Grain Game

Happy Monday!  Last Monday I posted a Mother’s Day Gift Guide with a bunch of fun favorites from a few of my friends.  Let’s be honest, the list is for you to treat yourself or give someone a hint!  

I am still a cooking instructor first and foremost and even though I almost never teach in person anymore, I still teach a new cooking class online every month!  It’s edited to 1 hour which you watch on your own time. All recipes are brand new and will not be published anywhere for at least a year.  This month is a brunch theme and you can check out the class here!

I receive a lot of questions about grains: Are they good for you?  Toxic? Will they make you gain weight?  Are gluten-free grains better than grains containing gluten?  First of all, let’s stop demonizing food.  You know what to eat.  

In my opinion, based on the science* (although we can find studies to prove ANYTHING we want to believe), eating whole grains can be beneficial to heart health and are linked to longevity.  I eat grains and grain-based products.  I try to eat grains in their whole form as much as possible because they impact blood sugar less than flour-based products.  Flour-based products *tend* to be more processed with added ingredients and more palatable, therefore, they are easy to overeat.

I do not think you need to avoid gluten unless you have diagnosed autoimmune disease like Celiac or you have made a connection between eating gluten and a negative impact on your health (such as digestive issues, for example.)  Many gluten-free products have less fiber and fewer nutrients than the same products made with gluten-containing flours.

I have limited space in a newsletter to discuss a topic that one could write a BOOK about.  But ultimately, here’s what I do personally:

*I eat grains, mostly in whole form. I love all rice, farro, and barley the most.

*I try to include non-starchy vegetables and protein at each meal so that I don’t over-consume grains or carbs.

*I need carbs to function, so I don’t do a low-carb diet. There are carbs in grains, fruit, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, winter squash, legumes, concentrated sweeteners, dairy (lactose), and (in lesser amounts) vegetables.

*Diversity is one of the most important tenets of a healthful diet, so try to incorporate different types of grains/carbs, and not just wheat all day, every day.

*I LOVE grain-free baked goods which usually have a base of almond flour and don’t spike my blood sugar as much as grain flour-based goods. I just posted a recipe on my site for grain-free blueberry scones and they’re delicious!

My favorite pot to cook a small amount of grains is the Staub petite cocotte.

If you make quinoa (technically a pseudo-cereal and not a grain), you need a fine mesh sieve to rinse the quinoa before cooking.

This is an article I wrote about arsenic in rice many years ago but the information still holds true today.

If you don’t want to buy different flours for baking, Bob’s Red Mill “Paleo Flour” is pretty good.

My favorite bread is naturally leavened sourdough which I buy from local bakeries or through Wildgrain (full disclosure: I have a partnership with Wildgrain later this month, and I love them)

I have mentioned my friend Phoebe Lapine’s book Carbivore before, and it’s a great primer on how to enjoy carbs healthfully.  Great recipes too!

After I went through a whole newsletter about how I like and eat grains, I do prefer legumes (lentils, beans, peas, etc.) over grains because they contain much more fiber and protein.

There are so many excellent grain-free subs if you need them:

• Siete Foods grain-free tortillas

• Cauliflower Rice (i just pulse in the food processor or buy it frozen)

• Kaizen lupini bean pasta

Citations *Tiwari U, Cummins E. Meta-analysis of the effect of β-glucan intake on blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Nutrition. 2011 Oct;27(10):1008-16.

Sun Q, Spiegelman D, van Dam RM, Holmes MD, Malik VS, Willett WC, Hu FB. White rice, brown rice, and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jun 14;170(11):961-9.

Law MR, Morris JK, Wald NJ. Use of blood pressure lowering drugs in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of 147 randomised trials in the context of expectations from prospective epidemiological studies. BMJ. 2009 May 19;338:b1665.

Tighe P, Duthie G, Vaughan N, Brittenden J, Simpson WG, Duthie S, Mutch W, Wahle K, Horgan G, Thies F. Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Oct;92(4):733-40.

My newsletter is a sponsor-free zone and is fully supported by readers.  Consider being a paid subscriber to get Even More Musings!  Today I am sharing a plant-based, high-protein, high-fiber recipe that is quick & easy! I call it Grain-free “Tabbouleh” and it's so delicious!