What are the healthiest whole grains?
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What are whole grains?
Whole grains are among some of the healthiest wholefoods you can eat, but what
exactly do we mean by whole grains? Whole grains as you might have guessed are a
type of grain, but specifically those that still have their germ and bran, unlike their
refined counterparts.
Generally speaking whole grains come in three main categories; cereals like wheat or
rice, minor cereals like millets and pseudocereals like quinoa or buckwheat. For now
we’ll focus on the healthiest and most popular whole grains, but there are plenty of
varieties to explore and experiment with!
Quinoa - the superfood you need in your kitchen.
Originating from South America, quinoa has been grown for thousands of years, but
only seems to be getting more and more popular, and with good reason. Unlike most
other whole grains quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine
essential amino acids that the body needs but cannot produce itself. This can be
particularly important for those on plant based diets, as some of these amino acids,
like lysine can be incredibly hard to find in plants.
Not only is quinoa an amazing source of protein, iron and fibre it also has strong
anti-inflammatory properties that make it truly unique when compared to other
grains like rice or couscous.
Alongside quinoa’s incredible nutritional makeup, it is also naturally gluten free so it
can be a great healthy alternative for those who are celiac or gluten intolerant.
Oats - a perfect whole grain for long lasting energy.
Oats are a classic healthy breakfast staple, whether in overnight oats or a more
traditional porridge, they are famed for its ability to keep you feeling full and
energised all through the day. However oats actually have countless health benefits
alongside satisfying your appetite.
Oats have incredibly high levels of fibre, which is obviously great for digestion, but in
particular they contain the hard to come by beta-glucan which is exceptionally good
for heart health. Similarly, the low glycaemic index of oats makes them a great tool
for keeping your blood sugar on track, and their slow burning energy release means
they can even help with weight loss!
Whole grains are among some of the healthiest wholefoods you can eat, but what
exactly do we mean by whole grains? Whole grains as you might have guessed are a
type of grain, but specifically those that still have their germ and bran, unlike their
refined counterparts.
Generally speaking whole grains come in three main categories; cereals like wheat or
rice, minor cereals like millets and pseudocereals like quinoa or buckwheat. For now
we’ll focus on the healthiest and most popular whole grains, but there are plenty of
varieties to explore and experiment with!
Quinoa - the superfood you need in your kitchen.
Originating from South America, quinoa has been grown for thousands of years, but
only seems to be getting more and more popular, and with good reason. Unlike most
other whole grains quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine
essential amino acids that the body needs but cannot produce itself. This can be
particularly important for those on plant based diets, as some of these amino acids,
like lysine can be incredibly hard to find in plants.
Not only is quinoa an amazing source of protein, iron and fibre it also has strong
anti-inflammatory properties that make it truly unique when compared to other
grains like rice or couscous.
Alongside quinoa’s incredible nutritional makeup, it is also naturally gluten free so it
can be a great healthy alternative for those who are celiac or gluten intolerant.
Oats - a perfect whole grain for long lasting energy.
Oats are a classic healthy breakfast staple, whether in overnight oats or a more
traditional porridge, they are famed for its ability to keep you feeling full and
energised all through the day. However oats actually have countless health benefits
alongside satisfying your appetite.
Oats have incredibly high levels of fibre, which is obviously great for digestion, but in
particular they contain the hard to come by beta-glucan which is exceptionally good
for heart health. Similarly, the low glycaemic index of oats makes them a great tool
for keeping your blood sugar on track, and their slow burning energy release means
they can even help with weight loss!
Brown rice, and why you need it in your diet:
Brown rice is one of the best whole grains you can incorporate into your diet,
especially since it is so easy to swap out white rice in favour of the healthier option.
Brown rice is so much healthier than white rice because of the amazing nutritional
content of its bran and germ, which makes it better for you in pretty much every way.
Firstly, brown rice has a significantly higher fibre content than white rice, which
makes it infinitely better for digestion and gut health. Secondly brown rice contains
more iron, magnesium, b vitamins and oxidants than white rice. Thirdly and most
importantly, brown rice has been shown to help with weight management and
reduce the risk of heart disease and type two diabetes!
The best time to incorporate whole grains into your diet is now:
The overwhelming health benefits of these whole grains should make them a high
priority for anyone looking to live healthily, and swapping over to them is remarkably
easy. There are also countless more whole grains waiting for you to try, so don’t feel
limited to stick to the ones mentioned above, we even have recipes available here to
show you how to really get the most from your whole grains. Whether this is your
entry point into healthy eating, or you’re just trying to make even more
improvements to your diet, whole grains are definitely the way to go!
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