Where to Buy Whole Grains ( and Pseudograins ) Online in 2024

Introduction

This post includes a free PDF download with 73 online U.S. sources of whole grains and pseudograins as of 2024.

You can jump ahead to get the FREE PDF download here.

How This List Came About

A few years ago, after we got married, my husband announced that he was giving up sugar and refined flours.

Having grown up for many years on daily French baguettes, I could not imagine life without bread.

Consequently, I started on a quest to find flavorful whole grain equivalents of the classic grain products I was used to.

Initially, the focus was on whole wheat and my first blog post for this site was strictly focused on sources of whole wheat.

But as I discovered the incredible flavor variety of whole wheat, I started to become curious about other whole grains as well.

It also helped that along the way, we switched to a whole-food, plant-based diet and my husband lost 30+ pounds.

To delve deeper into each type of whole grain and their versatility, I started a whole grains 101 series last January.

The whole grains 101 series is in its second year and it is likely that it will take until the first quarter of 2025 to cover the majority of grains and pseudograins.

In the meantime, the more I researched each individual grain, the more online vendors I found – 73 to be exact.

Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to update the list I provided last year.

But first, a few broad definition of terms are included below in case you are new to whole grains.

What are grains?

Grains are starch rich seeds of plants in the (cereal) grass family.

True grains include wheat, einkorn, emmer, durum, spelt, triticale, khorasan (Kamut), Kernza, corn, rice, rye, oats, barley and millet.

What Makes a Grain Whole?

A grain product is considered whole when all three components of the original grain remain: the fibrous mineral rich outer layer (bran), the starchy, protein rich inner part (endosperm) and the smaller, oil rich germ as shown in image below about whole wheat.

What Makes a Grain Refined?

Typically a refined grain product refers to a product which only contains one part of the grain such as the starchy inner part used to make white flour.

Refined grain products are usually considered less nutritious and they are higher on the glycemic index because they lack the precious fiber that helps in slowing digestion.

Pseudograins Defined

Pseudograins are starch rich seeds of plants that are not part of the grass family.

Generally pseudograins have in common the fact that they can be used in ways similar to grains.

For example, pseudograins can be ground into flour to make a variety of baked goods.

Gluten Defined

Gluten refers to a group of proteins found in a subset of grains, namely wheat, einkorn, emmer, durum, spelt, khorasan (Kamut), Kernza, triticale, barley and rye.

People with celiac disease are said to be gluten intolerant.

Many other people may not have celiac disease but consider themselves to be gluten sensitive.

Because gluten refers to a group of proteins, in practice, some people have found that they tolerate well some subsets of gluten proteins and not others.

For example the gluten in einkorn, which is in the wheat family, seems to be better tolerated by many individuals with gluten sensitivity.

Some believe that it is not the gluten but rather the glyphosate used in drying the grains that may be causing an immune response.

Note: If you have celiac disease, please be aware that some gluten free products, such as oats, are often processed in facilities where gluten products, such as wheat, are also processed. There is a gluten free certification that exists to guarantee the gluten free status of the processing facility.

Heirloom and Ancient Grains

Some people believe it is modern plant breeding practices that are the cause of gluten sensitivity and therefore they prefer to consume grains whose genetics predate the green revolution of the 1960s.

These types of grains are typically referred to as heirloom grains.

Heirloom grains were bred for flavor as well a yield.

Because of the increasing interest in heirloom grains, many farmers are now growing these tasty older varieties.

Some people consider the term ancient grains to be synonymous with heirloom grains.

There are in fact many layers of nuances and an entire post dedicated to this topic can be found here.

The Gluten-Free Grain Revival

Whatever a person’s reasons for being gluten-free, a positive side benefit is that there is now a growing interest in many lesser known gluten-free grains.

This is an opportunity to diversify our diets and explore a range of new flavors and textures.

Get the FREE PDF Download Here

Fill out the form below to get immediate access to the FREE 2024 list of whole grain and pseudograin vendors.

What the FREE PDF Download Contains

The PDF download covers all the following grains and pseudograins:

• Amaranth (gluten-free)
• Barley
• Buckwheat (gluten-free)
• Chia (gluten-free)
• Corn (gluten-free)
• Durum
• Einkorn
• Fonio (gluten-free)
• Emmer (aka-farro)
• Kamut (aka-khorasan)
• Kaniwa (gluten-free)
• Kernza
• Millet (gluten-free)
• Oats (gluten-free)
• Quinoa (gluten free)
• Rice (gluten-free)
• Rye
• Sorghum (gluten-free)
• Spelt
• Teff (gluten-free)
• Triticale
• Wheat
• Wild Rice (gluten free)

Most Economical Way to Buy Whole Grains

You will notice that the U.S. state is included in the PDF list because shipping costs often account for half the price of the whole grains.

Therefore, finding a source of whole grains in a state closer to your home usually is more economical.

Other Factors to Consider – Truck Deliveries

There are several online vendors that have monthly truck routes delivering to retail consumers in many states.

If you live in an area close to truck drop off location, this is often a very economical option because the shipping costs are significantly reduced.

This is also a great option when you are buying food in bulk, particularly organic food.

These vendors sell much more than whole grains as they have an assortment of home appliances and garden products as well.

The three main vendors I am aware of are:

Azure

Azure is an affiliate partner based in Oregon that specializes in bulk organic foods and has truck routes that cover the entire continental Unites States as well as Alaska.

A drop off point is in my city recently and I have been buying from them for a few years.

Azure is an excellent bulk grains provider and a great resource for anyone looking to buy bulk organic food at a competitive price.

Country Life Natural Foods

Country Life Natural Foods, another affiliate partner base in Michigan, has truck routes in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin & Minnesota.

I have ordered many bulk items from Country Life Natural Foods and they are another competitive and quality resource for bulk foods.

Bread Beckers

Georgia based Bread Beckers makes truck deliveries to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Bread Beckers is owned by Sue Becker, the author of The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book.

Other Factors to Consider – Sprouting Grains

If you are interested in smaller quantities of grains for sprouting, you certainly can buy from the vendors included in the list.

Usually, specifications for sproutable grains will be more stringent and you may prefer to use a specialty sprouting resource such as Trueleaf market, an affiliate partner.

Other Factors to Consider – Food Storage Containers

Most grain vendors will mail you grains in special shorter term packaging and you will need to transfer to your own grain storage containers.

An in depth post on how to store whole grains can be found here.

Several vendors do include the option to ship the grains in 5 gallon buckets or other longer term storage containers.

For example, Pleasant Hill Grain, an affiliate partner based in Nebraska, offers its grains in 6 gallon bucket “superpails”.

Pleasant Hill Grain is also an excellent resource for top of the line baking equipment.

What Is Not Included in the PDF List

Because the focus of the list is on the whole form of the grain, there are a few less common grain products that are not included in the PDF file.

Bulgur

Bulgur is a whole grain product made from either durum or Kamut, as detailed further in this post.

It can be found on Amazon.

Couscous

Whole grain couscous is also a whole grain product from either durum or Kamut.

Couscous is commonly available in most urban supermarkets and it can also be found on Amazon.

Freekeh

Freekeh is unripe wheat (typically durum) that has been roasted on the stalk prior to harvesting.

Making freekeh is a North African and Middle Eeastern practice.

In the United States, freekeh is very rare and can be purchased on Amazon or from Marsh Hen Hill.

Gruenkern

Gruenkern is unripe wheat (typically spelt) that has been harvested and then slow dehydrated over a fire and described in this post.

Making gruenkern is a German practice.

I was only able to find gruenkern through Amazon.

Job’s Tears

Job’s tears is a type of small grain, grouped among the millets, that is more commonly grown in Asia.

The easiest way to find Job’s tears is on Amazon or possibly in an Asian grocery store.

Other Benefits of the Grain Vendor List

Many of the vendors listed offer more than whole grains on their site.

In most cases, recipes are included for the products they sell as well as a lot of background history on the grains they produce.

For instance, Anson Mills includes very extensive historical information about southern foodways and their page about corn is particularly interesting for anyone who might be a corn grits aficionado.

In addition, many millers offer tours of their facilities, classes (online and in person) and other grain related events.

For example, Maine Grains hosts an annual Kneading Conference and Artisan Bread Fair in Skowhegan, Maine each July.

Conclusion

I hope this list of whole grain vendors is useful to you and expands your knowledge of all things whole grains.

Wishing you a grainlicious experience!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclaimer for more information.