-Why should we eat whole grains more often as the experts are now telling us?  They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. There are studies that say that whole grains also contain antioxidants, lignans, phenolic acids, phytoestrogens and other phytochemicals that may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.

-What are whole grain foods and flours:
Amaranth, Barley (lightly pearled), Brown and Colored Rice, Buckwheat, Bulgur, Corn and Whole Cornmeal, Emmer, Farro, Grano (lightly pearled wheat), Kamut® grain, Millet, Oatmeal and Whole Oats, Popcorn, Quinoa, Sorghum, Spelt, Teff, Triticale, Whole Rye, Whole or Cracked Wheat, Wheat Berries, and Wild Rice.

-Whole grains may be eaten whole, cracked, split or ground. They can be milled into flour or used to make breads, cereals and other processed foods. If a food label states that the package contains whole grain, the "whole grain" part of the food inside the package is required to have virtually the same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the harvested kernel does before it is processed.

-Where to start:

 Try some of the following:

• Substitute half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your regular recipes for cookies, muffins, quick breads and pancakes.
   
• Add half a cup of cooked bulgur, wild rice, or barley to bread stuffing.
   
• Add half a cup of cooked wheat or rye berries, wild rice, brown rice, sorghum or barley to your favorite canned or home-made soup.
   
• Use whole corn meal for corn cakes, corn breads and corn muffins.
   
• Make risottos, pilafs and other rice-like dishes with whole grains such as barley, brown rice, bulgur, millet, quinoa or sorghum.
   
• Enjoy whole grain salads like tabbouleh.
   
• Try whole grain breads.
   
• Buy whole grain pasta, or one of the blends that’s part whole-grain, part white.
   
• Look for cereals made with grains like kamut, kasha (buckwheat) or spelt.

Try Toasty Oats sprinkled on a salad, vegetables, casserole or savory muffin topping, made into crumbs for oven baked chicken or fish or added to hamburger meat for meatloaf, meatballs or tasty hamburgers.

Toasty Oats

2 c rolled oats
¼ c olive oil
1/3 c wheat germ
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt

 Combine all ingredients. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees, for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until light golden brown.  Cool and store in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

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