Five Great Whole Grains

This month we’re highlighting five whole grains that have much to offer when it comes to nutrition and flavor. The next time you’re at the supermarket or natural foods store, look for foods made with amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur or quinoa and expand your whole-grain horizons.

Barley

The Story: Barley is one of the world’s oldest cultivated cereals. It was the chief bread plant of the Greeks and Romans. Barley arrived in America with British and Dutch colonists who used it to make beer.

Nutrition: Barley is an excellent source of both insoluble and cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Pearl barley is not technically a whole grain (as small amounts of the bran are missing), but it’s full of fiber and far healthier than a fully refined grain like white rice. Hulled barley, available at health food stores, retains more of the whole-grain nutrients but is very slow cooking. New varieties of hull-less barley are starting to become available. Like wheat and rye, barley contains gluten.

Uses: Add pearl barley to soups in place of rice or noodles for a tasty change. It’s also wonderful as pilaf or risotto. Barley flour tastes sweet and nutty; add it to your favorite quick breads to boost nutrition and flavor.

Bulgur

The Story When wheat kernels are boiled, dried, cracked, then sorted by size, the result is bulgur. Bulgur is most often made from durum wheat, but in fact almost any wheat, hard or soft, red or white, can be made into bulgur.

Nutrition One cup of prepared bulgur provides eight grams of dietary fiber, nearly one third of the recommended daily amount. Bulgur is made from wheat and therefore contains gluten.

Uses Because bulgur has been precooked, it just needs to be soaked in boiling water to plump. This makes bulgur a quick, extremely nutritious food for side dishes, pilafs or salads. Bulgur’s best-known use is in tabbouleh, the fresh herb-and-grain salad.

Quinoa

The Story: Quinoa is a high-protein grain originally cultivated in the Andes. Botanically a relative of Swiss chard and beets rather than a “true” grain, this mild grain is quickly becoming a staple in healthy diets. The United Nations has declared 2013 to be the international year of quinoa to highlight the grain’s high nutritional value and role in biodiversity.

Nutrition: Higher in protein and fiber than brown rice, quinoa is also a good source of essential amino acids and the minerals magnesium, phosphorous and iron. Quinoa contains no gluten.

Uses: Quinoa can be substituted for rice in most recipes. Whole quinoa cooks in about eight minutes, creating a light, fluffy side dish. You can substitute quinoa flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour in cake, cookie and quick bread recipes. Quinoa pastas and cereals are also available.

Amaranth

The Story: You might have amaranth growing in your flower garden. Foxtail amaranth, aka love-lies-bleeding, is just one of the dozens of species of this ancient food plant. Amaranth leaves are a common vegetable in Asia, and Amaranth seeds can be ground into flour.

Nutrition: Amaranth flour has a higher level of protein (13 percent to 14 percent) compared with most other grains. It’s also high in fiber and lysine, an essential amino acid lacking in many grains. Amaranth is gluten free.

Uses: In South America, amaranth grains are popped like corn. The flour is a popular addition to breads, muffins, crackers and pancakes. Lately amaranth flour has been turning up in dried pastas, too.

Buckwheat

The Story: Buckwheat is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb, not a cereal grain. It was probably first cultivated in Southeast Asia around 6000 B.C. The plant grows best in poor soils — too much fertilizer reduces crop yields. Russian immigrants introduced buckwheat to the U.S. as kasha or toasted buckwheat groats.

Nutrition: Buckwheat is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Buckwheat contains an antioxidant called rutin, which may help improve circulation and lower LDL cholesterol levels. Buckwheat contains no gluten.

Uses: Buckwheat has a unique, assertive flavor that is great in both quick and yeast breads. Japanese soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour as are French savory galettes. Buckwheat pancakes with blueberries are a breakfast classic in diners across the U.S.

Source:  http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/