Unlike milled wheat, which loses much of its nutrient content during processing, whole wheat retains its bran and germ along with their fiber, minerals and vitamins. Cracked wheat consists of wheat kernels that have been crushed or broken before cooking. The U.S. Department of Agriculture treats wheat and bulgur as the same food when evaluating their nutritional contents. In fact, bulgur is steamed to soften the grain before cracking, while the kernels of cracked wheat are broken while the grain is dry. Use cracked wheat for baking or serve this nutritious grain as a cereal, a side dish or in salads.
Carbohydrates
One cup of cooked cracked wheat contains 34 g of complex carbohydrates. Your body converts the carbohydrates in cracked wheat into glucose for energy. Because these grains are less refined than wheat flour, the carbohydrates in cracked wheat break down gradually in your digestive system and release energy more slowly than the carbohydrates in refined wheat products.
Fiber
A 1-cup serving of cracked wheat contains 8 g of insoluble fiber, a form of fiber that does not dissolve in water. This fiber passes through your colon, easing the transit of digestive wastes. A diet high in fiber maintains the health of your colon, prevents constipation and may prevent heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Protein
One cup of cracked wheat contains 6 g of protein. Protein provides the essential building materials for your cells, tissues and chemical compounds such as hormones and enzymes. Dietary protein allows your body to grow and repair itself after injury.
Manganese
Manganese activates enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids and cholesterol. This mineral also plays important roles in bone and cartilage formation and in wound healing. One cup of cracked wheat contains 1.1 mg of manganese, half of the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of 2.3 mg per day for men, and almost the entire RDA of 1.8 mg for women.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays an essential role in nerve conduction and heart function, carbohydrate and fat metabolism and bone formation. A 1-cup serving of cracked wheat provides 58 mg of magnesium, which is 18 percent of the RDA of 320 mg for women over 30 and 14 percent of the RDA of 420 for men over 30.
Iron
Iron allows your blood to transport oxygen and enables your cells to produce energy. The 2 mg of iron in 1 cup of cracked wheat represent 25 percent of the RDA of 8 mg for adults over age 19 and 11 percent of the RDA of 18 mg for women over 19.
B Vitamins
Cracked wheat offers small to moderate amounts of several of the B vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6, folate and pantothenic acid. The B vitamins are active in many vital physiological processes, including nutrient metabolism and energy production, blood cell formation and nervous system function.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Bulgur, Cooked, 1 Cup
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Nutrition Facts for Everyone: Basics: Carbohydrates
- Wheat Foods Council: What Are Wheat Foods?
- USDA MyPyramid.gov: Inside the Pyramid --- What Foods Are in the Grain Group?
Member Comments