Cereals harvested and manufactured in Umbria
Cereals, grains or cereal grains, are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds the endocarp, germ and bran. Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop. In their natural form (as in whole grain), they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and oils, and protein. However, when refined by the removal of the bran and germ, the remaining endocarp is mostly carbohydrate and lacks the majority of the other nutrients. In some developing nations, grain in the form of rice, wheat, or maize constitutes a majority of daily sustenance. In developed nations, cereal consumption is more moderate and varied but still substantial. These cereal grains are used to make foods like breakfast cereals, bread, pasta and noodles as wella as alcholic beverage like beer and whisky.