As food prices continue to rise, you might consider shopping in the aisles where grains and greens are sold. It’s a snap to make inexpensive, super nutritious meals with whole grains and leafy dark veggies. Plus you’ll be getting a boost of gut-friendly, fiber-rich foods. For even more money-saving strategies, check out the bulk bins for those tasty grains at bargain prices.
The distinguished food writer Paula Wolfert made the case for the versatility of a combination of grains and greens in her 1998 book “Mediterranean Grains and Greens.” In it, she pointed out that researchers found that participants in a study who adhered to a predominantly plant-based diet — rich in vegetables and whole grain foods — were the least likely to develop heart failure over time.
This same diet continues to be highly recommended by nutritionists and health professionals today.
“When it comes to fiber from whole grains, there’s some pretty convincing evidence for its role not just in gut health but also in reducing your chances of developing several diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers,” writes Dr. Megan Rossi in her recently published “Love Your Gut: Supercharge Your Digestive Healthy and Transform Your Well-Being from the Inside Out.”
Rossie is a leading research fellow at King’s College in London and founder of The Gut Health Clinic, where she leads a team of gut-specialist dietitians.
“In fact,” she writes, “according to one study involving close to sixteen thousand women, fiber from whole grains was linked with a lower risk of breast cancer.”
She points out plant-based foods are more than just fiber where to buy xlr cryptocurrency.
“They’re densely packed with vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and other bioactive components,” she writes.
A great way to start getting more whole grains and fresh greens on the table is with Buddha bowls. Also referred to as “glory” or “hippie” bowls, these are hearty, filling dishes made of various greens, raw or roasted veggies, beans and a healthy grains like quinoa or brown rice. Sometimes they include toppings like nuts, seeds and dressings for added texture and flavor.
These bowls are popping up at mainstream eateries like Urban Egg – A Daytime Eatery. It has a vegan breakfast bowl of hash browns, black beans, spinach, plant-based chorizo, roasted jalapeño and avocado crema, and pickled red onions.
But you’ll typically see Buddha bowls on menus at vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
“We have rice bowls with whole foods like jasmine rice as the base of a red curry bowl and a pinto beans bowl,” said Cody Rio, co-owner of The Burrowing Owl, a vegan restaurant in Colorado Springs. “We love wild rice cooked in a no-chicken bouillon and use wild rice in mushroom soups quite often.”
The top seller on her menu is the Caesar salad.
“What most people don’t realize is how nutritious romaine is,” she said. “It’s high in cancer-fighting antioxidants, high in vitamins A and C, and full of minerals.”
Of course, Rio’s eatery has kale, known as a superfood packed with antioxidants such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, kaempferol and quercetin.
“We disguise it as a pesto spread with walnuts, liquid aminos and lemon juice,” she said. “We use hemp seeds in a few recipes. It is the base of our Magic Sauce, a savory oregano and nutritional yeast salad dressing.”
Hemps seeds are high in protein, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. The nutritional yeast gives recipes a cheese-like flavor.
Quinoa is another grain that shows up on several of Rio’s dishes.
“It’s one of those real nutritious grains, rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, zinc, copper and iron,” she said. “It can be used as the ‘meat’ of a veggie loaf or the base of a bowl. We make a Hippie Club, which includes our Hippie Loaf (black quinoa with mushrooms, celery, carrots and spices) that is cooked on a sheet pan and stacked onto sourdough with lettuce, tomato, bacon, mayo, guacamole, Dijon mustard and onions.”
Noah Siebenaller, executive chef at The Bird Tree Café in the Springs, has just introduced a menu with fittingly named Bird’s Nest.
“It has grains and greens presented as a kind of a ‘build your own’ bowl,” he said. “Guests can load up as many toppings as they want — chicken, ham, turkey, hummus, roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes and several other toppings. It’s been a very popular item on the menu.”
His idea can serve as inspiration for creating a make-your-own dinner at home. Start with a grain (steamed rice, quinoa, bulgar), add some leafy greens (baby kale, arugula, baby spinach), roast some veggies (green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, baby red-skinned potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, mushrooms), add some crunchy foods (sliced almonds, raw sunflower seeds, nuts, hemp seeds), and toss it all together with a dressing.
Hungry yet?
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