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foodandwine120I’ll bet you didn’t do what I did this morning!  And it makes me a bit sad that you didn’t because you would have A) enjoyed it and B) improved your health. The rest of my good news is that it didn’t take me long to do it, it wasn’t difficult, and it didn’t cost much.

So what did I do?  I made myself some cereal from the grain that is the richest source of protein of any grain grown. That’s because it’s the most complete, containing all nine essential amino acids, a combination that is difficult to find in the plant kingdom. It’s naturally gluten free, easy to digest, and loaded with iron, copper, phosphorous, manganese and vitamin B2.  And it’s very high in magnesium which helps relax blood vessels meaning it probably helps to reduce the number and severity of headaches while it lowers the risk of hypertension and stroke.

Was I right? Did you make yourself a bowl of quinoa this morning? If you’ve never tried it, I recommend you consider it for the future.  I like to buy it in bulk in health food stores because there’s usually a higher turnover there than in supermarkets.  If you’re asking a grocery clerk where it’s located, it’s pronounced keenwah.

Almost all real whole grains are healthy because they still contain the outer bran and germ layers. When these layers are intact they protect the starchy endosperm inside. We’ve also learned that the fiber in whole grains helps to regulate cholesterol levels and digestion. The only disadvantage of whole grains, that I’m aware of, is that because of all the fiber, they take longer to cook.  However you can shorten the cooking time by presoaking for a few hours. They also take longer to digest but that’s a good thing because it keeps you feeling full longer and slows down the conversion of starch to sugar, which prevents spikes in blood sugar that often leads to insulin resistance. This should be of considerable interest to obese readers of this column and sufferers of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Quinoa is not the only healthy whole grain. You’re probably familiar with barley, brown rice, buckwheat, cracked wheat, bulgur, millet, oats, rye, wheat berries and wild rice. Grains that are less well known include amaranth, farro, kamut, kasha, spelt, and teff. With so much variety there’s a lot for you to experiment with.

There’s no need to get bored with whole grains because besides serving as a breakfast cereal you can use them as a side dish or incorporate them in stews, soups, stuffing and salads. If you do choose to eat them as a cereal you can dress them up with cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, and dried or fresh fruit.

Cooking is easy.  I cook whole grains pretty much the same way I cook oatmeal.  To make sure they’re clean I pour them into a sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold water.  That’s to get rid of small pieces of debris that often gets mixed up with the grains. If you’re preparing quinoa you should give it an especially thorough rinse to get rid of the saponins on the outside that taste bitter and can have a laxative effect. To prepare quinoa, you’ll need to use a fine sieve for rinsing as the grains are small.  When I’m making it as a cereal for myself I use about a third of a cup of quinoa and pour it into about a cup and a half of boiling water. I don’t add salt because I don’t add salt to anything and I’ve long since been accustomed to unsalted foods. I’m interested in keeping my blood pressure down. When most of the water has evaporated and the consistency is the way I like it, about 12 minutes, I know it’s done.  I like to add some maple syrup when I plate it. Some people add dried herbs, vegetable broth, or even white wine to the cooking water to add some zest.

If you store the whole grains in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry, and dark place like the pantry, they can last a long time – as much as a year if you have room in the ‘fridge.

There’s an added benefit to cooking whole grains that I’ve only recently discovered: Can you imagine the fun you’ll have when you casually, and in a studied-off-hand-manner, tell your friends that you started your day with a tasty bowl of teff?


Click here to send comments to me.  I will answer each one personally and will print those that are of general interest.

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