How to add different grains into your diet

 

What did you eat for breakfast..... toast? cereal?

How about lunch.... a sandwich?

And for dinner did it include potatoes or pasta?

Now take a look and see what is in common here...yep there seems to be an overload in 'refined wheat' or lack of wholegrains. 

Wholegrains are commonly overlooked in our diets today but with so many great alternatives now out there it is hard to work out why.  I don't suffer from gluten intolerance but can notice a difference in my digestion and energy levels when I steer away from refined wheat products.

Apart from oats, rice and corn, other grains to consider are:

+ Barley

Highest in fibre of all the wholegrains.  As barley has an inedible outer hull, the most popular way to buy it is pearled.  This can lower the bran content due to it's harshness on the grain so eating hulled barley (the outer husk is carefully removed) or hull less barley are better options. Oprah loves barley for breakfast or try this barley salad with feta and pinenuts

+ Quinoa (keen-wa)

Not technically a grain, quinoa is a relative to beetroot and spinach.  The seed is grown on magenta stalks and there are 120 different varieties ranging in colour.  Quinoa flakes, flour and puffs are becoming increasingly available at health food stores and is one of the only plants foods to boast being a complete protein. See more health benefits and a recipe for a yummy salad .

+ Spelt

Spelt is a distant relative to wheat and although it does still contain gluten, it doesn't seem to cause sensitivities in many people who are intolerant of wheat. Due to spelt's high water solubility, the grain can be absorbed quickly into the body and easily digested.  Spelt contains more protein, fats and crude fibre than wheat.  Try these Oatmeal, spelt and honey scones

 

+ Buckwheat

Buckwheat contains no gluten and can consequently be eaten by people with coeliac disease or

gluten allergies. It's a cousin of rhubarb and not technically a grain at all – and certainly not a kind of wheat.  Found most commonly in Japanese soba noodles, buckwheat is the only grain known to have high levels of an antioxidant called rutin. How good do these choco crunchy, munchy buckwheat treats sound?

+ Amaranth

Is actually a highly nutritious seed but referred to as a grain  . A gluten free food, amaranth is also easily digested, and around 8 x more iron than wheat.  The protein (a whopping 14%) in amaranth is referred to as “complete” because it contains lysine, an amino acid missing or negligible in many grains.  Here's how you can make some amaranth clusters

 

So next time your out and near a health food store be sure to keep a look out, there are some great recipes out there waiting to be tried!

 

Do you regularly fill up on 'super' grains?