Healthy eating does not have to be bland and boring! Like many, perhaps you have made the switch from white rice to brown rice and that’s a great first step. There are literally aisles and shelves of whole grains that you may never have heard of or tried (yet). Many have way more nutritional value than your brown rice. Here’s my list of 5 Whole Grains you are not eating but should be.
5 Whole Grains you are not eating but should be
Sorghum
“Sorghum, an ancient cereal grain that’s a staple crop in India and throughout Africa, has long been considered a safe grain alternative for people with celiac disease and gluten insensitivity”. (source) One of the new “ancient grains” on the shelf, sorghum deserves a hard look packing a whopping 11 grams of protein for a half cup serving. It’s high in fiber, potassium and B vitamins. (source)
[you may like Greek Style Greens & Grains Bowl w Sorghum]
Freekeh
Freekeh gained popularity in the last few years as a trendy whole grain. “In Arabic, the word freekeh means “to rub.” About 2,000 years ago, the grain was created by accident when a Middle Eastern village was attacked and their young green wheat crop was set on fire. The villagers rubbed off the burnt outer layers and cooked up the grain, and thus freekeh was born. It has a crunchy, nutty taste, which has been described as a cross between brown rice and barley.” (source) Full of fiber, magnesium and 8 grams of protein per serving. Fabulous warm or in salads. Can even be used to make a delicious black bean burger.
Barley
Long used in warm cereals and soups, barley is full of fiber and considered a heart healthy addition to any diet. Some studies show barley has cardiovascular benefits for post-menopausal women.
Wheat Berries
With a similar look to brown rice, wheat berries are in fact, an intact wheat berry. Chewy and a little nutty, they are a fantastic base for whole grain salads. Containing 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving, they pack a healthy punch.
Farro
The chewy and nutty flavor of this whole grain makes it a great substitute for quinoa or brown rice. Used as a hearty accompaniment to this Roasted Eggplant dish. A great source of zinc, magnesium and B vitamins, Farro is easy to use in salads and as a stand alone side. (source)
Whole grains such as these are more available than ever in traditional grocery stores, whole food markets and of course on amazon. I prefer the Bobs Red Mill brands pictured below. Prepping whole grains is as simple as preparing rice.
Tell me which whole grains are you enjoying in your diet? Are any of these new to you?
I’ve heard of barley before and my Dad makes a wonderful beef and barley stew. I’m so bad at trying new grains because I never know how to use them. Just have to dive in right?!
Yes jump in! If you can make rice, you can make any of these. They are so much healthier and tastier. Trust me do it
I love all of these grains and the recipes to go with them all look so good.
Thanks so much! An easy way to get more fiber into your diet
Thanks! Barley is the only one of these we use regularly. I need to branch out more 🙂
If you like barley, you will love all of these!
I love Farro! Amaranth is also interesting in bars and baking. Thanks for these great recipes! One of my goals is to cook more this year!
I also love amaranth. I find all of these whole grains so much tastier than plain old rice
I’ve tried most of these, but never sorghum! I think of it as being sweet because I associate it with sorghum syrup, but I’m pretty sure the grain and the syrup come from different varieties of sorghum.
No it’s not sweet at all but very tasty. It’s my new fave! I have not tried the syrup and I am not sure where it comes from
Sorghum is a new to me grain – I’ve never heard of it before, but now I’m intrigued! I think that sometimes we just get to used to eating certain foods that we don’t branch out.
Oh yes it is so easy to get into a food rut. One of my goals is to branch out more.
Those freekeh black bean burgers look amazing! Thank you for posting the recipe. I will definitely give it a try!
One of my favorite recipes that I had forgotten all about myself! I will be making them again soon too. Hope you enjoy
This is a great resource. I really need to broaden my food roster. I gad not heard of any of these until seeing them in your recipes.
It really is easy to play around with whole grains. If you can make rice, you can make any of these. They taste so much better and have way more nutrients.You can do it!!
None of those are new to me, but with the exception of barley, I have not tried any of them. Brown rice & quinoa are my staples! And oats, of course.
It’s fun to try new grains and switch things up a bit. Hope I inspired you a little 🙂
My main grains are rice and oatmeal. I really need to try out some of these for the fiber content. Thanks for sharing!
I promise they taste so much better than rice! If you can make rice, you can make any of them. Hope I gave you some inspiration to step out of your comfort zone
Awesome post! There are so many delicious whole grains out there, and I think some people find it overwhelming how to cook, but these recipes are a great start!
Yes true but if you can cook rice, you can make any of these
Oh boy. The only one of these I have even HEARD of is barley! And sadly, I rarely eat it (though I love it!). When I’m being good I eat pretty low-carb, so it’s hard to get my grains in.
Oooh I eat everything on here except sorghum! I had no idea that’s what it even was… and I thought I was well-versed. Now to try!
It’s my new favorite of late! Give it a go and let me know what you think
I’ve seen some recipes (I think maybe smoothies) that call for Wheat berry. Where do you get that?
Thanks for linking up with us.
So you can find most of them in the organic section of your grocery store, whole foods or using any of the amazon links I posted. Hope I inspired you to try a few of them
This is such a good list! I don’t think I have any of these! Oops! Thank you for sharing!! Have a great weekend Deborah!!
Really!? I hope I inspired you to try a few
I’ve tried all of these except for sorghum! :O I’ll need to check that out sometime!
It’s my new favorite!
I love all these grains! I wish my husband was more “adventurous “.
Maybe if you just surprise him with a new one he won’t notice 🙂
we’ve had freekeh, barley and farro before – but the other 2 not. I still haven’t quite had the energy or time to dive into recipes and get cooking! Sorghum could be real interesting with all that protein!! First we need to get through the grains we have in our kitchen cupboard though (also a “resolution” to eat what we have on hand).
I am also trying to eat all the “healthy” stuff in my pantry. I do like discovering new grains to mix up my diet. Farro is one of my favorites too
I have never used Freekeh, but it sounds great! I am going to have to try the recipe here with it…YUM!!!
Great hope you enjoy! Have a great weekend
I have to say I don’t get a lot of grains in my meals.
I have used Sorghum flour before, but never had it in its whole form.
Thanks for reminding me to get some more grains in 🙂
It is really quite easy to mix up your whole grains. If you can make rice, you can make any of these. I have another great recipe on the blog today you might like