What Are Whole Grain Foods?

Typical Western diet is consisted mostly of sugars and processed ingredients. Unfortunately, grains we use are often stripped of their nutritional benefits. Grain-based foods may also have preservatives, flavourings and additives added to the mix. The result is food with artificial nutrients and it often doesn’t taste like the original one. Foods are often highly processed and our body could convert them quickly into sugar. Overall, carbs often get a bad rap, but it is because people often associate them with processed grain-based foods. In reality, there are some good carbs available for us and they can be obtained from whole grain foods and vegetables. There are different types of whole grain foods, as an example, whole grain breads are made from grain with its whole kernel intact. On processed white bread, the outer layer of the grain has been stripped off. Although the bread feels fluffier, lighter and brighter, they actually have reduced nutritional values. On the other hands, whole grain breads are denser nutritionally. They also have more texture and colors.

Whole grain breads have a more robust and nutty taste. When combined with vegetables, such as avocado, cucumber, sprouts, tomato or lettuce, whole grain breads already taste incredibly tasty. Alternatively, we could add more protein, by incorporating chicken breast, cheese and fried egg. One very tasty and healthy breakfast is a few slices of whole grain bread with peanut butter in top. This simple meal should make ourselves feel more satisfied in the long run, compared to when we eat white bread for breakfast. White rice is a common staple in many countries, but it also loses a lot of key nutrients, because the husk has been stripped off. When eating white rice, we will feel hungry faster, instead when we eat whole grain rice, especially the wild variety. If possible, whole grain rice shouldn’t be used as a side dish. It should work well with any food we eat with white rice. One type of beneficial whole grain food is quinoa and it is popular in South America. Quinoa has slightly nutty flavour and among grains, it has high level of protein. We should be able to combine it with vegetables and meat-based dishes.

Oatmeal is great whole grain food, but we should avoid pre-packaged instant version, because it has some preservatives and it could already be stripped. Preferably, we should choose steel-cut oatmeal, although it may take longer to prepare. In general, the whole grain version of oatmeal should have fantastic flavour and it could provide us with the full feeling and overall satisfaction. Barney is one more whole grain foods and it can be used for breakfast cereals. Stew and soup could also be added with some barley to create hearty meals. Switching to whole grain foods can feel like a big jump, especially if we already get used to processed versions. However, our taste buds should be able to adapt, although it may take some time to make the switch. At first, we could mix processed and whole grains to make it easier for us to adapt.