grain

When it comes to choosing a whole grain to go with our dinner, most of us fall prey to very limited thinking.  For most people, whole wheat bread, pasta or brown rice basically covers the spectrum for healthy carbohydrates.  While some will venture into rye territory, or even kamut, thinking outside the bread box when it comes to grains still requires some work.

Barley is generally known to be a key ingredient in the making of beer, but it is in fact a cereal grain and one of the most nutritious cereal grains at that. Barley is used in many different foods including casseroles, breads, cakes, and soups. Barley is very low on the glycemic index so it provides a long-lasting source of energy and helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Many of us forget that fiber is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fiber helps your digestive tract efficiently move food through the body so that excess food is eliminated instead of absorbed and subsequently turned into fat.  Fiber has many health benefits, some of which include the prevention of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes.