad portfolio of whole and intact grains and pulses, plus custom blends and Ardent Mills^®Cocoa Replace.
Regulatory readiness

Through compliant facilities and proactive support, we'll help you ensure that your products align to the ever-evolving perception of clean labels.
Integrating Non-GMO ingredients

There are no GMO grain*, grain products*, pulse or pulse products for sale or in commercial production in the United States currently, as per United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).**

*Excluding corn and soy
**Ardent Mills Non-GMO Statement

Connecting to consumer trends

Our insights and R&D experts, technical services and Innovation Centers provide ongoing, trending insights to guide your cleaner eating strategy.
Scale and consistency

With 40+ facilities, grower partnerships and the ability to serve large and emerging brands, you'll have consistent quality, supply security and support to scale to any operation, large or small.
Delivering on sustainability strategies

Ardent Mills is invested in the ingredients and solutions that can help move your sustainability strategy forward.

Let's talk whole grains and pulses

Discover how our cleaner eating ingredients can help you succeed in today's market.

Contact your sales representative today:

More ways to help you achieve clean eating success

We've compiled a list of articles and media that take a deeper look at today's trends in whole grains, with insights to help you level up your learnings:

Ardent Mills provides grain and pulse based ingredients and technical formulation support for use in a wide range of food and nutrition applications. The information provided is offered solely for your consideration, investigation, and independent verification. We do not make, review, endorse, approve, or substantiate any finished product claims. You are solely responsible for all labeling, marketing, and regulatory compliance for your products. Ardent Mills assumes no responsibility for any liability or damages arising out of or related to your finished products.

1: Ardent Mills Proprietary Analysis/Research, U.S. consumers 18+, specifics of the behavior are self-defined by the consumer

2: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/clean-eating-the-good-and-the-bad

3: Ardent Mills Proprietary Research, U.S. consumers 18+, among consumers who have at least heard of the term