We are often guided to include whole grains in our diet by health experts, but we have limited knowledge about whole grains and the various healthy and tasty recipes that can be prepared using whole grains. In fact, we do not know about all the whole grains that are available to us! The term whole grain normally reminds us about brown rice and brown bread! And most of us do not like to include these items in our diet instantly.
Whole grains are rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, magneisum and copper. They can help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer (cancers of stomach, colon, oral cavity, larynx, pharynx and esophagus). Yet, many people don't eat enough whole grains because of the perception that whole grains or products made from whole grains don't taste good. And many people who think that they are already eating wholegrain, are actually falling for products with terms like '100% wheat', 'organic', 'multigrain' etc. on the packaging. But none of these terms actually indicates the product is wholegrain. Instead, you should look for the word 'whole' preceding the grain (such as 'whole wheat flour') in the ingredients list. As the ingredients are listed in order of predominance by weight, the whole grain should be the first in the list.
First of all, you should know the wholegrain choices available to you apart from brown bread and brown rice. The list goes this way:
- Wild Rice
- Wholegrain Corn
- Oatmeal
- Wholegrain Barley
- Quinoa
- 100% Whole Wheat Flour
- Popcorn (without the salt, butter or cheese)
- Whole Rye
- Triticale
- Millet
- Sorghum
- Buckwheat
- Cracked Wheat
We often denounce the idea of having brown foods with the "grainy" taste! And we are not ready to compromise on the taste and flavor of food! This has led to an increase in the wholegrain options. Newly reformulated wholegrain products have hit the market. These products are making use of lighter whole wheat. Whole wheat products are nowadays made to look or taste like white flour by the deployment of newer processing techniques. These white wholegrain products are great options to increase the intake of whole grains in your diet.
How can You Include More Whole Grains in Your Diet?
As whole grains have a different taste, it takes time to retrain your taste buds and get adapted to the new taste. Here are some easy ways to include more whole grains in your diet:
- Wholegrain breakfast cereals are a great way to start your day. But you need to go through the label carefully to find out the cereal which contains the minimum amount of sugar.
- Sandwiches prepared with whole meal, wheat germ, multigrain or mixed grain bread can allow you to enjoy a delightful snack.
- Popcorns are whole grains and these are delicious as well. It is very easy to prepare air-popped popcorn and popcorns are healthy fixes for your hunger. But you need to keep yourself away from the ones which contain high amounts of salt, sugar and fat.
- Around one-third of the requirement of wholegrain can come from the intake of snacks, but you need to choose the whole grains very carefully. Oatcakes, oat cookies, wholegrain rice cakes and rye crisp breads are tasty snack options. But you need to go through the food labels. Wholegrain food products can also contain excess amounts of fat, calories and sodium.
- It might be pretty difficult for you to control the urge to have cakes, pastries and pies! You can add whole grains to these yummy delights while cooking. Mixing white wheat flour with some amounts of wholemeal flour can boost your consumption of whole grains.
- If you find difficulty in adapting to the taste of wholegrain pasta, then blended pasta consisting of a mixture of whole and refined grains could be an alternative. The dark color of wholegrain pasta is not an issue because it tends to become lighter after cooking.
- You can experiment with different whole grains to offer new experiences to your taste buds. Add oats to yogurt and relish the flavor. Wholegrain salads can fit easily into your lunch menu. Explore the tastes of barley, millet, quinoa and sorghum.
- Use wholegrain buns for burgers and whole wheat pitas for pizza base.
Do we need any other excuses for not including adequate amount of whole grains in our diet? We need to just retrain our taste buds. That's it! But once we are able to do so, we can derive benefits in the long run - we can fight the risks of heart diseases, cancer, obesity, constipation and type 2 diabetes. A little bit of adjustment can bring bliss in the future!
