The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends at least half of your daily grain servings come from whole grains. Whole grains include whole-wheat bread and pasta, multigrain crackers and cereals, oatmeal, bran, millet, barley, corn and quinoa. Creating menus that incorporate whole grains is easy with a few simple switches.
Significance
Whole grains retain the outer layer of the grain kernel, where much of the nutrition exists. Refined white grains, including white flour and white rice, have had this outer layer removed, leaving mostly the starchy interior. Whole grains contain more fiber and B vitamins than unenriched refined grains. Fiber is essential to digestive health, and may help lower blood cholesterol levels. The fiber in whole grains can also help fill you up and, because it digests more slowly than refined grains, prevents extreme spikes in your blood sugar that can cause overeating and cravings. The B vitamins help your body obtain energy from the food you eat and promote nervous system functioning. Whole-grain foods also provide the bone-building mineral magnesium and the immune-boosting trace mineral selenium.
Mexican Menu
A Mexican-inspired whole-grain menu begins with cheese quesadillas made on whole-wheat, rather than white-flour tortillas. For the main dish, stew black beans with onions, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Serve over whole-grain quinoa cooked with onions, green chilies and canned diced tomatoes. Offer sliced avocado, chopped cilantro and sour cream as toppings. Make homemade popcorn balls for dessert -- popcorn is a whole grain.
Italian Feast
An Italian style whole-grain menu offers classic woven wheat crackers with thin slices of fresh mozzarella topped with basil as a starter. For the main course, cook whole-wheat penne and top with meatballs made with ground turkey. Use a whole-wheat loaf of bread to make homemade garlic bread and serve steamed broccoli on the side. For dessert, offer baked apples topped with a streusel made with oatmeal, a small amount of butter, cinnamon and sugar.
Soup and Sandwich
Start the meal with baked corn tortilla chips dipped into hummus. Make a homemade beef and barley soup by cooking 2 lbs. of stew beef with chopped leeks and carrots, and garlic cloves until browned. Add 6 cups water, a dash of salt, fresh thyme leaves, 2 bay leaves, 28 oz. of beef broth and cracked black pepper. Cook for about 1 hour, then add 1 cup dry pearl barley and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Serve the soup with grilled Swiss cheese, tomato and mustard sandwiches made on whole-grain bread. For dessert, offer rice pudding made with brown rice instead of white rice.
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