We've all heard how good whole grains are for us. And if you read the post on this blog titled, “
Just What, Exactly, Is A 'Whole Grain' And Why Does It Matter?” then you know all the hype surrounding whole grains isn't made up. They're a nutrient power-house that help control weight, stabilize blood sugar, and reduce the risk of heart disease. And that's just a few of the benefits!
So how do you make whole grains part of your everyday diet? It's pretty easy. In fact, just a few simple changes to how you shop for and prepare food is all it takes to start eating more whole grains.
1) Start With Breakfast
If you enjoy cereals or bread with breakfast, make the switch to whole-grain versions. Whole-grain varieties of many popular cereals and granola are available, or you can make your own. Oatmeal is an easy, whole-grain breakfast and you can stir-in our
mBreakfast organic superfood powder to give it an extra boost. And if you like yogurt, add whole oats or a whole-grain granola for extra flavor and texture.
2) When You're Baking ...
Substitute whole grains for part of the all-purpose flour in your baked goods. White flour is made from refined and enriched grains, which simply don't have the nutrients or health benefits of whole grains. In most recipes, you can substitute 1/2 the white flour with whole-wheat flour. And if you want more grain variety, replace up to 1/3 of the flour with oats or up to 1/5 with another whole-grain flour like sorghum. And click
here to explore some more whole-grain recipes.
3) Change-Up Your Recipes
You can add whole grains
to many of your go-to recipes. Try adding a grain like barley, rye and spelt berries, or brown rice to vegetable soups. Add brown rice, cracked bulgar, or barley to stuffings. Use whole-grain crumbs when breading meat. Put in 3/4 cup of uncooked oats for each pound of ground meat when making meatballs, burgers, or meatloaf. Sprinkle cooked wheat berries, spelt, farro, or amaranth over your salads. Mix
spouted black rice powder into soups, casseroles, and baked meals.
4) Look At Labels
Adding whole grains to your diet can be as simple as changing some of the foods you buy. If you're buying pasta, choose ones that say they're made with 100% whole grains. Same for bread and other grain-based products. Be sure to
read the ingredients list looking for grains described as “whole” rather than just looking at the package. Some foods that are not whole grain products have misleading labels like “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” or “bran.”
Just a few easy changes are all it takes to fill your diet with healthy whole grains. You can keep buying a lot of the same types of food and making the same recipes with just a few changes to add whole grains and replace refined grains. That'll make your diet a whole lot healthier. And you might even find you like the taste better.
