Happy New Year! Start the year off right with making half of the grains you eat be from a whole-grain source.
The Choose My Plate message for consumers is make half of your plate whole grains. Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.
Grains are divided into two subgroups, whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel ― the bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples of whole grains include whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice. Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. Some examples of refined grain products are white flour, de-germed cornmeal, white bread, and white rice.
Most refined grains are enriched. This means certain B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid) and iron are added back after processing. Fiber is not added back to enriched grains. Check the ingredient list on refined grain products to make sure that the word “enriched” is included in the grain name. Some food products are made from mixtures of whole grains and refined grains.
There are some unusual whole grain foods that are not as popular in our area as in other areas. Some examples are bulgur; whole barley, quinoa, spelt, teff and wheat berries. Take time this new year to learn more about these whole grains.
Try out a new recipe! Here is a recipe for quinoa. It’s easy to make and is a great side dish for any meal.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa, dry
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh or jarred garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1/4 cup red bell peppers, seeded, diced
2 tablespoons green or regular onions, diced
2 tablespoons red onions, peeled, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/8 cup Black olives, sliced
2 tablespoons Feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer until water runs clear, not cloudy. Combine quinoa and chicken broth in a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer until broth is completely absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. When done, quinoa will be soft and a white ring will pop out of the kernel. The white ring will appear only when it is fully cooked. Fluff with a fork. A rice cooker may be used with the same quantity of quinoa and water. Cover and refrigerate.
In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and ground pepper to make dressing.
Combine red peppers, green onions, red onions, tomatoes, and olives in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Add dressing to vegetable mixture. Mix in cooled quinoa. Fold in feta cheese and parsley. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Serve chilled.
Serves 6.
