Everyone uses various types of flour for cooking. From making bread to cakes to noodles to pasta, flours play a major role in all types of cooking. But, many tend to get all reluctant when it comes to using whole grains. Whole grains are a great way to make healthy and wholesome food. Whole grains are a better option at the time as compared to flour. There are several recipes that one can make from whole grains like buckwheat, barley, pats, wheat, etc.; one should pay attention and learn to bake with whole grains and make new recipes. Here are some things that, when kept in mind, whole-grain cooking becomes easier.
Choose stone-milled grains
Now, the flours are made in steel mills of big brands. Now, if the same steel mills prepare the whole grains, then they tend to separate the germ and the endosperm and then join them. This can reduce the health benefits and real wholeness of these grains. One type of mill that does not ruin the whole grains structure is the stone mill. Therefore one should pick grains from stone mills. Getting the whole grain flour from a stone mill would ensure that all the nutrients are there in the flour.
Tips For Cooking Whole Grains
⦁ Whole grains are naturally clean enough to be cooked without washing. If you feel that the whole grain has a lot of dust and waste particles, then you should first handpick the waste and then rinse the whole grains. Otherwise, whole grains can be cooked without washing.
⦁ The water-absorbing capacity of different whole grains is different, so it can become hard to know the amount of water required to cook a whole grain. But what you can do is boil a good amount of water and then put the whole grains into it. Keep checking at regular intervals if the grains are cooked. Drain the water once you think the grains are cooked.
⦁ Even after the grains are cooked, you might feel that the grains are not properly cooked. This happens because even properly cooked grains are often chewy. You will get used to the texture of the cooked whole grains after some time.
⦁ The most convenient way to cook whole grains when being cooked with other items is to cook the grains separately and other items separately. This is because whole grains take a longer time to cook than food items like a vegetable. So the better way to do this would be first to cook the grains separately and the vegetables separately, and once both of them are ready, combine them in a pan or dish.
⦁ There are so many whole grains that cannot be properly cooked in salted water. This is because the salt mixed in hot water makes the top layer of the grain hard, which would ruin the taste and texture of the grain completely. So the best way to cook such grains would be first to cook the grain and add the salt once the grains are almost ready.
⦁ The easiest way of cooking whole rice would be cooking it in a pressure cooker because it takes lesser time to cook. Because of this reason, most people use pressure cookers for cooking items like kinds of rice and pulses because they take a lot of time in cooking, so the better way is to cook them in a cooker.
Why Add Whole Grains To Your Diets
It has been a lot of time since almost everyone has been consuming fine grain flour, but now people are shifting towards whole grains. The change that is being seen is because of the health benefits that whole grains have. The difference between whole grain flour and fine grain flour is simply that all of the parts of the grain are kept in whole grains, whereas the outer layers of the grain are not kept in fine grains. This is the reason why a lot of the nutrients and fiber are lost in fine-grain flour. In whole-grain flours, all of the layers of the grain are kept, and that is why there are more fiber and other nutrients available in those grains. The change in the number of nutrients and fiber has a lot of impacts on the person consuming it. Here are some of the benefits that come with consuming whole grains.
⦁ Whole grains have a high content of fiber, and due to this, they take a longer time to digest. This is why they are better for the stomach because the longer time in digesting ensures that the stomach stays full for a longer time. This helps maintain the pressure in the stomach, which helps in improving the digestive health of the body.
⦁ The whole grains are also helpful in fulfilling the daily fiber requirements of the body. The human body requires a certain amount of fiber, and the high content in fiber is useful for fulfilling the needs of the body.
⦁ It is also proved in some research that whole grains are good for the heart. This is because they help in the reduction in the level of cholesterol. When the cholesterol level is reduced, the allover health of the heart is also improved because cholesterol is really bad for the health of the heart.
⦁ Food intake in the body is responsible for the fluctuations in the blood sugar levels. People who have diabetes have this issue more seriously. Having fiber-rich whole grains helps in keeping a balanced blood sugar level. The slow digestion of whole grains ensures that there is no sudden change in the level of sugar in the body.
⦁ Whole grains can also help in reducing the blood pressure in the body.
⦁ Apart from all the other benefits, whole grains can also help in reducing the chances of getting some times of cancers. All these benefits together help in improving health.
Whole grains are healthy because the benefits of whole grains are endless, and whole grains can be quite tasty as well. It all depends on how it is cooked and how trained one is in cooking grains.
Everyone can cook, but it doesn’t mean it will be tasty. Join me in my journey to find what would intrigue your tongue, and what would add spice to your life. Bon Appetit!
