Knowing Your Grains

 Whenever I come across a grain that I not really familiar with, I always say to myself, "Hmm, I wonder what that is like...".  So, here is some information that may be helpful to someone besides me :)

Amaranth

• Ancient Aztec grain with superior nutrition
• Rich in lysine & high quality protein
• 60 mg calcium per ½ cup
• Gluten-free
• Pop like popcorn
• Add to cookies or stews
• Goes well with buckwheat, millet, & brown rice

Buckwheat

• Not a grain, but a fruit seed of a rhubarb relative
• Gluten-free
• High in 8 essential amino acids
• High in calcium, vitamin E, & B vitamins
• Great substitute flour for things like pancakes
• Roasted Buckwheat known as Kasha

Bulgur Wheat

• Made by cracking parboiled whole wheat berries & drying them
• Star of the Middle Eastern dish Tabouli
• Dates back to 2800 B.C.
• Can be prepared very quickly
• Great substitute for converted rice
• Excellent as meat extender for substitute vegetarian dishes

Farro

• Has been a mainstay of Tuscany, in Northeastern Italy
• Looks like brown rice
• Has a nutty taste
• Unlike wheat, farro husk adheres to grain
• Fiber content is high
• High in vitamin A, B, C, E, magnesium, & protein
• About 90% of people allergic to hybridized wheat can tolerate farro
• In Italy used as a pasta wheat
• Needs to be special ordered

Hard White Wheat

• High in protein
• A cross between Hard Red Wheat & Soft White Wheat
• Retains good qualities of both: easily digestible, alkaline grain that makes great light bread

Hard Red Wheat

• High in protein
• Can be sprouted
• Great for bread
• A heavy, acid based grain
• Causes many people digestion problems

Kamut

• An Egyptian wheat from 4000 B.C.
• Buttery flavor, great texture, no cholesterol, & easily digestible
• Compared to wheat: 30% higher in protein, higher in eight of nine minerals, including magnesium & zinc
• Considered a “high energy grain”
• Many wheat sensititive people eat it without reaction
• Can be used in salads, soups, cereals, or ground into flour

Millet

• Gluten-free
• Alkaline & easy to digest
• Rich in lysine & a high quality protein & B vitamins
• 2/3 of worlds population depend on Millet
• Highly recommended for babies & small children
• Great rice substitute
• Excellent as meat extender for substitute vegetarian dish
• Considered to be a very versatile grain

Oat Groats

• Hulled, whole oat kernels with bran & germ intact
• High in seven B vitamins, high quality protein, & minerals
• Lowers cholesterol
• 4x the fat of wheat & a natural antioxidant
• Great for breakfast
• Combines well with rice

Pearled Barley

• Pearled means lightly milled, or refined
• Less nutritious than whole barley
• Mild flavor & chewy
• Ranges in size-the finer it is the more it has been milled and less nutritious
• Cook as a breakfast cereal or in stews & pilafs

Quinoa (Keen’wa)

• An ancient Incan grain
• High in lysine
• Contains 50% more protein than wheat
• Higher in iron, vitamins A, E, B, & phosphorus than wheat
• More calcium & fat than any other grain
• Kernels have waxy protective coating that leaves bitter taste unless thoroughly washed
• Quadruples in size upon cooking
• Use in cereals & breads

Rye

• Not very flavorful
• Caraway seeds give “Rye Bread” it’s distinctive flavor
• Low in gluten
• High in lysine, fiber, protein, phosphorus, iron, & potassium
• Has a special long chain of 5-carbon sugars which digest slowly & provide long burning energy & fullness
• Use rye in breads, pastries, cookies, pancakes, & waffles

Spelt

• Nutty Flavor
• 30% more protein than wheat
• Considerable amount of B vitamins, magnesium, & fiber
• Tolerated by many wheat sensitive people
• Easily substituted in wheatrecipes
• Use around the world for at least 5,000 years

Soft White Wheat

• Low in protein
• Low in gluten
• Used in making pastries
• Easier to digest than Hard Red Wheat

Sweet Brown Rice

• A short grained brown or white rice
• High in carbohydrates
• Cooks up very sticky
• Also called glutinous rice, but it contains no gluten
• Delicious in puddings & Asian type desserts

Teff

• Smallest grain in world
• Name literally means: “lost”
• Gluten-free
• Rich source of minerals: Calcium, boron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, & zinc
• The “rice & wheat” of Ethiopia for years
• Can be used alone hidden in salads or added to any dough

Triticale

• First human-engineered grain in history
• A cross between rye & wheat
• High in protein, lysine, & some B vitamins
• Low in gluten
• Use the same as soft white wheat
• Use in soups, cakes, breads, pancakes, & waffles

Whole Barley

• Contains germ, bran, & endosperm
• Higher in protein, potassium & calcium than pearled barley
• Expands 4x its dry size
• Very satisfying comfort food
• One of the richest sources of soluble & insoluble fiber
• Was the staple of Roman gladiators

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