With the low carbohydrate diets being all the rage right now, there are some important nutrients that are being missed because people are mistakenly cutting out all forms of carbohydrates. It's good that people are finally learning the evils of white bread, white flour products, and processed foods, because those type products do nothing for your health. Why process an apple to make apple sauce and in that process strip away all the important nutrients and then fortify it by adding them back again.

Unfortunately, with all this carb-cutting, people have ignored some of the most important and nutritious foods for your body, which are the great grains. People have a general lack of knowledge of the grains, which is the earth's natural food that has sustained millions of people since time began.

Here you will find a brief listing of the grains and what they are good for. Keep in mind the nutrional pyramid states that you should be consuming at least 6 to 11 servings of grains a day. These should not be processed foods such as an oat muffin or white bread products but instead, if you choose grains it not only gives you the fiber you need, but it will fill you up and help you to loose unwanted pounds.

Other benefits are lowered blood pressure and cholesterol and sustained energy. Keep in mind also that if you are just starting to add whole foods to your diet in the form of grains, start slowly and drink plenty of water; as the fiber in the grains will bulk up your stool and help with constipation.

There are so many types of grains available to us today in a variety of forms such as kernels, powders, and seeds for example. Grains vary in cooking time and methods so be sure to follow the package directions. If you buy them in bulk, which is in most cases cheaper, ask the store personnel for cooking instructions.

Starting with:

Amaranth
Once a food of the Aztec Indians in Mexico, it's golden in color, and resembles a poppy seed, with an occasional dark seed. It's good for adding iron to your diet as well as phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Its nutritional value is greatly enhanced when combined with wheat, corn, or legumes. I like adding it into soups as well.

Barley
It's one of the most widely used grains. Who can resist a pot of beef and barely soup, right? But the most common use for barley is for brewing beer. Pearl barely is the most common available for eating, and has the hull, and most of the bran and some of the germ removed (this shortens cooking time). It contains vitamins B3, B1, and potassium, (which lowers blood pressure). It's also a good source of protein. A typical serving has the same amount of protein as a glass of milk but without all the fat and cholesterol.

Buckwheat
The kernel is best known as groats, which are hulled seeds of the buckwheat plant. A little known fact is that buckwheat is technically a fruit. The most popular form of groats are roasted and known as kasha; Buckwheat contains phosphorus, iron, potassium, vitamin E, and the B vitamins.

Keep in mind, buckwheat has a strong flavor. Buckwheat is also available in flour, which is used mainly in making pasta, pancakes, and muffins and breads. Kasha (roasted) generally goes well with pork, beef, duck, liver or lamb. The unroasted is usually good with veal or fish. It also goes well in soups.

Corn
(Because most people are familiar with corn, much detail will not be given for it). Most people consider corn a vegetable but it's actually a grain. Corn is naturally sweet and crunchy and is processed a lot to make cornmeal. Corn alone is not a complete protein but when combined with dairy or eggs or legumes it then becomes a complete protein.

Flaxseed
Flaxseed is a small brown teardrop-shaped seed used in cereals and bread products. Many people use this as a fiber aid. Because its use is limited, not much is known about its nutritional value.

Millet
Millet is a small yellow seed that looks like the mustard seed. It is usually added to baked goods or side dishes such as pilaf. It has a chewy texture and tastes like brown rice; I usually add millet to my soups in place of brown rice. It provides B vitamins, phosphorus, iron and manganese and a trace of cooper. If you own a bird then I'm sure you have heard of millet because it is used in bird seed (It's sad that birds and cattle get more grains than humans tend to consume).

Oats
Better known to most as oatmeal; but oatmeal is actually steamed and flattened groats (the hulled oat kernel) oats are high in fiber and very filling, they also have vitamin B1, phosphors, and magnesium. Some like oats in their meat loaves, pancakes and of course cookies.

Oat bran
It's the broken husks of the oat kernels and is more easily digested than wheat bran. Some eat it as hot cereal or in the form of flakes for breakfast; it's also good in baked goods and an excellent source of soluble fiber.

Quinoa (keen-wa)
This is my personal favorite grain. It was once the staple of Inca Indians in Peru. It is a small grain with a soft crunch and can be used in subustion for rice in any dish; I love it in chicken and veggie soup. Keep in mind to rinse this grain well to remove the bitter taste. It provides the B vitamins calcium, iron, phosphorus and it's a complete protein.

Brown rice
Its unpolished white rice, meaning the outer hull has been removed but the germ and bran are still in tact. It doesn't taste like the more popular counterpart, white rice, as it has a nutty flavor and is chewier; it also has more fiber and vitamin B1. I usually make soups and stews using brown rice and when introducing it to my family, I mixed it in small portions with white rice and gradually increased the amount until now they can eat it without the white rice being added. Like white rice, brown rice is very versatile.

Wild rice
It's one of the newer grains and grown in Northern America. Its best mixed with other types of rice and grains as it is expensive. It's good in soups and quick breads, and it contains fiber, B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium.

Rye
A dark earthy flavored grain, known mostly in the form of rye and pumpernickel breads. Rye groats are usually eaten as a cereal or baked in casseroles and pilafs and it's very similar in nutritional value to wheat. It's most often ground into flour which is usually labeled light or dark.

Teff
I have to confess that I don't know too much about this grain, and have never cooked with it before, although I have eaten it in a dish at a friend's home. It's originally a grain of Ethiopia. I can state that it is reddish brown seed that is the smallest of all grains, when it's cooked it has the consistency of stiff cornmeal mush; it's a complex crab and has iron and fiber. It's usually mixed with legumes in native dishes. The most widely use of this grain is for sour tasting bread called injera.

Triticale (trit-i-KAY-lee)
This is a hybrid of wheat and rye that contains more protein than either one alone. It resembles wheat berries except they are larger, most common uses are in baked goods (cakes and muffins) and breads. It's available in whole grain berries or groats, also as a flour.

Wheat:
There are so many different types of wheat products; I've touched on a few here because they are not as widely known as other wheat products such as wheat flour and wheat pasta.

Wheat Berries
Are the hulled whole grain wheat kernels that still have the bran and germ. Cooked wheat berries can be used like rice in salads and side dishes. It provides B vitamins, vitamin E, and complex carbs. By combining wheat with legumes and or dairy makes this a complete protein. The most common type of wheat berries are found in breads and baked goods.

Wheat Bran
It's the outer layer of the wheat berry, and is very tough. It's available unprocessed in raw or toasted form, which makes it easier to chew. Recently wheat bran has become widely used. I like wheat bran cereal which is high in fiber and B vitamins as well.

Wheat Bulgar
Is whole wheat that has been cooked, dried and then broken into coarse fragments. It's different than cracked wheat because it is precooked, it provides phosphorus and potassium and iron and B1 and B2 vitamins. Because it's precooked, it needs to be handled and cooked differently than cracked wheat.

Cracked Wheat
Is whole wheat kernels that have been dried and cracked by coarse milling, it contains the same nutritional value as Bulgar. Keep in mind this grain has not been precooked and should not be cooked like Bulgar. It's mainly used in cereals, casseroles, and soups and in meatloaf as an extender or filler.

Wheat Germ
Is the flaked embryo of the berry, its high in oil and usually toasted to extend its shelf life. It's nutty in flavor and is usually sprinkled over cereal and used it baked goods. It's also used in candies, cakes and cookies and other desserts. It is a good source of vitamins B1 B2 and B3, potassium and zinc. Keep in mind that once opened that it should be refrigerated as it will turn rancid quickly at room temperature.

A good way to start using grains is in soups and casseroles, just a little at a time until you are more comfortable with using them. Grains are a natural food from the earth and when combined with beans (such as brown rice and beans) make a compete protein.

© 2004 by Shawn Hamilton