ANCIENT GRAINS FOR MODERN DIETS
Lately, someone mentioned “ancient grains” to me. I asked if these were grains past their shelf life that we should throw out? Just kidding, but I still wondered how they might differ from regular grains. After a bit of research I found out and will share some of my newfound info with you.
Ancient grains are a group of grains & pseudocereals that have not been hybridized or modified in hundreds—or maybe thousands—of years. Hence, the name ancient grains. The origin of cultivating grains goes back some 10,000 years when prehistoric peoples began making the transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers. Most common modern varieties of grains have been developed through selective cropping and breeding. These include modern varieties of wheat plus cereals such as corn and rice.
Ancient grains (& pseudocereals) include such exotic sounding examples as amaranth, khorasan, teff, freekeh, spelt, einkorn, faro, sorghum & emmer to the more commonly found grains such as barley, oats, buckwheat, quinoa and chia.
Advocates of ancient grains claim they are more nutritious than many of the grains on your grocer’s shelves. This might be because we usually eat them as whole grains. Whole grains are more nutritious because they include the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain while refined grains have the bran and germ removed. (For more information on this, please see my post Whole Grains—wholesome yet flavorful.)
Delicious Examples
Ancient grains may or may not have more nutritional value than modern grains eaten as whole grains. Perhaps, a more enjoyable reason to try these is to add some variety to your diet.
Here are a few to try from Sonna Delmonico in her August 20, 2019 Ideafit.com article Ask the RD: What Are Ancient Grains?
- Khorasan wheat (or KAMUT®) is a large wheat relative that originated in the Middle East. It is probably the best-studied ancient grain.
- Freekeh is wheat harvested while still green, then roasted and cracked. It makes a terrific salad or grain bowl when mixed with cooked or raw vegetables, vinaigrette, and a sprinkle of feta.
- Millet looks a bit like quinoa but has a milder flavor and bright yellow color. Try cooked millet as your breakfast cereal instead of oatmeal, with a drizzle of honey.
Teff is a tiny, very nutritious gluten-free grain that is widely used in Ethiopia to make injera, a spongy, sourdough pancake-type of bread. You can cook teff like rice to eat with vegetables, meats or fish.
Enjoy!