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More Than Just A Fad - Wholesome Grains
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 They're tasty and nutritious - what more could you possibly want?
What do samosas, pastries and bhaturas have in common? Besides being yummy foods for most, they all list white flour as an essential ingredient. So what's with white flour, you may ask, besides being very starchy?
Let your food be your medicine
Apparently, the kind of cereal you choose to eat may either contribute to, or take away from your health. How exactly is that? Well - following doctor's guidelines to eat 5 to 6 helpings of fruits and veggies a day, the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid now also recommend three daily servings of whole grains.
Their motivation to do so stems from the fact that unlike highly processed cereals like white flour that usually come loaded with fat, sugar, and artificial flavourings (think cookies), whole grains are available in their natural form replete with wholesome nutrients.
A culinary novelty
A whole grain actually means a grain that is intact. In this form, it typically has three layers - the germ, endosperm, and bran. Its smallest innermost part, the germ or embryo, is a seed. As such, it contains a wealth of nutrients, which include vitamins E and K, essential oils, minerals, and protein. Next, the endosperm or bulk of the grain is the centre starchy part while bran is its fibre-rich outer covering rich in protein, B-complex vitamins and minerals.
Whole grains are known to be low in fat, free of cholesterol, and a good source of dietary fibre, resistant starch, oligosaccharides, trace minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, numerous phytochemicals, and phytoestrogens. These goodies are thought to protect your body from many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. But when whole grains are processed to make finer grains out of them (think of the likes of white flour) they lose most of their nutrients as well as their natural nutty taste.
Adventure in your kitchen
So - how about giving your body a boost of energy from whole grains? Quite aside well-known wheat and rice, here are a few other healthy options:
- Barley (jau): It grows easily and as pot barley (its most nutritious form), 100g comes replete with 10.5g protein, 2.1g fat, 69.3g carbohydrate, 4g fibre, 50mg folic acid, 6mg iron and 50mg calcium. But sadly, it is commonly used as animal feed, or to make beer and whisky! Ignore barley no longer - grab a packet of pot barley or barley flakes (daliya) today. Cook it solo or as a side cereal instead of rice or pasta, or add it to a stew. Or better still, sprout it!
- Millet (ragi): Again, millet boasts of an excellent nutrient profile - 100g millet provides 9.9g protein, and 6.8mg iron (almost double of other cereals), B vitamins, methionine, lecithin, vitamin E, calcium, and phosphorous. Fortunately, India is home to a variety of millet. In fact, Himalayan millet is gluten-free, making it useful for persons suffering from gluten (the insoluble protein component of a grain) intolerance or celiac disease. Need help cooking millet? Try sautéing the tiny seeds with a little vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes until some are seen to crack (then they easily absorb water). Then add water (1:3 parts), bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until fluffy.
- Wild rice: If you must have rice, then go for wild rice. Its purplish black in colour, takes a long time to cook, but once you get hooked onto its taste, you'll find it hard to revert back to ordinary white rice.
- Amaranth (ramdana): The ancient Aztecs called it a "super food" because it packed in a punch, so to say. Amaranth is a great source of high-quality protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and phytosterols. Besides, it boasts of a balance of amino acids, as well as being high in the amino acids lysine, methionine, and cysteine which are found only in small quantities in other grains. The best way to eat it is "popped" - enjoy popped amaranth instead of cornflakes with your morning bowl of milk or chopped fruit (or both).
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