WearActive Blog - Whole grains and how to cook them

WHOLE GRAINS & how to cook them...

These tips will help you to prepare whole grains in a way that you, your family and friends can enjoy as much as we do. Often these grains are in our kitchen but they can be intimidating to cook with if you have never used them before. They are versatile and nutritious adding fibre to each meal. After a day of activity such as hiking or biking in the Austrian mountains, as well as providing really tasty plant based meals for our guests, we all need a meal that will satisfy our hunger and refuel us for the next days adventure. Grains are the perfect energy providers for an active holiday such as ours at MoaAlm Mountain Retreat.

Whole Grains and how to Cook them — Whole Grains

We would like to share background information why whole grains are so nutritious.

Background on nutrition and history...

There are three main components of a grain: the germ, the endosperm and the bran. The germ constitutes the heart of the grain. This is where growth occurs, it is rich in healthy fats, vitamin E, B vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants. It is separated from the endosperm by a membrane. This layer is very rich in micro minerals to nourish the germinating plant and as such, eating the germ would provide a rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals. The endosperm provides a supply of food to the new plant to keep it alive until it can generate its own through photosynthesis. It contains 70% starch and 12 % protein. The Bran is a fibrous protective outer coat that supplies B vitamins, iron, chopper, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants and phytochemicals.

The invention of industrialised roller mills in the late 19th century changed the way grains were processed. Milling removes bran and germ, leaving only the soft, easy to digest endosperm. The germ is removed because of its fat content, which can limit the shelf life of processed wheat products. Without the fibrous bran, the grain is easier to chew. Refining wheat creates fluffy flour that makes light, airy bread and pastries. The resulting highly processed grains are much lower in nutritional quality and excessively starchy and high in gluten. Also, refined grains are often enriched, which means that some of the B vitamins and iron are added back in after processing. Fortifying flour however after processing could never replace what has been nutritionally lost.

In practice...

First, the measurements of water we give you can vary depending on the variety of whole grains you buy in your local supermarket. It may take one or two experiments to find out the perfect amount of water for the kind of grain. These following recipes are based on 500 g of a whole grain, this is a lot, on purpose, so you can store them in your fridge and make a lot of wonderful, super simple recipes in the days following.

Tip 1:

Generally, we recommend spreading the cooked grains out on a big baking tray to allow them to cool down. Leaving them in the pot will steam them further and maybe soften the grain too much. Once cooled, they are easily stored in an airtight container for 5 days in your refrigerator.

Tip 2:

Grains are boring? Yes, they can be, but there are some simple ingredients you can add already during the cooking process for a different outcome every time. For example:

1 tbsp ground turmeric or curry powder

1 tbsp Harissa or tomato paste

1 tbsp Dried thyme or oregano

5 Bay leaves, curry leaves or lime leaves

Exchange 100 ml of water for 100 ml of beetroot juice or carrot juice (extra iron!)

One chopped onion

Tip 3:

Take 100 g of your cooked grains from the fridge, mix in 1 tbsp of vegetable broth and place in a 180°C hot oven for 15 minutes, then add nuts, herbs or dry fruit.