September is Whole Grains Month!

September marks the beginning of fall, which brings to mind the changing colors of leaves, afternoon football games, fresh picked apples from the orchard, visits to the pumpkin patch, and now heart healthy whole grains. Since there is a whole month dedicated this healthy harvest, we thought we should give you some tips on how to incorporate these golden grains into your daily diet. We challenge you to try all of the tips below, but even adding one new step to your routine is a good start!

• Buy (or make!) three different loaves of whole-grain bread and taste all of them to see which one your family likes best. (For homemade bread, try Bob’s Red Mill 100% Whole Wheat Bread Mix, Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix, and/or 10 Grain Bread Mix).
• Serve bulgur or brown rice instead of potatoes with dinner at least one night this month.
• Try a new breakfast cereal with at least 16 grams of whole grain per serving.
• Make your favorite Italian dishes with whole-wheat pasta. The same goes for your favorite cold pasta salads too!
• Try cooking a pot of steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast (sweeten with honey and toss in your favorite fresh fruit for an extra healthy meal).
• Enjoy a homemade pizza with a whole wheat crust.
• Bake your favorite cookies with whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Or try adding up to 20% of another type of whole grain flour, such as Sorghum, to your baking ingredients.
• Serve hamburgers, bar-b-que or grilled chicken sandwiches with whole wheat buns.
• Use old fashioned or quick oats to replace one third of the flour in your favorite recipes.
• Bulk up your bread stuffing by adding a half cup of cooked bulgur, wild rice, or barley to the mix.
• Add half a cup of cooked wheat or rye berries, wild rice, brown rice, sorghum or barley to your next batch of homemade soup for an extra hearty meal. You can also add your choice of these ingredients to your favorite canned soup.
• Use whole corn meal for added grains in corn cakes, corn breads and corn muffins.
• Beef up your meatballs, burgers and meatloaf by adding three-quarters of a cup of uncooked oats for each pound of ground beef.
• For a quick and easy crunch, stir a handful of oats into your favorite flavor of yogurt.

If you have other ways to incorporate whole grains into your favorite dishes, click here for a chance to have your recipes and suggestions featured on this website!