Instructions: Moving Toward A Plant Based Diet-Whole Grains

If youre moving your family toward a more health promoting plant based diet, a whole grain breakfast is a great place to start!

Whole grains are prepared in minutes and are rich in nutrients. They can be cooking while you take your shower, get the kids ready or do 25 minutes on the exercise bike.

Then, simply garnish with the broad array of condiments available and breakfast takes on a healthy and exciting new flavor.

Whole grains are nutritional powerhouses: they are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

What makes a grain "whole", is that it has not been processed or refined, thereby preserving its outer fibrous shell and its inner germ, rich in nutrients.

Because the bran has been retained, each 1/2 cup serving of a whole grain provides 4-6 grams of fiber. (The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 30 grams).

The indigestible outer covering is the source of insoluble fiber, effective at promoting healthy bowel movements and stabilizing fluctuating blood sugar levels.

The germ is where most of the amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are found.

Preparing grains couldnt be easier.

The simple "2:1 formula" is almost universal: that is 2 parts water to 1 part grain. Slightly more water is recommended for drier grains like millet, quinoa and amaranth.

The cooking time is usually 25 minutes, but cooking time will vary depending on the level of heat used, the type of pan and whether or not it is cooked covered.

Try adding cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and other spices to the cooking water.

Another popular method worldwide is to create a pilaf, by sauteing spices and veggies, adding the grain and steaming with water or broth and cooking covered.

Garnishes make whole grains fun to have for breakfast. Start with nuts or seeds, which are delicious toasted. Then add a bit of fruit and some sweetener such as real maple syrup or honey.

Vanilla yogurt is delicious on breakfast grains, but if youre trying to eliminate dairy products, soy-milk, rice-milk or almond-milk are all good options.

Do some searching in your local grocery and see if they carry some of the following whole grains. They probably do.

Quinoa is a gluten-free grain used by the Inca Indians. It is round and tan colored, but cooks into a light, translucent, fluffy grain.

Steel cut oats are uncommonly used and yet, are richer in texture, flavor, fiber and nutrients than oatmeal or oat bran. Steel-cut simply refers to the blade used to chop the hard, whole grain into smaller chunks, thus allowing for reduced cooking time.

Millet is yet another small, round, yellowish grain that has more protein than most. It is cultivated and used around the world. A common technique used with millet is to toast it lightly in a dry pan till golden and then using it as a pilaf.

Plain long grain or short grain brown rice can be transformed into "rice pudding" with the addition of vanilla, cinnamon, nuts and yogurt. This is the perfect thing to do with left-over rice.

Brown rice is certainly available most everywhere.

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