It’s time to make what’s old, new again! Consciously start eating all sorts of grains with ancient pedigrees, which we have all but discarded these days. To begin with, let’s aim for half our grains to be whole (and different) every day. It’s not that difficult.
My list of grains to begin plating ASAP is as follows:
Amaranth
Complete Protein: The benefits of eating amaranth (rajgira) include its delicious peppery taste and the fact that it is a brilliant source of complete protein. It contains all the essential amino acids including lysine and methionine, which are usually lacking in vegetarian protein sources.
Low Glycemic Index: Its low glycemic index makes it great for diabetics and also for people looking to lose weight. Plus, it is gluten-free and has some peptides (the same ones that are found in soybeans), which have anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Nutrients Load: It is the richest source of iron and vitamin E among the grains. It is also high in calcium and a rare grain that has some vitamin C too.
Eating Cue: I love the fact that it doesn’t lose its crunchiness even after being cooked and makes for great breakfast porridge. I often use it in place of breadcrumbs in recipes and amaranth pops make a delicious snack.
Barley
The Resistant Starch Advantage
The oldest-known grain, barley (jau) is a brilliant source of resistant starch, a kind of fibre that helps lower cholesterol (yes, even more than oat fibre) and can help control blood sugar too. Resistant starch, which functions like soluble, fermentable fibre, also boosts the good bacteria on reaching the intestines, keeping our gut health in good shape.
Nutrients Load: Barley delivers decent calcium, potassium and vitamins B and C. It also helps in maintaining the heart’s function by helping stabilise blood pressure.
Eating Cue: Add some grains regularly in soups and salads, or cook them as a side dish. I love a stir-fry where I pair barley with mushrooms, lots of garlic and a sauce of choice.
Buckwheat
Protein Load: Buckwheat (kuttu) is packed with high-quality protein and offers a lot of the amino acid lysine, which is missing from most of our regular/preferred staples—wheat and rice. That’s great news for vegetarians who are always struggling for good quality protein.
Cholesterol Cutter: This is the only grain known to have a high level of an antioxidant called rutin, which improves circulation and prevents LDL cholesterol from blocking blood vessels. It is also the richest source of a unique carbohydrate, called D-chiro-inositol, which helps reduce blood sugar and prevent diabetes, and is safe for diabetics to eat too.
Gut Helper: It contains a lot of soluble and insoluble fibre that keeps us full for longer and helps in detoxifying the body by binding to toxins and throwing them out.
Gluten-free: It is gluten-free and so is good for people suffering from coeliac disease and also for those who voluntarily want to go on grain- and gluten-free diets.
Eating Cue: Besides kuttu roti, you can add buckwheat grains to soups and salads to score health with a dash of crunchiness.
Finger Millet
Digestion Helper: This underrated gluten-free grain, also known as ragi, has a lot going for it. It is packed with cellulose, a type of dietary fibre that helps keep our digestion humming along, constipation away and cholesterol levels in check.
Nutrient Load: It is a rich source of calcium and iron and its main protein fraction, eleusin, has a high biological value (meaning it is easily absorbed and used in the body).
Great for Diabetics: Like barley, ragi too is an ideal food for diabetics, and overweight people because its digestion is slow and glucose is released from the intestines gradually into the blood.
Eating Cue: Add ragi idli, dosa, crêpes and ladoos to your menu and bring some life and health to it.
Excerpts from the book, ‘Fix It With Food: Superfoods to Become Super Healthy’ (Rupa Publications)