Whole
grains are good tasting and good for you. We're not talking your
grandma's porridge here, but snappy ways to get heart and bowel
healthy grains into your diet.
It's
easy to add inexpensive, fiber-rich whole grains to meals and
sneak them into your favorite recipes.
For
more reasons to get whole grains into your diet, check out the
"Does Your Poop Float" article
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Look
for "whole grain" on labels to be sure you're not buying
white flower with caramel coloring
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Barley
and brown rice take 45 minutes to cook, so make extra and freeze in
portion sizes.
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Pressure
cookers can cut cooking time in half. Try 35-45 minutes for
wheat berries; 16 for pearl barley; 20 for pot barley; 30 for brown
rice; 35 for spelt.
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Microwave
rolled oats for a quick and filling breakfast.
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Substitute
whole-wheat flour or barley flour for half the white flour in
recipes for cookies, muffins, quick-breads, and pancakes.
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Add
1/2 cup of cooked bulgur, wild rice or barley to bread stuffing for
roast poultry or stuffed rolled roasts of pork or lamb.
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Add
rolled oats to meatballs and meatloaf (gives a wonderfully smooth
texture to the meat), and use them in toppings for fruit crisps,
macaroni and cheese, etc.
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Use
whole grain pita bread or tortillas as a pizza base.
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Serve
bulgur, barley or brown rice cooked in broth as a side dish instead
of white rice. Bulgur cooks in only 12 minutes!
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Add
1/2 cup of cooked wheat or rye berries, wild rice, brown rice, or
barley to soups.
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Coat
chicken fingers and top macaroni and cheese with toasted whole-wheat
breadcrumbs. Make whole-wheat croutons.
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Make
risotto and pilaf with barley, brown rice, bulgur, millet, or
quinoa. Mushrooms and thyme complement grains wonderfully.
Canned and tetra-pak broths are handy to cook whole grains in to add
a rich flavor.
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Toss
together a grain salad with cooked bulgur or barley and couscous or
wheat berries. It's great for a lunch and will last a week in
the fridge.
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Try
locally made whole-grain breads and rolls.
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Plain
popcorn makes a healthy whole-grain snack, or zing it up with a
light spray of olive oil and your favorite spices.
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Experiment
with whole wheat, quinoa or spelt pastas and baked goods.
