A chef from Whole Foods Market demonstrated how to use various whole grains like brown rice, wheat berries, and pearled barley in meals. She shared recipes for breakfast porridge made with brown rice, a wheat berry and apricot salad, and a barley pilaf. Whole grains provide more fiber and nutrients than processed grains and have a nutty taste and chewy texture. The chef provided tips for incorporating more whole grains into meals easily.

2. We had a special treat in the cooking studio when Evelyn Margolin, an Institute of
Culinary Education trained chef and Culinary Demonstration Specialist from the
Ridgewood, NJ Whole Foods Market demonstrated how to use a variety of whole
grains in the diet. She shared ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Wondering what exactly is a whole grain? And what's all this fuss about whole
grains anyway? A grain kernel is basically the seed of a grain plant. All grains
consist of three parts: the bran or outer coating which contains fiber, the germ or
embryo which contains B vitamins, minerals, protein and fat and the
endosperm, the largest portion of the grain kernel that contains mostly
carbohydrates. In order for a product to be considered whole grain, it must
contain the same amount and all of same proportions of bran, germ and
endosperm of the natural grain kernel as when it was harvested. Even if it was
processed, it would still be considered whole grain if the missing portions were
added back in. Processing removes most of the fiber-rich bran and protein-rich
germ. Simply put, whole grains are more nutritious than processed or refined
grains.

3. The three grains Evelyn used were brown rice, wheat berries and pearled barley.
Brown rice is processed only enough to remove the inedible outer husk while
keeping the bran intact. Wheat berries are the seeds of the wheat plant which
also have had the inedible husk removed. They come in several varieties, white
or red, hard or soft, winter or spring. Cracked wheat is made when wheat berries
are "cracked" apart into smaller pieces which decreases the cooking time but
preserves the whole grain nature of kernel. Bulgur takes the process one step
further by par-boiling the wheat berry and then cracking it. This reduces the
cooking time even further. Barley is the fourth largest grain crop after wheat, rice
and corn. Pearled barley technically can't be considered a whole grain because
most of the bran has been removed in the polishing process. While whole grain
hulled barley is available, it is limited in supply and difficult to find outside of
specialty markets.
Pearled barley, brown rice and pre-soaked wheat berries all take about the same
amount of time to cook by bringing water or a flavored liquid to a boil, add the
grain, and simmer covered for ~40-50 minutes. As a rule of thumb, most grains
are cooked using the following ratio: 1 cup of grain to 2- 2 1/2 cups liquid.

4. The nutritional value of whole grains makes it worth the extra time. They are
rich in fiber, folic acid, B-vitamins, Vitamin E and protein. While white rice is
often re-fortified with B-vitamins, you can’t get the fiber and protein back. The
taste and texture of whole grains are another bonus. The nutty taste and chewy
texture make you feel like you’re eating something substantial.
Evelyn discussed tips for incorporating more whole grains in our diets that wont'
break the time bank. For example, the brown rice breakfast porridge can be
made with left over brown rice from dinner the night before. Once you get that
brown rice cooking, it doesn't matter how much you make as increasing the
amount doesn't increase the cooking time. Because wheat berries require some
soaking time, with a little forethought you can start a whole bunch soaking in a
jar or bowl in the refrigerator when you're prepping dinner tonight and use it
tomorrow. And once soaked, they can be refrigerated and used over the course
of the week in different dishes. Pearled barley takes about 20-30 minutes longer
to cook than white rice but if you get it started at the beginning of the meal prep
it will be ready in plenty of time.

5. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that all Americans make
half or more of their grains whole grains. For those age 9 and up, this means
eating 3 to 5 servings or more of whole grains every day. What’s considered a
serving? 1/2 cup cooked rice, bulgur, pasta, or cooked cereal, 1 ounce dry
pasta, rice or other dry grain, 1 slice bread, 1 small muffin (one ounce), 1 cup
ready-to-eat cereal flakes.
I would be remiss to have a discussion about whole grains, especially brown rice
without addressing the recent reports on the arsenic content of rice and foods
made with rice. Arsenic, found naturally in soil is picked up by all plants grown in
soil but rice may be particularly susceptible because it is grown under water. The
FDA released preliminary data on arsenic levels in rice and rice products on
September 19, 2012. The FDA statement indicated that they are in the process of
collecting and analyzing ~ 1200 food samples to fully examine the issue. This
data collection and analysis is expected to be completed at the end of 2012.
Based on current data and scientific literature the FDA does not have an
adequate scientific basis to recommend changes by consumers regarding their
consumption of rice and rice products. FDA Commissioner Margaret A.
Hamburg, MD stated, “Our advice right now is that consumers should continue to
eat a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of grains, not only for good
nutrition but to also minimize any potential consequences from consuming any
one particular food.” We’ll all have to stay tuned to this one.

6. Whole Foods Market's motto: Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet
emphasizes that their vision reaches far beyond just being a food retailer. They
measure their success as a company through customer satisfaction, Team
Member excellence and happiness, return on capital investment, improvement in
the state of the environment, and local and larger community support. It was a
privilege to partner with their organization in the cooking studio at the John
Theurer Cancer Center and we are planning future programs.

7. Breakfast Porridge
(Brown Rice)
Serves 1 (From Tracy
Flaherty CHHC, CPT, AADP)
Ingredients:
4 ounces brown rice, cooked
1 ounce chopped almonds
1 teaspoon almond butter
½ cup blueberries or fruit of
choice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Method:
After boiling the rice add all
of the ingredients and mix
together.

8. Wheat Berry, Apricot and Arugula Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup wheat berries
½ cup sliced shallots
½ cup apple juice
2 stalks celery thinly sliced
1 cup packed arugula
1 cup dried apricots (about 24) chopped
½ cup toasted sliced almonds
Method:
Place wheat berries in a large bowl and cover with several inches of cold water.
Let soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse wheat berries and place in a
medium saucepan. Cover by several inches with fresh water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until berries are tender and some
break open, about 45 minutes. Drain well. Place wheat
berries, shallots, juice, celery, arugula and almonds in a large bowl and toss to
combine. Let sit at least 1 hour to blend flavors before serving.

9. Barley Pilaf
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup pearled barley
2 ½ cups low-salt vegetable broth divided
1 bay leaf
1 medium carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Method:
Sauté onion in pan using ½ vegetable broth. Add barley; cook 3 minutes, stirring
constantly. Add two cups vegetable broth and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat
to low, stir once, and cover. Cook until barley is almost tender, about 40-45
minutes.
Add carrot and bell pepper; cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 6
minutes. Remove pilaf from heat and stir. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Discard
bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon peel and serve.