Eat Whole Grains for a Healthy Diet
Photo by marfis75
Despite the low-carb craze, whole grains remain a vital component of a healthy diet. When you hear the term “whole grains,” do you think immediately of whole wheat? While whole wheat is a healthy and tasty grain, it is by no means the only one.
Whole grains are affordable and can be stored for a long time in their whole form. Here is a list of some of the “alternative” whole grains, their health benefits, and some suggestions on how to use them.
1. Oats
Whole oats – rolled, steel cut, or groats – make a nourishing, high-fiber, cholesterol-lowering breakfast. Oats are also anti-inflammatory, making them a good choice for those who suffer from allergies or inflammatory bowel disease.
If you want to incorporate oats into your diet in other ways, try grinding whole oats into flour (or purchasing oat flour) and adding it to baked goods. Replace 1/4 of every cup of flour called for in a recipe with oat flour.
2. Barley
This is an ancient grain. Most barley is sold as “pearled” barley, which means it has had its hull removed. It is very digestible and can be added to soups, especially beef-based soups. Barley flakes are another form of this healthy grain, and can be eaten as a hot cereal.
3. Millet
This is the only alkaline grain, making it ideal for acidic conditions of the body. Its tiny, yellow, round seeds can be used in place of rice or couscous in recipes, or cooked and enjoyed as it is. Cooked, cooled millet can be mixed with sauteed vegetables or meat and formed into croquettes.
4. Brown rice
Brown rice is the whole grain form of white rice. Brown rice is easy to digest, high in fiber and free of gluten, making it a safe choice for those on gluten-free diets. It contains the important vitamin thiamin, or B1, and enhances cognitive function.
Replace brown rice with white rice in any recipe that calls for rice, but be sure to allow for the additional cooking time required for brown rice (about 45 minutes in a saucepan; about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker).
5. Amaranth
This mustard seed-like fruit is not, botanically, a grain. Like barley, it is an ancient food, having been used by the Aztecs. It is higher in protein and calcium than milk, and it contains magnesium and silicon which enhances calcium absorption.
It is an excellent food for people who are pregnant, nursing, or otherwise engaged in activities that burn a lot of calories. It is gluten-free, but can be added to bread along with wheat flour. It makes a sticky, sweet breakfast cereal when cooked.
6. Buckwheat
Buckwheat is botanically a seed, but is considered a grain and is treated as such in foods. It is also gluten-free and high in the antioxidant vitamin E. Buckwheat groats make a satisfying breakfast cereal. Buckwheat flour can be used to make pancakes, and it can be cooked and used as a ground meat substitute in stuffed-vegetable dishes such as cabbage rolls or bell peppers.
7. Quinoa
High-protein quinoa has a nutty flavor, and is another example of an ancient grain that is botanically a seed. Quinoa is high in manganese and iron. It has to be rinsed thoroughly before cooking to remove the bitter saponins that naturally coat it. Quinoa’s volume increases four times when it is cooked, and can be used interchangeably with rice, millet, or couscous.
