Give Grains a Chance

Whole grains are naturally nutritious and provide up to four times more fibre, protein, and vitamins than their refined cousins. In North America whole grains are most often consumed in some other product-—such as bread or cereal. But with a little imagination grains can offer us so much more. This summer give grains a chance by replacing your green salad with a tasty grain salad. They’re simple to prepare and provide a surprising amount of flavour.

Recipes 

• Wheat Berry and Navy Bean Salad 
• Curried Couscous Salad
• Tabbouleh

Ditch the bits

If a traditional green salad is more to your taste, you can still add flavour and interest with grains and seeds. Instead of reaching for those popular but sodium-laden, artificially flavoured bacon bits, get crunch, texture, and extra nutrition from some easy add-ins:

• Sunflower seeds—rich in iron
• Sesame seeds—a source of dietary copper
• Oat groats—plentiful with thiamine and phosphorus
• Cooked wheat berries—for vegetarian-sourced calcium
• Corn kernels—rich in dietary fibre
• Flaxseed—a vegetarian source of omega-3