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Oat Flour

1/11/2015

Oats have a sweet flavor that makes them a favorite for breakfast cereals. Unique among the most widely-eaten grains, oats almost never have their bran and germ removed in processing. So if you see oats or oat flour, you're virtually guaranteed to be getting whole grain.

In the U.S., most oats are steamed and flattened to produce rolled oats, sold as "old-fashioned" or regular oats, quick oats, and instant oats. The more oats are flattened and steamed, the quicker they cook – and the softer they become. If you prefer a chewier, nuttier texture, consider steel-cut oats, also sometimes called Irish or Scottish oats. Steel-cut oats consist of the entire oat kernel (similar in look to a grain of rice), sliced once or twice into smaller pieces to help water penetrate and cook the grain. Cooked for about 20-30 minutes, steel-cut oats create a breakfast porridge that delights many people who didn't realize they love oatmeal.

More Information on Baking With Oat Flour
Get More Nutrition From Your Oatmeal

Health Benefits of Oats
Scores of studies have documented the many health benefits of oats.

Eating oats helps lower LDL "bad" cholesterol and may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Oats help you feel fuller longer, which helps control your weight.
Oatmeal and oats may help lower blood pressure.
Oats may help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, since their soluble fiber helps control blood sugar.
Oats help cut the use of laxatives, without the side effects associated with medications.
Oats are high in beta-glucans, a kind of starch that stimulates the immune system and inhibits tumors. This may help reduce your risk of some cancers.
Early introduction of oats in children's diets may help reduce their risk of asthma.
Oats are higher in protein and healthy fats, and lower in carbohydrates than most other whole grains.
Oats contain more than 20 unique polyphenols called avenanthramides, which have strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-itching activity.

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Millet

1/11/2015

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Millet is tiny in size and round in shape and can be white, gray, yellow or red. The most widely available form of millet found in stores is the hulled variety, although traditional couscous made from cracked millet can also be found. The term millet refers to a variety of grains, some of which do not belong to the same genus.

Millet is widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for both human food and animal consumption. We usually use millet in this country as bird seed, but it's becoming more common in health food stores. The most widely grown millet is pearl millet, which is an important crop in India and parts of Africa. It will grow where little else will survive. If does not require good soil and very little moisture to grow.

Health Benefits:
Millet is a good source of some very important nutrients, including manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Heart-Protective Properties...Magnesium
Although oats have been widely publicized for their heart-protective properties, millet is a grain that should also be included on your list of heart-healthy choices because of its status as a good source of magnesium. Magnesium has been shown in studies to reduce the severity of asthma and to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. Magnesium has also been shown to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack, especially in people with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Niacin (vitamin B3) can be of help in lowering high cholesterol.

Development and Repair of Body Tissue...Phosphorus
Phosphorus plays a role in the structure of every cell in the body. In addition to its role in forming the mineral matrix of bone, phosphorus is an essential component of numerous other life-critical compounds. Phosphorus is an important component of nucleic acids, the building blocks of the genetic code. In addition, the metabolism of lipids (fats) relies on phosphorus, and phosphorus is an essential component of lipid-containing structures such as cell membranes and nervous system structures. A cup of cooked millet will give you 17% of the daily value for phosphorus.

Millet and Other Whole Grains Substantially Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Millet and other whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.

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Corn Meal

1/11/2015

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Corn is also known as "maize" in most of the world, is actually the most widely-grown crop in the Americas, where it originated. But is corn a grain or a vegetable? Fresh corn is usually classified as a vegetable, and dried corn (including popcorn) as a grain.

There is a reason why corn is the most-produced grain worldwide; it is involved in just about every aspect of our lives. Corn provides about 21 percent of human nutrition across the globe. On top of that, most of the corn grown in the U.S. and Canada is actually is fed to animals, so it should be no surprise that corn is America’s number one field crop. There are many other non-culinary uses for the grain as well; it is a key ingredient in ethanol, cosmetics, ink, glue, laundry starch, medicines and fabrics, just to name a few. Native Americans, the original corn farmers, even wove the husks into clothing, baskets and toys. Corn is an essential ingredient in our diets and also in our world.

Types Of Corn
There are many different types of corn. The best-known version is Sweet Corn, the traditional summertime treat covered in butter and salt and eaten off the cob. Sweet Corn earned its name from its high sugar content and is generally only consumed by humans. Next is Dent Corn (also known as Field Corn), which is usually fed to livestock and used to make industrial products. The third kind is Flint Corn, which is also known as the decorative Indian Corn that comes in a range of colors and is often symbolic of fall and Thanksgiving. Flint Corn is primarily grown in Central and South America. It is a sub variety of Flint Corn that we use to make popcorn.

Corn and Health
Each whole grain offers different nutrients, and in the case of corn, its high point is Vitamin A – with more than 10 times that of other grains. Recent research shows that corn is also high in antioxidants and carotenoids that are associated with eye health, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. As a gluten-free grain, corn is a key ingredient in many gluten-free foods.

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Barley Flour

1/11/2015

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Barley has been around a long time in 1324 Edward II of England standardized the inch as equal to "three grains of barley set end to end. It's the world's fourth most important cereal crop after wheat, rice, and corn. Barley has the highest fiber of all the the whole grains.

Barley is a wonderfully versatile grain with a rich nut like flavor and chewy consistency. It's appearance resembles wheat berries, although it's slightly lighter in color. Barley does have gluten so it's not a good choice if you have Celiac disease. Sprouted barley is naturally high in maltose, a sugar that serves as the basis for both a malt syrup sweetener and when fermented, as an ingredient in beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Barley can be found in the market in various different forms:

Hulled barley: Like the name suggests, the outermost hull of the grain is all that gets removed in this form of barley. While this makes for a chewier grain that requires more soaking and cooking, it also makes for a more nutritious food. Hulled barley is also sometimes called "dehulled barley," and it's the only form of barley what would be considered whole grain.
Pearl barley: Various degrees of polishing, or "pearling" take place in the production of pearl barley. In addition to a polishing off of the outermost hull, the grain's bran layer, and even parts of its inner endosperm layer, may be removed during the pearling process. In general, as you move from regular to medium to fine to baby pearl barley, you find increasing loss of nutrients. Pearl barley is much less chewy and quicker cooking than hulled barley, but it is also much lower in nutrients, and would not be considered whole grain.
Pot/scotch barley: In terms of processing, this form of barley falls in between hulled and pearl barley. It's been polished to remove its outer hull, but the polishing process is short, so that a large amount of the remaining grain is left intact. While pot barley would not technically be considered whole grain, and would lack some of the benefits of hulled barley, it's still a very reasonable nutritional choice and more nutrient dense than pearl barley. In many countries, pot barley is popular in soups - thus the origin of its name.
Barley flakes: Flattened and sliced, barley flakes are similar in shape to rolled oats. Barley flakes can be made from hulled, hulless, or pearl barley, and can be significantly different in nutrient content for this reason.
Barley grits: Barley that has been toasted and cracked, barley grits are similar in appearance to bulgar. Barley grits can be made from hulled, hulless, or pearl barley, and can be significantly different in nutrient content for this reason.

Baking With Barley
Barley flour lacks sufficient gluten for many baked good recipes. When making baked goods that require gluten, combine barley flour and wheat flour. The more the baked good needs to rise, the less barley flour should be used, proportionately. For loaves of yeast bread, the barley flour should only constitute about 20 to 25 percent of the total flour content. For flat breads, you can use a little more. For quick breads and cookies, you can use barley flour for up to half of the flour content. It's inadvisable to use much more than 50 percent barley flour in any baking recipe. Baked goods made with barley flour, breads in particular, have a different consistency than those made with other kinds of flour. Barley flour makes baked goods moister than flour made from other grains. Barley flour also gives baked goods a cake-like texture as opposed to a bread-like one.

Health Benefits Of Barley
In scientific studies, barley has been shown to reduce the risk of many diseases, and to provide important health benefits. Barley offers many of the same healthy vitamins and minerals as other whole grains, but many think its special health benefits stem from the high levels of soluble beta-glucan fiber found in this grain.

According to a recent review in the journal Minerva Med, beta-glucans reduce cholesterol, help control blood sugar, and improve immune system function. New research even indicates that beta-glucans may be radio protective: they may help our bodies stand up better to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and nuclear emergencies.

Barley, like all whole grains, reduces blood pressure.

Eating barley has been shown to lower LDL "bad" cholesterol and may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

A flood of recent research indicates that barley's ability to control blood sugar may be exceptional, offering an important tool against rising rates of diabetes.

Barley has more protein than corn, brown rice, millet, sorghum or rye, and is higher in fiber and lower in soluble (starch) carbohydrates than almost all other whole grains.

Barley may help you feel full longer, and thereby help you control your weight.

Barley – even pearl barley – may help reduce visceral fat and waist circumference.
Barley's Copper may also be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

Sources:
The Grain Council
Celliac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
Is barley gluten-free, or does barley contain gluten? March 31st 2014

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Barley Flour

Grain Education
Types Of Whole Grains & Flours Available For Sale

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Oat Flour

Millet

Corn Meal

Barley Flour

Grain EducationTypes Of Whole Grains & Flours Available For Sale

Archives

Categories

Grain Education
Types Of Whole Grains & Flours Available For Sale