Nutritional Tips: Whole Grains

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Notes from a very informative and tasty mini-class taught by neighbor and friend, Rachel Swan...

OATS
- Sweet grain perfect for breakfast and baking
- Easily ground into flour
- Choose steel-cut oats for more fiber, protein, and to stabilize blood sugar
- Store up to 1 year in a glass container if opened, 8 if unopened

POPCORN
- An inexpensive, versatile, and healthy snack
- Store in a glass container or plastic bag for up to 2 years

BROWN RICE
- Easy to make ahead on weekends in large batches for healthy meals all week long
- Great in soups, served as a breakfast grain with warm milk and cinnamon, or with roasted vegetables
- Store in glass container for up to 6 months

QUINOA
- Actually a seed, not a grain
- Complete protein and very high in iron and calcium - great for vegans!
- Make sure to rinse and soak for at least 20 minutes before preparing, or sprout overnight (soak in water) for increased nutritional benefit
- Can be made in a rice cooker
- Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for 3-6 months

BUCKWHEAT
- Gluten free
- Sometimes called "Kasha"
- Very accessible grain: Soba noodles, buckwheat groats, and buckwheat flour for pancakes
- Store flour in the refrigerator for up to 3 months, whole buckwheat can be stored up to 1 year kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place

MILLET
- Primarily used as a bird seed in the U.S.
- Can be prepared as a cereal or groud into a flour for flat bread
- Full of protein
- Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months

MORE WHOLE GRAINS
Amaranth, Polenta, Kamuf, Teff, Farro, Barley, Bulgur, Spelt, Triticale, Sorghum, and Wild Rice

The Organized Kitchen

Last week our ward had an Enrichment where we prepared our own freezer meals and went to a class taught by a Professional Organizer in our ward, Sandy Jones. I tried to take a few notes and thought I'd put them on our recipe blog. I'm not sure how often I'll refer back to them, but I wanted to keep them handy JUST IN CASE. She mentioned a lot of cool storage products she uses, so I'm sure I'll want to remember the names of them. Below are just a few notes.

The User Friendly Fridge

Rid the Rank:

- Check expiration dates.

- If you have six bottles of different types of mustard, narrow it down to one or two bottles that are used most often.

Plan the Space:

- Educate yourself on what foods belong in the fridge. For example, potatoes, onions, garlic, and squash last longer outside of the fridge.

- Plan food quadrants: keep ready-to-eat/grab foods in one quadrant.

- Never put eggs, milk, or any food that easily spoils in the door - that is the warmest place in the fridge.

Misc Tips:

- Store foods in clear containers (So you can see what's inside. Nobody will bother checking what's inside a mystery container).

- Containers should be square or rectangle to take better advantage of space. Circle containers waste space.

- Use labels on containers and date them. Leftovers should generally be used or thrown-out after 3 days.

- Invest if quality, clear airtight container. (Tupperware favorite: "Modular Mates"-stackable, consistent, "FridgeSmart" - keeps lettuce and berries fresher for up to 2 weeks).

The Practical Pantry

A Clean Slate:

- Clean out messes.

- Check expiration dates. Put items that will expire sooner near the front so they'll be used before others.

- Limit pantry space to foods and paper products.

- If you're going to put things in your pantry floor, put them on a rollable cart so you can pull it out and sweep under it.

My Own Grocery Store:

- Use tiered shelves so you can show cans in the back (but buy Expandable Jumbo Size).

- Put like-items together, like at the store. (Soups, Fruit, Tomato Sauce, etc./Pastas/Breakfast Items/Snack Items/Baking Items, etc)

Creating Extra Space:

- The "Elfa" Door System can hang on door without causing any damage to it. Creates a lot more space in your pantry.

Getting Fresh:

- Keep a list/inventory of odd/unusual products in your pantry (i.e. olives, green chiles, pumpkin).

Misc Tips:

- Label containers.

- Store products in STACKABLE items. You can't stack cute baskets, therefore you aren't taking full advantage of your space.

- "Akrobins" by Tupperware.