Grain foods are mostly made from wheat, oats, rice, rye, barley, millet, quinoa and corn. The different grains can be cooked and eaten whole, ground into flour to make a variety of cereal foods like bread, pasta and noodles, or made into ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.
Grains (cereal) foods can be broken up into four main groups. The main sub-groups are:
Other products - Pasta, noodles, English muffin, crumpet, rice cakes, couscous, bulgur, popcorn, flour.
Grains are divided into 2 subgroups, Whole Grains and Refined Grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel ― the bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples of whole grains include whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice. Refinedgrainshave been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. Some examples of refined grain products are white flour, de-germed cornmeal, white bread, and white rice. Health benefits
Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).
Dietary fiber from whole grains or other foods, may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
The B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin play a key role in metabolism – they help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. B vitamins are also essential for a healthy nervous system. Many refined grains are enriched with these B vitamins.
Folate (folic acid), another B vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia. They should eat foods high in heme-iron (meats) or eat other iron containing foods along with foods rich in vitamin C, which can improve absorption of non-heme iron. Whole and enriched refined grain products are major sources of non-heme iron in American diets.
Whole grains are sources of magnesium and selenium. Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation. It is also important for a healthy immune system.
How much a day? Consuming at least 4-6 serves of grain (cereal) foods per day is recommended for Australian adults, while the amount recommended for children and adolescents depends on their age and sex. Follow the links below to find out how many serves you need to eat per day. And what portion of my plate? Grains and cereals should be about 25 % of your plate.
Recipe - Czech fruit filled dumplings
Serves 4 Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose flour pinch of salt 10 g (1 scant tablespoon) sugar 190 ml lukewarm milk 10 g fresh yeast (or 1 tsp instant yeast) 5 g butter, melted 1 egg yolk To fill: 250 g (about 10 ounces) fruit (blueberries, plums, blackberries, apricots, strawberries…) sugar to taste (optional) To serve: cottage cheese melted butter (coconut) sugar to taste To make the dough, mix flour with salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm milk in which you have dissolved the yeast. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast bubbles up. Add the melted butter and the egg yolk and mix everything together. If the dough is too sticky to mix by hand, use a wooden spoon to beat it until it becomes smooth and springy to the touch. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draught free room, until it doubles in size. This takes about an hour or longer, depending on the room temperature. Take about a tablespoon of the dough and flatten it into an oval shape. Put the fruit of your choice in the middle. Larger fruits such as plums and apricots can be used whole, of berries you should use about a spoonful. Add a little sugar if desired and pinch the dough together to form a dumpling. It is important to seal the fruit inside so that no juices will escape. Turn the dumpling upside down and put it on a floured surface to rise. In a large pan, bring water to boil. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and put in about 5 dumplings at a time. Cover and boil about 5 – 8 minutes, depending on size. Take the dumplings out and let dry a little in a colander. If you have a steamer, you can also stem the dumplings instead. Use a stainless steamer basket, well oiled to stop the dumplings from sticking. Serve warm with cottage cheese, melted butter and sugar to taste.
There are many other types of dumplings in the Czech diet: potato dumplings, cranberry dumplings for svičkova, and sliced bread dumplings to name a few. But the sweet ones are my favorite! You can also sprinkle poppy seeds on top or coco powder--depending on your preference! I got the recipe from the link below, but every Czech family has their own unique version of it!