Do you ever find yourself in a rut when it comes to meals? Are you always trying to figure out what to make with potatoes, pasta, or rice for dinner or even oatmeal for breakfast? Well switch it up. Most grains out there are interchangeable with others and will add a little extra flair and flavor to your meals instead of all the "boring usuals". In this post we will be covering grains and all their magnificent uses and health benefits.
Most grains, but especially whole grains, have oil in them that will eventually make the grains go rancid. This makes them tricky to store unless you know how. Moisture, air, and heat are the enemies of whole grains. This chart gives you an idea of how long you can store them in the pantry, fridge or freezer. These are good to know if you are only buying small amounts and won't use it real quick. Just make sure that it has a good seal on it so no moisture will get in. If you buy them in bulk the best way to store them would be in air tight buckets or mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. You will know if they have gone bad by the smell. Most grains will either smell kind of sweet or have no real smell to them at all unless they have gone bad then they will smell stale or rancid.
AMARANTH-The grains/seeds are yellow or black and are very small and shiny. It has a somewhat peppery flavor mixed with molasses and a hint of nuttiness. It is considered a pseudocereal, meaning that it’s not technically a cereal grain like wheat or oats, but it shares a comparable set of nutrients and is used in similar ways. Besides being a versatile grain it is also gluten-free and high in protein, fiber, micronutrients and antioxidants. Amaranth is simple to prepare and can be used in many different dishes. Before cooking you can choose to sprout it by soaking it in water for 1 to 3 days. It is believed to be easier to absorb all the great nutrients if
you do it this way, however you don't have to. To cook amaranth you need a 2:1 ratio of water to grain. 2 parts water to 1 part grain. Heat it to a boil then let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Some great ways to use Amaranth would be: add it to smoothies to boost the protein, use it in place of pasta, rice or couscous, use it as a thickener in soups and stews, make it into a breakfast cereal and mix in nuts, fruits or spices like cinnamon, toast the seeds like you would popcorn and enjoy as a crunchy snack or as a topper for salads. Cooked amaranth takes on a slightly gummy texture like okra. You can also make flour from amaranth. This website has some good suggestions for how to use amaranth in your meals.
BARLEY-This grain is available in many different forms including: hulled, pearl, grits, flakes and flour. Almost all forms of barley use the entire grain with the exception of pearl which has been polished and therefore has some or all of the outer bran layer removed. Barley is creamy and has a slightly nutty flavor though overall it is mostly a neutral tasting grain. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds which give it some impressive health benefits including: aiding in digestion, weight loss, help prevent gallstones from forming and helps lower cholesterol. Like amaranth it is suggested that you sprout barley to get its full benefits. If you do choose to sprout it, you can then dry the sprout and grind them into a flour for use in baking. To cook it you will need a 3:1 ratio of water to grain. Bring to a boil and then simmer 45-60 minutes, although some brands suggest soaking overnight. Pearl barley is easy to serve in place of rice because of its starchiness, especially replacing arborio rice for risottos. Whole barley, when it has its bran intact, plumps up nicely when cooked. It can also be added to soups, stews, bread, stuffing, salads, and even eaten as a hot cereal for breakfast. For an interesting twist try using it in desserts such as ice cream and pudding. Here are some recipes to get you started.
BULGUR- is wheat that has been steamed whole, dried and finally cracked. It comes in three different "cracks" or grinds: fine, medium and coarse. Because it has been steamed or pre-cooked it makes it faster to cook than other grains. To cook it you need a 2:1 ratio of water to 
grain. Once it boils it only takes 10-12 minutes to cook, except with fine bulgur with that all you have to do it soak it for a few minutes. Bulgur is traditionally used in Middle Eastern dishes such as tabbouleh and kibbeh. You can use it in a variety of dishes including: curry, stir-fry, as a binder for meatballs or loafs and pilafs. It is high in fiber, potassium, manganese and other nutrients that make it have many health benefits including helping boost your immune system. Bulgur, like most whole grains has a nutty flavor and a slightly chewy texture when cooked. Bonus, it even smells a little like popcorn when cooking. Here are some recipes.
CORNMEAL- when you hear cornmeal you probably think of cornbread, but there are many other things you can make with cornmeal depending on which variety you buy. If you want the most health benefits from it find the whole grain version of it, if it says it degerminated it is not whole grain. Most grocery stores only carry the degerminated versions because the whole grain contains the germ which has oils in it and that means it will go rancid. If kept in a fridge or freezer you will get a much longer shelf life out of it. Cornmeal also varies by the grind, there is fine, medium, coarse and stone ground. Fine and medium ground are the ones most commonly used in baking but they typically don't have a corn flavor to them. The more coarse grinds are typically used for puddings or polenta, although if you want a stronger corn flavor you can use this for making cornbread. Stone ground cornmeal is the whole grain corn that is cracked using "old world" methods (by hand) vs the new machine ways that most are cracked. There are other names for cornmeal but it is still cornmeal i.e. grits: coarse ground cornmeal traditionally made from hominy, polenta: medium to coarse ground corn of any variety, masa harina: a very fine cornmeal made from hominy translated it literally means "dough flour" and is typically used to make corn tortillas but can also be used as a thickener in soups, stews, and chilis and can be used in place of wheat flour. Best of all it is gluten free. Here are some unique recipes for using cornmeal.
MILLET-is a cereal grain that looks like a seed but actually comes from the grass family. It is gluten free and has high protein, fiber and antioxidant content. It is widely used in Asian and African cuisine. There are several varieties of millet that are divide into 2 categories, major and minor millet. Major millet are the most common varieties and include: pearl, foxtail, white and finger. Millet can be sprouted at home or you can even buy sprouted versions in stores. It can
also be ground into a flour. It has a buttery flavor. To cook you will need 2.5:1 ratio of water to grain. Bring to a boil then simmer for 25-30 minutes. It's texture will vary depending on how much water you add. It can be fluffy, sticky and even creamy. You can make millet as a breakfast food, add into salads, replace rice and pasta, as a side dish, and even added in cookies and cakes to boost nutrient levels. Here is a recipe resource. Here are some more recipes.
OATS- among the healthiest grain on earth and it generally is gluten free though it is best to double check because often times it can be contaminated during harvest and packaging. Oats are a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Oats come in a few different forms though the most common is rolled. For more info about the differences between regular and quick rolled oats click here. The oat groat is the intact whole oat and takes the longest to cook, then there is also the steel cut, crushed, and instant. Instant is the most processed of all oats and is the quickest cooking. Oats can even be made into milk. Oats are also a great skin care treatment and finely ground oats can be found in many skin care products. For some traditional and not so traditional recipes click here. Here are some ideas for how to use it on your skin.
QUINOA- this grain has become quite popular in the last few years. It's texture and mild taste make it a great replacement for rice. There are many health benefits to quinoa including: high fiber content to aid digestion and weight loss, it is a complete protein-there are 8 grams of 
protein in 1 cup of cooked quinoa, it is packed with lots of vitamins and minerals and is also a gluten free grain. The best part about quinoa is it is a fairly quick cooking grain and taste great hot or cold. Before cooking it is strongly recommended that you rinse it because it has a bitter tasting outer shell that needs to be washed off. There are some pre-washed varieties out there just make sure to check before cooking. Once rinsed and ready to cook you need a 2:1 ratio of water to grain, bring to a boil and then simmer 12-15 minutes. There are several different varieties or colors if you will: red, black, purple, white, and yellow. Most of which are interchangeable and might make it a little more appealing to kids since they are so colorful. Quinoa is such a versatile grain that the options for uses are almost endless. This website has a whole slew of recipes to get you started including some sweet applications.
RYE- a cereal grain that looks similar to wheat but is longer and varies in color from yellowish brown to a gray green. It is chock full of great stuff that has health benefits including antioxidants, the good carbs that help you feel fuller longer, lots of soluble fiber and tons of Vitamin E to help with the nervous system and metabolism. It comes in many forms including: rye berries, flakes, grits, flour and it is even now available in rolled form like oats. While it takes a back seat to wheat here in the US there are many places across the globe that use it quite extensively. Rye has a chewy texture and a rich, tangy flavor to it. To cook it you will need a 4:1 ratio of water to grain. Bring to a boil and then cook for about an hour. To reduce the cooking time it is suggested to soak them overnight. If you are using the flakes or any other cracked version of rye it is a 3:1 ratio of water to grain then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. It took some digging but I was able to find rye recipes that were more than just using the flour to make bread.
SORGHUM-in its whole form it can be cooked just like quinoa or rice and it can even be milled into flour or even popped like popcorn. It is gluten free and like all other whole grains has a ton of health benefits including being high in Vitamin B. It has a sweet flavor profile with hints of corn or wheat flavor. Sorghum flour works very well in pancakes, waffles, crepes and cookies. It goes good in salads and pilafs. It pairs well with: ham, pecans, warm spices, berries, and banana. To cook it you will need a 4:1 ratio of water to grain. Bring to a boil reduce to a simmer for 25-40 minutes. This website is dedicated to all things sorghum and has some good recipes to try.
Hopefully this list gives you some ideas and a great jumping off point to expand your grain repertoire and your recipe box. There are many other whole grains out there to give a try. For more information click here.
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