1. Bring on the Barley
Barley is a hearty grain that has calcium and other nutrients. It is flavorful alone or when prepared with other foods. Barley is a great substitute for rice in main dishes or as a side dish. Prepare barley in your choice of soup stock for added flavor. Combine barley with steamed broccoli and cheese. Cook until the cheese is melted. Barley is a tasty grain that can also be used as a main breakfast dish in place of oatmeal, and it's hard to forget that malted barley forms the basis of a popular social drink--beer.
2. Barley Simplified
Presoak barley overnight if you want to reduce cooking time and make preparing your dinner less hectic. This advanced preparation is particularly helpful on busy days. You can cook presoaked barley in as little as 15 minutes versus the usual 45 minutes it usually takes. This time-saving tip makes it easy to add barley into a diet. Barley is a great food choice for diabetics because it can help to regulate blood glucose levels.
3. Go Organic
Buy organic barley whenever possible. Organic grains such as barley are grown without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Although the cost of organic barley is somewhat higher than conventional barley, it lacks the unhealthy pesticides. Barley is generally widely available, so you won't need to make a separate stop at the natural foods store.
4. The Soup is on
Barley makes a great addition to homemade soup for a hearty and tasty combination. Beef barley is a very popular soup and is easy to prepare, using beef, broth, tomatoes and onions. If you don't like beef, add a meat substitute to complete the soup. Use commercially prepared soup stock if you don't want to spend time preparing it from scratch. While the end result is flavorful, the process is time-consuming, and packaged soup stock is surprisingly tasty. Freeze leftover soup so you have it easily available when needed. This makes it even easier to incorporate barley into your diet.
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