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Real Food

The Real Food Experience ~ Eat Whole Grains – Juggling Real Food and Real Life

Wow!  You’ve made it to week two of The Real Food Experience already.  Last week was all about eating more fruits and vegetables.  We are going to keep that up this week and add another step to our real food journey.  By the time we are done with our four weeks, we will be well on our way to living a real food lifestyle.

Our goal this week is all about Eating Whole Grains.

The Real Food Experience 2014

That’s right it’s all about dumping the processed white bread, rice, and, and pasta.  It’s time to switch your family to whole grains.  For some of you this week will be nice and easy and for others………..it will be quite difficult. My kids very easily switched to whole wheat pasta, but the teenager really had a hard time making the switch to white bread.  Maybe, that’s why so many of his sandwiches are made with whole wheat tortillas?

 

Whole Grain Tuna Wrap

So what am I talking about when I say, “Eat Whole Grains?”  Well, there are obvious whole grains like oats and quinoa (keen-wah)…………even popcorn is considered a whole grain. When it comes to wheat, it gets a little bit more difficult.  The way we know that wheat is a whole grain, is when the ingredient is listed as, “whole wheat.”  Anything and everything other than “whole” is not considered to be whole wheat.  You will often see “durum” and “semolina”.  Nice words, but without “whole” it’s not whole wheat.  Also be aware that if it says 7-grain or something similar…….it doesn’t necessarily mean that any of those 7 are whole grains.  Read your labels carefully.  Look for the Whole Grain Council’s stamp.

The Whole Grain Council Stamp

Whole grains are more nutritious because they contain the entire grain.  There are three parts to the grain………the bran, the endosperm, and the germ.  Each carry nutrients, but when wheat is processed into white flour, it loses much of its nutrition.  This is why you will see so many white breads bragging about how they are “enriched” with vitamins and minerals.  All of the nutrition has been stripped away due to processing.

I also encourage you this week to try some new whole grains.  There are lots of them!  The Whole Grain Council has a great list to check out.  Whole Grains A to  Z.  Search your grocery stores for new grains to try.  I’ve noticed that I see more and more grains from Bob’s Red Mill at my regular grocery store.  My organic co-op has lots of different options available in their bulk bins.   Start thinking about how much nutrition you will be giving your body with each different grain.  What a treat for you body!

One last tip…………if whole wheat pasta is new to you, you may be surprised by its firmer texture.  I suggest you cook it a bit longer than the directions say.  Your kids may be more willing to eat it if it has the same texture as the pasta they are used to.

Whole Wheat Pasta

OK…..time to get to this.  I can’t wait to hear what you are eating this week?  Let me know what your favorite whole grains are.   Another fun thing to do is to come up with ways to combine your favorite fruits and vegetables (week 1) with your whole grains.

Can’t get enough Juggling Real Food and Real Life?  Make sure you subscribe to our email list so you don’t miss a post.  You will also want to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  Just look for the buttons at the top to follow us on your favorite social media.  We also have a Real Food Experience Facebook group.  If you would like to join us, leave me your Facebook email address (the one you sign on with) in the comments below or email me at jugglingrealfoodandreallife@gmail.com.

 


6 Comments

« 10 Easy Ways to Include Fruits and Veggies In Your Breakfast – Juggling Real Food and Real Life
Can Whole Grains Be Sexy? – Juggling Real Food and Real Life »

Comments

  1. Scarlett @Scarletts Excellent Adventures says

    January 13, 2014 at 3:11 am

    Woo hoo! Didn't know popcorn was a whole grain! Lots of good info here – now I'm off to check out my packages for the stamp!

    Reply
    • Juggling Real Food and Real Life says

      January 13, 2014 at 3:40 am

      I was pretty excited when I found out about popcorn, too. Now I feel good about including it in the kids' lunches. It's fun, tasty, and healthy. I hope you find some stamps in your cupboard. Make sure you are reading your labels.

      Reply
  2. Trinity Grace says

    January 13, 2014 at 3:15 am

    Interesting. I never thought of popcorn as a whole grain. It is one of my favorite snacks, and I have learned to make my own microwave popcorn without the additives (THANKS TO YOU AND A POST YOU WROTE A WHILE BACK). This is one of the few things that I use my microwave for.

    Reply
    • Juggling Real Food and Real Life says

      January 13, 2014 at 2:12 pm

      Popcorn really is a whole grain. Exciting, isn't it? I love the crunch of popcorn. I think it's a great substitute for potato chips. I'm glad you are enjoying the microwave popcorn. Nice and easy, isn't it?

      Reply
  3. Kristen Mae says

    January 13, 2014 at 3:21 pm

    We do whole-grain everything EXCEPT pasta. Every now and then I'll get persnickity and get the whole-grain stuff but I really am not fond of the taste at all. Meh. Maybe you just inspired me to try again. Maybe if I cook it longer… =)

    Reply
    • Juggling Real Food and Real Life says

      January 13, 2014 at 7:31 pm

      Good job with the whole-grain. You may never like the pasta, but that does surprise me. Make sure it is just whole wheat, maybe? We tried some with flax added and we all hated it. Maybe, it just takes some time to get used to it. We eat pasta all the time. Didn't take long for us to get used to it. LOL! Try cooking it longer…….let me know if that helps.

      Reply

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