A guide to cooking whole grains

February 22, 2007 in More Healthy Cooking Resources

Why add whole grains to your diet? For starters, whole grains add fibre, iron, magnesium, B-vitamins and vitamin E - not to mention great taste - to your diet. What's more, a diet rich in whole grains has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, some types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

With the exception of oats, thoroughly rinse all grains under running water before cooking to remove any dirt or debris. Rinsing quinoa also helps remove the natural seed coating called saponin which acts as an insect repellent. (Processing methods used in commercial cultivation of quinoa remove most of the saponins, but it's still a good idea to rinse.) Use water or low sodium broth for cooking liquid. To add flavour to cooked grains, add a bay leaf to simmering grains.

To help you increase your whole grain intake, we've compiled a cooking guide for some of our favourites.  (Your goal: three servings each day!)

 

Type of Grain	Grain to Liquid         Cooking Ratio	Approximate     Cooking Time
Amaranth	1 part amaranth:3 part liquid	20 to 25 minutes
Barley (hulled)	1 part barley:3.5 parts liquid	1 hour to 1 ½ hours
Brown rice (short-grain)	1 part rice:2 parts liquid	35 minutes
Brown rice (long-grain)	1 part rice:2 ½ parts liquid	45 minutes
Buckwheat groats (kasha)	1 part buckwheat:2 parts liquid	30 minutes
Millet (hulled)	1 part millet:2.5 parts liquid	25 minutes
Oats (rolled)	1 part oats:2 parts liquid	10 to 20 minutes
Oats (steel cut)	1 part oats:4 parts liquid	30 minutes
Oat groats	1 part oats:2 parts liquid	45 minutes
Wheatberries (hard)*	1 part wheatberries:5 parts liquid	55 to 65 minutes
Wild rice	1 part rice:3 ½ parts liquid	40 to 60 minutes
Quinoa	1 part quinoa:2 parts liquid	12 to 15 minutes

 *Note: Wheatberries must be soaked before cooking. Soaking softens the grain kernel so cooking time is reduced. To soak, place rinsed berries in a bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight.

According to the 2007 Canada's  Food Guide, a serving of cooked whole grains is ½ cup (125 ml).  For more information on serving sizes of grains, click here.

All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.

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