Cooking with Whole Grains

Before we start the cooking let’s look at what a grain is. A whole grain is a cereal grain that contains the bran (the outer layer), the germ which is the innermost part of the grain) and endosperm (the largest part in between). With 100% whole grains the outer bran and germ layers remain to contain the endosperm which is inside and is the starchy part of the grain. The outer layer makes it take longer to digest and the endosperm keeps you feeling fuller longer because it takes longer for the starch to turn into sugar for your body to use.

Grains can be divided up into two groups:

Whole Grains Refined Grains

natural state has been processed

purchased from bins or prepackaged prepackaged or in a product

brown to black depending on how much processing
Usually white

great source of fiber and vitamins only if vitamins have been added very small amount of
Fiber or if the bran has been added back

are dry and can be found on grocery can be prepacked in the dry food isle or in other parts
shelf or in bins of store in other products

entire grain have been processed parts of the grain removed
Such as the outer part called the bran and/or the
The germ which provides the nutrition

sometimes manufacturer will put vitamins and minerals
Back into product will be called “enriched”

rough texture finer texture

There are many different types of whole grains, some are ancient grains and others are newer. Whole grains have been grown all over the world.

Whole Grains include:

Amaranth Oat
Barley Quinoa
Brown Rice Rye
Buckwheat Sorghum
Chia Spelt aka fitches
Farro / Emmer Teff
Flaxseed Triticale
Freekah Wheat Berries
Grano
Kamut® Grain
Kaniwa
Millet
Muesli

I will have a blog on each of these along with recipes following this blog.

Always look on the ingredients list to make sure that these grains are 100% whole grains. Some whole grains have been enriched with vitamins and minerals; however, most do not need additional nutrition.

Most whole grains include:

• dietary fiber
• thiamine
• riboflavin
• niacin
• folate
• iron
• magnesium
• selenium

Whole grains have health benefits which differ depending on which grain you are eating.
Providing 100% whole grains as part of your diet can help:
• reduce your risk for heart disease
• reduce your risk for diabetes
• improve your overall digestion and reduce the chance of constipation
• provide a feeling of fullness that helps prevent overeating
• lower cholesterol in your blood stream
• vitamin Bs help the body produce energy and is important for the nervous system
• folate also helps make red blood cells
• iron helps carry the oxygen throughout the body
• magnesium and selenium help build bones and is important for a healthy immune system to fight disease
• selenium is important for a healthy immune system to fight disease

General tips on cooking with whole grains are below:
• For most grains, rinse prior to cooking to remove any debris (rolled oats are the
exception). It’s particularly important to rinse quinoa, which has a soap-like
component called saponin that can taste bitter and have a laxative effect.
To rinse, place a bowl of cold water and swish around with your fingers, refilling
the water once or twice during the process. Drain in a fine-meshed strainer.
• The instructions given for each grain are for a stovetop preparation. But you can
also use a rice pressure cooker for any whole grain instead of a pot on the burner;
just know that the cooking times and liquid ratios provided may need to be adjusted.
• To reduce cooking time for longer-cooking grains, pre-soak them for a few hours or
overnight (with the exception of quinoa, which has a batter coating that can be
absorbed if soaked; rinse quinoa briefly instead).
• Except where stirring or uncovering is suggested, don’t remove the lid while cooking
grains, as it will lengthen the steaming process.
• If you are watching your sodium intake, feel free to cook your grains in unsalted water.
Otherwise, one-fourth of a teaspoon of sea salt goes a long way (add salt when you
combine grain and water in the pot). Alternatively, try using vegetable broth as the
cooking liquid, or for a more exotic flavor, a 50/50 mixture of water and juice. You
can even add dried herbs.
• It’s generally a good idea to purchase grains in bulk, except where otherwise noted.
Some grains such as rice and oats are found at typical supermarkets, but you will
have better luck finding more obscure grains, such as teff and amaranth, at your local
natural foods store. For all grains, opt for organic varieties from the bulk bins of
health food stores whenever possible – they have higher turnover rates, which
improves the likelihood of freshness.

According to USDA My Plate recommended servings are shown in ounces or ounce equivalents, with the whole grain recommendation being ½ of the total grain amount.
2-3 year olds – 3 ounces of total grains cooked
4-8 year olds – 5 ounces of total grains cooked
9-13 year old girls – 5 ounces of total grains cooked
14-18 year old girls – 6 ounces of total grains cooked
9-13 year old boys – 6 ounces of total grains cooked
14-18 year old boys – 8 ounces of total grains cooked
19-50 year old women – 6 ounces of total grains cooked
51 + year old women – 5 ounces of total grains cooked
19-30 year old men – 8 ounces of total grains cooked
31-50 year old men – 7 ounces of total grains cooked
51 + year old men – 6 ounces of total grains cooked

What is an ounce serving? According to the USDA My Plate program an ounce of grain equals:
1 slice of white/whole wheat bread
1 small slice of French bread
½ bagel or English Muffin
1 small piece of Cornbread 2 ½ by 1 ¼
1 small biscuit
1 cup cooked rice or pasta
½ cup cooked bulgur
5 whole wheat crackers

I hope that this will help your understanding of grains. Next, I will start talking about each of the grains listed above and include recipes on using each grain.