Learn to cook these good-for-you grains—including rice, amaranth, oats, and rye—with tips and recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacktime
by Megan O. Steintrager
Doable Challenge: Whole Grains
W hole grains are good for you in countless important ways. And if you're ready to graduate from whole wheat as your go-to grain, there's a wider world of delicious and healthful grains (and pseudograins) well worth exploring. Rye, farro, spelt, triticale, and barley are a just a few that experts highly recommend, along with many more that are suitable even for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease: quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, rice, sorghum, millet, teff, corn, and oats.
Need a reminder of what's in it for you? Whole grains benefit the whole body by helping to lower cholesterol and blood pressure; aiding in digestion and weight loss; keeping blood sugar levels in check; assisting in preventing and controlling diabetes; and fighting heart disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death in the United States. "Large, well-done studies have shown that people who consume more whole grains have reduced risk of heart disease and some cancers," explains Donald Hensrud, M.D., chair of Preventative, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and editor-in-chief of The Mayo Clinic Diet.
Whole grains, as their name implies, are intact, which means that eating them delivers the maximum nutritional benefit from these carbohydrates. As Dr. Hensrud explains, whole grains encompass the bran (an outer layer that provides fiber, B vitamins, and vital minerals); the less-nutritious middle layer, the endosperm (with its carbs, proteins, and a few B vitamins); and the germ (an inner layer containing tiny amounts of healthy fat, vitamin E, B vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals). By contrast, refined grains like white flour and white rice—and products made with them such as white bread, most pasta, and many types of crackers—contain only the starchy endosperm. It's easy to understand why Dr. Hensrud considers refined grains as "essentially composed of nutrient-depleted calories." And since a large portion of most people's daily calories come from carbohydrates, making whole grains the primary type of carb you consume "can markedly improve the healthfulness of a diet," Dr. Hensrud notes.
To integrate more amazing whole grains into your diet, read on for tips and recipes from cooking experts Megan Gordon, author of the upcoming Whole-Grain Mornings; Liana Krissoff, author of Whole Grains for a New Generation; Lorna Sass, author of Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way; Maria Speck, author of Ancient Grains for Modern Meals; Mark Scarbrough, coauthor with Bruce Weinstein of Grain Mains; and Sarah House, recipe specialist at Bob's Red Mill, which sells whole grains and whole-grain flours nationwide.
Go Whole Grain for Health
The easiest way to eat more whole grains is to simply trade your refined grain products for their healthier whole-grain counterparts. Pick whole-grain breads, bagels, rolls, and waffles, and even insist on brown-rice sushi, advises Sass. Stepping beyond simple swaps, look for creative ways to change up your carbs: Use popcorn ("yes, it's a whole grain," says Sass) instead of croutons to add crunch to soups or salads, and try adding farro rather than pasta to chicken soup and minestrone. House adds that quinoa and millet are excellent replacements for white rice, pasta, and bread crumbs. For example, she suggests using either grain when stuffing peppers, and recommends quinoa as a wonderful breading alternative for oven-baked or fried chicken.
Recipes to try:
• Farro Soup with Kale and Cannellini
• Yam and Black Bean Burritos with Amaranth
• Quinoa Stuffing
Make Quick-Cooking Grains for Quick Meals
While you might think of whole grains as time-consuming to make, Speck notes that "there are a number of wonderful quick-cooking whole grains which can be on the table fast during busy weeknights," including bulgur, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and whole wheat couscous. "I especially love nourishing bulgur—some call it ancient fast food—because it requires no cooking at all," Speck says. Bulgur is sold parboiled, she explains, so it simply needs to be rehydrated in warm water to transform it into speedy salads and sides—a bonus in "the heat of summer," she adds.
Quinoa is another fast-cooking whole grain, which Speck enjoys as the basis for a pilaf with currants, dill, and zucchini; serve it alongside grilled chicken or salmon, or sprinkle cheese on the pilaf for a light meal in itself. Gordon recommends trying millet in quick porridges and pilafs, as well as in baked goods. "Millet can be a tough sell initially," she admits, since "it is more commonly seen as birdseed and hasn't yet gained the kind of mass popularity that a grain like quinoa has." But, she adds, "it is a wonderfully light, quick-cooking, nutritious gluten-free grain." For his part, Scarbrough uses millet in soups, salads, and veggie burgers.
Recipes to try:
• Tomato-Infused Bulgur Pilaf with Fresh Basil
• Stir-Fried Buckwheat
• Speedy Chickpea Couscous with Pesto
• Millet Burgers with Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pecorino
Prep Some Grains in Advance
Whole grains such as barley, spelt, and wild rice can take a bit longer to cook—about 35 to 60 minutes, not including any soaking time. So it's a good investment of your time to make larger quantities in advance that can be used all week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For those busy weeknights, Gordon's quick and easy solution is to "have a pot of cooked grains, some greens, a bit of cheese and eggs, [and then] dinner is never a big question mark."
Scarbrough likes to "cook up a batch of wheat berries, rye berries, kamut, or triticale and save them back in the fridge, covered, for up to 1 week." Then stir them into stews, incorporate them into spreads for lunchtime wraps, and add them to salads. For longer-term use, "cooked whole grains freeze beautifully and are perfect for storing in small portions in the freezer," according to House. "Pull some out to defrost at breakfast, and they are ready to eat for lunch or dinner."
You can also shorten cooking time by presoaking some grains such as wheat berries, kamut, and steel-cut oats, and don't forget the slow cooker, if you have one. "Whole grains are glorious in the slow cooker. Steel-cut oats are a dream!" says Scarbrough. Set up the cooker the night before for an easy breakfast when you roll out of bed.
Recipes to try:
• Triticale with Smoked Trout and Artichokes in a Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Syrian Sliha
• California Barley Bowl with Lemony Yogurt Sauce
Enjoy Whole Grains for Breakfast
Packaged whole-grain cereal, oatmeal, whole-grain toast, and other whole-grain baked goods are simple, speedy, and healthy breakfast choices. Homemade porridge is another great way to start your day with whole grains. Krissoff makes hers of steel-cut or rolled oats, rolled barley, or quinoa and mixes in dried fruits, nuts, seeds, unsweetened toasted coconut, cinnamon, or maple syrup. "Every morning's porridge is different," she says, "and of course it's not always on the sweet end of the spectrum." To follow Krissoff's example, incorporate savory ingredients such as fresh hot chiles, fried garlic, scallions, cilantro, and tamari into the bowl.
Whole grains with eggs make a hearty, healthy breakfast. For example, leftover or pre-cooked barley, sorghum, quinoa, millet, or brown rice can be scrambled with eggs or served alongside poached eggs. There are many more ways to boost the nutrition in morning basics: Quick-cooking oats add body and fiber to House's smoothies and shakes, while Gordon dresses up her muesli with rolled grain flakes such as rye, barley, and spelt—these whole grains not only "add different shades of color to your cereal bowl but also incorporate distinct flavors that can be really fun to experiment with." Try Gordon's current favorite combination of rye flakes, dried cherries, and almonds.
Recipes to try:
• Spicy Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Garlic Chips
• Corn Meal and Oat Waffle Mix
• Yam Kai (Thai Eggs) with Leftover Grains
• Greens and Grains Scramble
Bulk Up Salads
For a substantial and fortifying salad-as-a-meal, take a cue from Krissoff: "Start with a tangy vinaigrette, dump in some cooked quinoa, rye berries, oat groats, brown or red rice, or whatever you happen to have on hand, and add fresh vegetables and anything else that seems tasty—tomatoes, raw sweet corn, chiles, tender herbs and lettuces, toasted sliced almonds or pepitas, cooked beans or lentils, dried fruit, crumbled cheese, shredded chicken or sliced steak—you name it. The grains soak up the dressing and make a substantial, filling meal that still feels light and fresh." Sass also gets creative with salads, mixing in kamut, rye berries, and—one of her favorites—black rice.
Speck varies her grain salads by the season: "In the summer, I keep it simple by adding chopped fresh tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, olives, and feta with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice—voilà, a delicious Greek-inspired grain salad." During the colder months, Speck likes to add leftover sautéed vegetables to a bowl of cooked grains for a quick salad. "Or toss your grains with roasted vegetables such as squash and sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, or turnips. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with fresh herbs if you have some on hand."
Recipes to try:
• Freekeh and Frisée
• Chinese Black Rice, Orange, and Avocado Salad
• Kamut Salad with Carrots and Pomegranate
Make Baked Goods Better for You
To improve on the nutritional profile of refined all-purpose flour, it's easy to incorporate whole grains into your favorite baked goods. Speck suggests substituting whole wheat flour (brown or white) for up to half the amount of all-purpose flour called for in recipes for quick breads, muffins, cookies, and pizza dough. "This requires no other changes to your favorite recipes but adds nice texture and flavor, as well as nutrients," Speck explains.
When baking bread, Speck often tosses in a handful of amaranth, rolled oats, or millet, which "contributes a bit of a chew and distinct aroma to the bread." Adds House: "If you are a bread baker, you will definitely want to experiment with all the different types of whole-grain flours available. They all have unique flavors and properties." These distinct and exciting flavor profiles are "something that's decidedly lacking with all-purpose flour, which doesn't have much of a flavor at all," adds Gordon, who enjoys baking with barley, oat, rye, and spelt flours.
Recipes to try:
• Spelt Crust Pizza with Fennel, Prosciutto, and Apples
• Aroma Bread with Coriander and Fennel
• Teff Gingerbread
Make Healthier Desserts and Snacks
In addition to increasing the healthfulness of baked goods like cookies, cakes, and muffins, whole grains can be used to make all kinds of snacks and desserts more wholesome. "Whole grains with sweeter flavors like oat, wheat, farro, and spelt make a great rice pudding–style dessert," notes House. If you like popcorn, try popped sorghum, made in a dry skillet, for a quick snack. Krissoff uses popped amaranth in desserts, granola, and as a crispy coating for baked catfish. And remember, when you need a quick snack, even simply reaching for whole-grain crackers (such as wheat or brown rice ones) makes snacktime more nutritious.
Recipes to try:
• Popped Amaranth and Toasted Wheat Berry Fool
• Buckwheat Crepes with Honeyed Ricotta and Sautéed Plums
• Creamy Wheat Berries with Honey
• Salted Rye Cookies
• Purple Rice Pudding with Rose Water Dates
