How to Eat Whole Grains - Getting Back to Our Roots
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Understand what is a whole grain.
Whole grains are exactly what the name implies. It is not part of a grain, but the whole grain. In its natural, raw form, a grain is a small round particle that grows on plants in fields. These grains include wheat, barley, rye, rice, oats, millet, corn, sorghum and more. In modern times, we have forgotten about this important staple of the human diet. You may not have heard of some of the whole grains mentioned above. Moreover, people today seem to have forgotten how to cook them. The traditions passed down through generations have been lost or abandoned. You may not have tasted some of these whole grains, much less know how to cook and eat them on a regular basis. Instead, we go out to the restaurant or store and buy pre-made foods which contain little or no whole grains. We need to get back to our roots and rediscover the basics of whole grains.
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Practice avoiding refined grains.
Most modern food products contain refined grains, a powder substance with little nutritional value. Wheat, for example, is refined by grinding and crushing it down into a powder called white flour. White flour is the most common refined grain and is found in the majority of food products, such as bread, pasta, cereal, and desserts. White flour is not only devoid of nutrients, it can also aggravate some common health problems like obesity and diabetes. Refining grains became popular in the late 19th century and spread around the world in the early 20th century, especially in highly industrialized areas. The consequences were devastating to humanity, including many nutrient deficiencies, physical diseases, cancer and mental disorders.
With a growing trend, some commercial food products claim to be made with whole grains. Yet, the whole grains are often pulverized into a powder through the refining process. A common result is whole wheat flour, which is better than white flour, but still does not provide the nutritional quality of a whole grain. Products like whole wheat bread may have actual chunks or slivers of grains, but they are still primarily made with flour.
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Choose the least processed flour.
Never choose anything made with white flour because it is completely void of any nutrients and are very high on the glycemic index. If you do eat foods like breads or pastries made with processed flour, choose those made with whole wheat flour instead of white four. Similarly, go for pasta and noodles that are made with whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Go with old fashioned, slow-cooked, whole rolled oats instead of instant oatmeal. Choose slow-cooked, long or short grain brown rice over white rice and always avoid instant white rice. For baking, experiment with whole wheat flour for breads, oat bran flour for muffins, or buckwheat flour for pancakes.
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Understand the importance of whole grains.
Why are whole grains such a big deal? Whole grains have been the staple food of humanity for hundreds of centuries in all different cultures and civilizations around the world. The staples are barley, wheat, oats and rye in Europe; Rice and millet in the Far East; Corn, amaranth and quinoa in the Americas; Buckwheat in Russia and Central Asia. Whole grains have been the foundation of society up until modern times, when we shifted our diet from whole foods and vegetables to refined and artificial foods.
One by one, cultures who adopted the modern processed and chemicalized foods have suffered outbreaks of serious illnesses and diseases. Whole grains and vegetables have been replaced by meat, dairy, flour and sugar products as the staple of our modern diet, giving rise to high cholesterol, obesity, colon, breast, prostrate cancer, heart disease and more.
By eating the foods intended by Mother Nature, humans can prevent and frequently reverse many of these modern day health problems. It is widely accepted that people should consume whole grains everyday at each meal in order to meet the necessary recommended daily values of whole grains. See the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid online with the link found in the resources section at the end of this article.
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Understand the nutritional value of whole grains.
Whole grains naturally contain the appropriate amount of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Whole grains provide more energy and lesser calories than any other food substance. A complete diet consisting of whole grains, beans, vegetables, sea plants, fruit, fish, and pure water naturally contains the appropriate amounts of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Using unrefined and organic products and avoiding chemicals, artificial ingredients and pesticides, preservatives and additives will enhance the food quality and health benefits of a proper diet. The exact numbers and type of healthy nutritional values of a whole grain diet mentioned above and other details can be found in the resources section at the end of this article.
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Learn how to cook whole grains.
The easiest way to eat whole grains is to prepare a bowl of cooked grains. For example, cook up a batch of slow-cooked brown rice then combine with steamed veggies. Or, prepare a bowl of old-fashioned, slow-cooked, whole grain oatmeal with fresh or dried fruit topping. Or, use whole wheat noodles to prepare traditional spaghetti and meatballs. As mentioned above, the type of grains and noodles is the key. Only the most nutritious and high quality whole grains should be used.
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Try a simple bowl of brown rice.
Cooking whole grains is as easy as cooking brown rice. Simply cook the grains in a pot of water or broth, following the package instructions. Also see my companion guide for preparing a simple dish of pressure-cooked brown rice. See a wide variety of other delicious recipes in the resources section at the end of this article.
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Discover the wide array of whole grains.
Learning to incorporate whole grains into your everyday diet is not an easy task. You must be willing to try new things and adopt new habits. Once you get familiar with the basics of cooking whole grains, you can venture out by trying a variety of whole grains and cooking techniques. Some whole grains include: rice, barley, millet, oats, wheat, rye, buckwheat, corn, sorghum, amaranth, quinoa, and teff. There are many fun and interesting ways to prepare whole grains, by experimenting with flavors and textures and combining them with vegetables and other foods.
Some methods of preparing brown rice include: cooked rice juice (omoyu), soft rice (kayu), rice cream, rice potage, rice with vegetables, paella, azuki rice, bean rice, rice balls, sushi, fried rice, dried cooked rice (hoshii), roasted rice and more. There are also whole oats, rolled oats, whole wheat berries, naturally fermented sourdough wheat bread, whole wheat pasta and noodles, seitan and fu (kinpira), buckwheat (kasha), buckwheat flour dumplings (sobagaki), an Italian and Southern Europe corn dish (polenta), whole corn dough (maize), deep-fried corn shells with beans and vegetables (tortillias) and more
