What Grain Foods Are Best for You?
Eating grain foods provides a number of health benefits, including reducing your risk of coronary heart disease, helping to reduce constipation and helping with weight management. Grains that provide you with the most benefit are whole-grains. Nutrition authorities recommend that at least ½ of all the grains you eat should be whole grains (Steps to a healthier you. 2005, January). U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Here are some suggestions that will help you to eat more whole-grain foods.
1. Substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product. Eat whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice.
2. Try whole-wheat macaroni and cheese.
3. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes.
4. Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley in vegetable soup or stews and bulgur wheat in casserole or stir-fries.
5. Create a whole grain pilaf with a mixture of barley, wild rice, brown rice, broth and spices. You can also stir in toasted nuts or chopped dried fruit.
6. Try substituting whole wheat or oat flour for up to half of the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin or other flour-based recipes.
7. Use whole-grain bread or cracker crumbs in meatloaf.
8. Try rolled oats or a crushed, unsweetened whole grain cereal as breading for baked chicken, fish, veal cutlets, or eggplant parmesan.
9. Try an unsweetened, whole grain ready-to-eat cereal as croutons in salad or in place of crackers with soup.
10. Freeze leftover cooked brown rice, bulgur, or barley. Heat and serve it later as a quick side dish.
11. Snack on ready-to-eat, whole grain cereals such as toasted oat cereal.
12. Add whole-grain flour or oatmeal when making cookies or other baked treats.
13. Try a whole-grain snack chip, such as baked tortilla chips.
14. Popcorn, a whole grain, can be a healthy snack with little or no added salt and butter.