this is an extract from Jackie's Health & Diet Club Magazine Number One
Grains have been cultivated for many thousands of years and are even today the most widely consumed staple foods. Many cultures depend on grains for over half of all food eaten. Whole grains are high fibre, complex carbohydrate foods, rich in the B vitamins.
Complex carbohydrate is vital to the body. Grains are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates needed by body builders to ensure a steady blood sugar level, and all whole grains (with the possible exception of modern, much-hybidised wheat, to which many people today are intolerant) help reduce the amount of fat stored in the body by raising the rate of metabolism.
A whole grain is made up of three basic parts: the exosperm, the endosperm and the germ. Each part of a whole grain has nutritional value. The exosperm, or bran, the outermost part of the grain, is a good source of fibre (also known as 'roughage') and minerals; the germ is rich in polyunstaurated fatty acids and vitamins; and the endosperm, the starchy interior which makes up about 80% of the grain, contains most of the protein.
Gluten is the grain protein to which so many people are intolerant. It is found to some extent in all true grains, so although people who are intolerant to wheat can usually eat other grains, those who are intolerant to gluten cannot. Some seeds - especially buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa - are sold and used as grain but in fact they are not true grains and are free of gluten.
When grains are refined they are stripped of the bran and usually the germ. For maybe as long as 10,000 years grains have been processed to remove their tough, fibrous, protective husks, thus making them easier to cook, chew and digest. First two rocks were used, then a mortar and pestle helped to break the grains open. Many thousands of years ago people in the Middle and Far East, as well as in Europe, discovered that by sifting ground grains through finely woven fabric, a flour resulted which could be used to make light-textured breads and pastries. These light, white flours became a symbol of the upper socio-economic classes who could afford to discard the nutritionally valuable bran and germ of the grain simply for the pleasures of the palate. This processing of grains was also seen in Asian countries where brown rice was refined to make white rice.
Although class consciousness associated with 'white' grains may be less influential today when choosing food, the tradition of refining persists. In the years since World War II, the advent of supermarkets has increased the widespread availability and use of refined flours and grains. This may be explained in part by the improved shelf stability of grain when the germ is removed; since it contains the nutritional oils, it is the most perishable part of the grain.
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|| Nutritional Breakdown of GRAINS, based on 100g serving ||
\\ //
|| Grain Calories Protein Fat Carbos Fibre ||
// (kcal) (grams) (grams) (grams) (grams) \\
|| ||
\\ Amaranth 374 14.5 6.51 66 4.80 //
|| Barley 354 12.5 2.30 73 2.90 ||
// Buckwheat 335 11.7 2.40 73 9.90 \\
|| Buckwheat Flour 333 11.7 2.50 72 1.60 ||
\\ Corn - Whole 90 3.5 1.20 20 0.70 //
|| Cornmeal 342 8.4 3.20 70 0.90 ||
// Kamut® 317 12.4 2.30 68 10.00 \\
|| Millet 378 11.2 4.20 73 1.03 ||
\\ Oats 389 16.9 6.90 66 1.10 //
|| Quinoa 374 13.1 5.80 69 4.60 ||
// Rice - Brown 352 7.4 1.80 76 0.80 \\
|| Rice - White 354 6.5 0.75 78 0.20 ||
\\ Rice - Wild 353 14.1 0.70 75 1.00 //
|| Rye 335 14.8 2.50 70 1.50 ||
// Spelt 293 12.7 1.98 70 13.90 \\
|| Triticale 336 13.0 2.09 72 2.60 ||
\\ Teff 360 12.1 2.62 72 13.50 //
|| Wheat - Whole 339 12.8 1.90 68 2.30 ||
// Whole Wheat Flour 320 12.8 1.90 68 2.20 \\
|| White Wheat Flour 364 10.3 0.98 76 2.20 ||
\\ //
|| Source: United States Department of Agriculture Human ||
// Nutrition Services 1989 Handbook. [note: Corn = Maize] \\
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My favourite "grain" is Amaranth, which is not related to wheat and is gluten-free.
In the late 1970s, the American National Academy of Science conducted a study of over 400 foods that had, at one time, been in man's food supply. Since there was concern that today's global food supply depends on only 20 main foods, the study was done to evaluate lesser-known crops that could be grown in order to diversify man's food base. Of the 36 foods recommended as candidates for re-introduction into today's food supply, amaranth ranked in the top five because of its high nutritional content as well as its agronomic adaptability.
Amaranth, along with maize and beans, was a staple of both the Aztecs and the Incas. It has been known for over 7,000 years but has been commercially cultivated in the U.S.A. for only the past 10 years or so. A beautiful deep red, gold or orange multi-headed plant bearing tiny seeds, Amaranth was known as the food of the gods; today, it is called a 'super food' because of its high nutritional content. The grain contains about 16% protein with an excellent balance of amino acids; it's also high in fiber and many essential vitamins and minerals.
The seed is available in four forms: whole seed Amaranth, Amaranth flour, toasted Amaranth bran flour and puffed or popped Amaranth. In its whole grain form it can be used as a cooked cereal, a topping or as an ingredient in baked goods. It can also be sprouted.
Whole grain Amaranth flour is a high protein, non-gluten flour with a balance of amino acids that surpasses that of any other grain. When it is combined with wheat, the amino acid/protein balance is nearly perfect on a 'theoretical human need' chart.
Amaranth flour has a unique mild, sweet, nutty, slightly grainy flavour and an appealing texture that adds interest to a variety of foods. It can be successfully used in creating flavourful breads, pancakes, muffins, cookies, pie crusts, cereals, ethnic dishes, stuffings, pilafs, pastas, soups, snacks and many other foods.
All in all, Amaranth is a natural ingredient which gives all sorts of foods a distinctive flavour while enhancing nutritional quality.
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