9 great grains to improve your health deliciously at every meal.
Whole grains provide a healthy boost of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients and are also rich in carbohydrates, the body’s main fuel supply—no wonder we need to eat more grains. In fact, the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults consume around six ounces of grains daily, and that we make half those grains whole. Brown rice just recently joined the ranks of healthful whole grains recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Start your day with whole-grain muffins or yogurt topped with granola; try hearty salads with wheat berries or quinoa; swap out white rice or potatoes for sides of brown rice at dinner tonight.
More good news: you’ll feel fuller longer, since whole grains and fiber take longer to digest.
Barley is rich in soluble fiber and makes a good whole-grain choice because it is digested slowly, leaving you feeling satisfied longer. It can be found in supermarkets and natural-foods stores.
Toasting quinoa before cooking enhances its flavor and rinsing removes any residue of saponin, its natural, bitter protective covering.