We have forgotten in our modern cities what soil looks like, what it is to plunge our "refined" hands into the moist earth and reap the fertile results.
Yet the ecological movement is reminding us that our environment is precious and that natural products, unrefined and sometimes uncooked, are what's best for our good health. Thus we should make wheat berries, also known as whole wheat kernels (the inside of a grain), an important part of our diet thanks to their wonderful nutritional properties.
Getting Back to Healthy Ways
As a soft or hard grain, wheat berries can be added to bread (baked with) or salads, where they make a satisfying crunch sound while filling our bodies with fiber, iron and vitamins B and C. You can also mill your wheat kernels to make flour which you will then use to make all kinds of satisfying and healthy products, from pasta to bread to cookies to pastries (muffins and cookies). The kernel of whole wheat contains 3 important elements that must be present in order to earn the appellative of whole grain: endosperm, bran and germ. You can even plant the whole grain to grow your own wheat if you have the land, the time and the patience.
All You Need is Some Creativity
There are as many recipes as there are people, so pick whatever suits your fancy as long as your family is pleased with the result. Children in particular may be hard to please, if they are used to white enriched bread or white pasta. Yet it is important to accustom them to whole wheat during childhood, as it has been shown in numerous studies that whole grain helps prevent cancer and diabetes. When the kids grow up, they'll continue to use whole wheat as part of their regular diet, thus becoming ambassadors of proper diet for their own children.
Wheat Berries All Day Long
This is the point where the whole foods junkies tend to scare people away by telling them that they should use whole grain foods and nothing else. This approach tends to seem a little extreme, especially for someone who is just starting to incorporate whole foods into their diet. Adding more whole foods to your diet is something that can be done gradually. It doesn't have to be a shocking, immediate switch. Start by switching white bread for wheat bread. Start cooking with whole wheat flour. Slowly as you become more and more accustom to cooking with whole foods, it will get easier.
Reviewing the Food Pyramid
The US Food Guide Pyramid recommends at least 6 servings a day of whole grain, including wheat berries found in cereals, bread and pastas. One serving is equivalent to 1 slice of bread, a cup of cereal, and half a cup of pasta. As mentioned above, wheat berries contain an abundance of fiber and vitamins. A meal with whole grain helps control the level of sugar in the body, an important factor if you have a diabetic in the family. Minerals and anti-oxidants are also present in whole wheat, a component that has been shown to be helpful in retarding the effects of aging.
Yet the ecological movement is reminding us that our environment is precious and that natural products, unrefined and sometimes uncooked, are what's best for our good health. Thus we should make wheat berries, also known as whole wheat kernels (the inside of a grain), an important part of our diet thanks to their wonderful nutritional properties.
Getting Back to Healthy Ways
As a soft or hard grain, wheat berries can be added to bread (baked with) or salads, where they make a satisfying crunch sound while filling our bodies with fiber, iron and vitamins B and C. You can also mill your wheat kernels to make flour which you will then use to make all kinds of satisfying and healthy products, from pasta to bread to cookies to pastries (muffins and cookies). The kernel of whole wheat contains 3 important elements that must be present in order to earn the appellative of whole grain: endosperm, bran and germ. You can even plant the whole grain to grow your own wheat if you have the land, the time and the patience.
All You Need is Some Creativity
There are as many recipes as there are people, so pick whatever suits your fancy as long as your family is pleased with the result. Children in particular may be hard to please, if they are used to white enriched bread or white pasta. Yet it is important to accustom them to whole wheat during childhood, as it has been shown in numerous studies that whole grain helps prevent cancer and diabetes. When the kids grow up, they'll continue to use whole wheat as part of their regular diet, thus becoming ambassadors of proper diet for their own children.
Wheat Berries All Day Long
This is the point where the whole foods junkies tend to scare people away by telling them that they should use whole grain foods and nothing else. This approach tends to seem a little extreme, especially for someone who is just starting to incorporate whole foods into their diet. Adding more whole foods to your diet is something that can be done gradually. It doesn't have to be a shocking, immediate switch. Start by switching white bread for wheat bread. Start cooking with whole wheat flour. Slowly as you become more and more accustom to cooking with whole foods, it will get easier.
Reviewing the Food Pyramid
The US Food Guide Pyramid recommends at least 6 servings a day of whole grain, including wheat berries found in cereals, bread and pastas. One serving is equivalent to 1 slice of bread, a cup of cereal, and half a cup of pasta. As mentioned above, wheat berries contain an abundance of fiber and vitamins. A meal with whole grain helps control the level of sugar in the body, an important factor if you have a diabetic in the family. Minerals and anti-oxidants are also present in whole wheat, a component that has been shown to be helpful in retarding the effects of aging.
About the Author:
Whole wheat berries are nutritious and healthy. You can buy wheat berries online at great prices.
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