What’s in a Grain?

Wheat has ears? Wheat berries grow at the top of

the wheat plant. The grains are tightly packed together in clusters and called ears.

Each ear of wheat is made up of 40-60 grains. The grains have to be separated from the ears and stalks before they can be turned into flour. Wheat berries are intact grains of wheat.

Parts of a grainBran: “outer shell”

that protects the seed. Contains vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber

Endosperm: inner, contains carbohydrates

Germ: food for the seed. Contains vitamins B & E, fat and protein

Whole Grains vs. RefinedWhole Grains:

Use the “whole” seed to make your grain products

Examples:◦ Whole wheat flour◦ Brown Rice◦ Whole wheat

pasta

Refined Grains: use only the endosperm “starchy part”

Examples:◦ White bread◦ White rice◦ Regular pasta

Types of grainsBarleyBuckwheatBulgurCornCouscousGranoKamutMillet

OatsQuinoa (keen-

wa)RiceRyeSpeltWheatWild Rice

Barley

BarleyOne of the oldest grains and still

a staple of Middle Eastern diets.Humans made bread from barley

long before they used wheat.Most barley sold for food is

“pearled” barley used in soups. Barley is “pearled” by polishing off the out layers of bran.

Buckwheat

BuckwheatThe fruit of a leafy plant belonging to

the same family as sorrel and rhubarb. This nutritious food has a nutty flavor

and is ideal for people allergic to the gluten in wheat.

Used by Americans for pancakes, by Russians for blintzes, and Japanese and Koreans for soba noodles.

Sometimes called groats or kasha.

Bulgur

BulgurBulgur is whole wheat processed

by steaming, drying , and cracking the kernels.

Bulgur maintains the nutritional values of whole wheat and is used in salads and pilafs.

Oats

OatsOriginally a weed in between rows of

wheat or barley.95% of the world’s oat crop is animal

feed. Our “oatmeal” is made from rolled oats-

oat groats that are steamed and flattened.

Quick cooking oatmeal is made from groats that are cut into several pieces before steaming and are rolled into thinner flakes.

Quinoa (keen-wa)

Quinoa (keen-wa)This pseudo-grain was grown by

the Incas centuries ago.It is rich in complete protein and

many nutrients.Can work as a rice substitute but

cooks in half the time.

Rice

RiceHalf the world’s population eats rice

three times a day.In Chinese, the words for rice and

culture are the same. In Japanese the word for rice also means

meal. Brown rice is the entire grain of rice with

only the inedible outer husk removed.Brown rice is nutritious, high in fiber,

and has a rich nutty flavor.

Rye

RyeRye was first seen as a weedRye was the basic grain of Britains

as well as countries of Northern and Eastern Europe.

Rye contains little gluten so 100%rye flour will not make a loaf of bread. Most rye bread is at least 80% wheat flour. Bread can have as little as 2% rye and still be called rye bread.

Wheat

WheatWheat ranks first in production

among the world’s grains and accounts for over 20% of all calories consumed by humans.

Common foods made with wheat are cereal, bread, crackers, pasta.