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LAND O LAKES® Reduced Fat SNACK'N CHEESE TO-GO® Snack Cheese is ready when you are — at home, for lunch or on the go!
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Whole Grains!
Whole grains have skyrocketed to the top of the "A" list of foods to enjoy. As the secrets of whole grains are discovered,
the evidence is overwhelmingly positive that whole grains are good for you. Besides being wholesome and delicious, whole grains
are a good source of dietary fiber. In addition to toning your digestive tract, fiber improves insulin metabolism. Whole grains
contain antioxidants that help boost the immune system as well as vitamins and minerals. A bonus: whole grains are naturally
low in fat and cholesterol.
All of these benefits have increased the interest in including them in our diets - a recommended minimum of
three (1/2 cup) servings daily for optimum health benefits. It's time to jazz up meal time with the goodness of
chewy, nutty whole grains!
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Whole Grain Essentials
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All whole grains, like wheat, barley, rye, corn or oats, are made of three parts: the bran, which is rich in fiber, the endosperm,
which gives it its starchy texture and the germ, packed with vitamins and minerals. In order for a food to be considered a whole
grain it must contain all three parts. So, wheat, for example, that has been milled and bleached and turned into white flour,
is not a whole grain.
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The Grains
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is one the oldest grains. Its tough hull makes it a long cooking grain, but it's packed with nutrients. Hulled barley retains the hull
while pearled barley has had the hull removed. Pearled barley loses some of the good-for-you attributes, but cooks more quickly.
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is white rice before it was processed. All rice starts as brown rice, a tan-colored rice with a nutty texture. Brown rice has only the
outer husk removed. Quick and instant varieties contain all the whole grain goodness, but they have been partially cooked and dehydrated
for quick cooking.
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is wheat. After wheat kernels are boiled, dried and cracked the part that remains is bulgur. Bulgur is precooked and then dried,
so cooking it only takes about 10 minutes. This quick and easy grain gives you all the nutrition of whole grain in short order.
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is a toasted grain sometimes referred to as buckwheat groats. This grain cooks very quickly and has a nutty flavor.
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are a favorite and staple of many families. Most of us use rolled or quick oats, which we often refer to as oatmeal.
These oats are flattened and steamed so they cook quickly. Quick cooking oats are further processed to reduce cooking time.
Steel-cut oats, also known as Scotch oats, are whole oat kernels that are broken into small pieces, not flattened,
which add texture and a nutty flavor to foods.
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(KEEN wah) is a small golden-colored grain from the South American highlands that is a powerhouse of nutrition.
When cooked, quinoa's rice-sized grain expands to four times its volume and produces a light, fluffy textured grain.
It has a slightly bitter flavor that can be removed by rinsing several times before cooking.
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are simply the whole wheat kernel, maximizing the whole grain goodness. As a result though, wheat
berries must be cooked for a long time to produce a chewy, nutty grain.
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Getting Whole Grains
With the ever increasing selection of foods that include whole grains, getting them into your diet isn't tough;
it just requires a different way of thinking.
- Try replacing white flour with half whole wheat flour in cookies, bars and muffins.
- Use whole grain breads, tortillas, pitas and rolls.
- Add cooked whole grains to meatloaf or meatballs, soups or casseroles.
- Look for whole grain pasta for spaghetti, macaroni and cheese or other pasta dishes.
- Select whole grain cereals, both hot and cold, for breakfast.
- Pass on the white rice and serve a pilaf or rice dish with brown rice, barley or oats for whole grain goodness.
- Read the labels on packaged food products to determine if a product is whole grain or not.
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