How to diversify your breakfasts with different whole grains

Did you know that a diet rich in whole grains is hugely beneficial to health? Perhaps this doesn’t come as news, since there’s a mass of studies attributing a host of benefits to the inclusion of wholegrains in the diet. But what in particular? How much do we need each day? And exactly how do they benefit us?

DIVERSITY

Mixing up which type of whole grains you eat means that you will be widening the net for nutrition; you will be ensuring a wider variety of vitamins, minerals, fibres, phytonutrients, and macronutrients are consumed. So in short, it’s a great insurance policy for meeting your nutritional needs.

Take Teff for example, an ancient grain from Ethiopia. When compared to Oats (which are already a fantastic option), Teff is much higher in fibre, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, folate, magnesium, and potassium so trying out this earthy alternative now and again can give your diet the extra nutritional edge.

Diversifying the types of plant foods in your diet is step 1 for improving gut health, since the beneficial bacteria that reside in the gut feed off certain types of fibre. Wholegrains contain both insoluble and soluble fibre, so not only feed the beneficial bacteria, but also create bulk in the stool to keep you regular, and roughage too -like an internal exfoliator to clean the inside of your bowels (apologies to the faint-hearted).

Diversifying your grains may also be particularly useful for coeliacs and those with gluten-intolerance. Instead of heading straight to the gluten-free isle in the supermarket where options may be convenient but often laden with additives, you can still reap the benefit of wholegrains by including naturally gluten-free grains. While Oats are naturally gluten-free, I always advise coeliacs to buy certified gluten-free oats to avoid the commonly occurring cross-contamination, or for those who still experience issues with oats due to their similarity in structure to gluten, why not try other naturally gluten-free whole grains such as Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, Quinoa, And Teff.

CHRONIC DISEASE

Whole grains are protective against a whole host of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and gastrointestinal disorders. This is in part due to their fibre content but also because they are low in saturated fat and free of cholesterol. If you’ve heard influencers trying to encourage ‘low carb’ eating for health, just a quick look into the mass archives on the benefits of wholegrains for health should be enough to put you off that notion.

HOW MUCH DO I NEED?

As a guide, aiming for around 225g of wholegrains per day has been shown to be protective for health. This is achievable for most, for example: Oats for breakfast (1 cup= 81g) and wholegrain pasta for dinner (1 cup= 140g) will get you to the daily target.

You don’t need to track grams of wholegrains or be too specific with exactly what you’re getting and how much, but it is a great idea to aim for a variety of different wholegrains each week. Below I have put together a few different breakfasts using some different wholegrains available to buy from Indigo Herbs, to help you diversify your morning meals and optimise your wholegrain consumption.

OATS

Blueberry & Banana Porridge

Good source of: Fibre, beta-glucans, protein, Omega-3, B-vitamins, Zinc, Magnesium.

Low in saturated fat & cholesterol. Gluten-free (if using GF oats) and vegan.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/3 cup (30g) oats

200ml cold water

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

1 dessert spoon natural or soy yoghurt

1 handful blueberries

½ banana, sliced

1 tbsp sliced almonds

2 tsp maple syrup

Method:

1. Place the oats and water in a small pan on a medium heat. Heat gently while stirring for about 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and ground flax. Then transfer to a bowl.
3. Top with remaining ingredients and enjoy!

QUINOA FLAKES

Quinoa & Flax Porridge

Good source of Fibre, Protein, Iron, Omega 3, vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, B vitamins.

Low in saturated fat & cholesterol. Gluten-free and vegan.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup (50g) quinoa flakes

1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup soy/milk

½ cup water

100g Soy or natural yoghurt

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 tbsp maple syrup

Method:

1. Place the quinoa flakes, ground flaxseed, ground cinnamon, milk and water in a small pan, mix well and heat on a medium heat.
2. Continue to heat for around 3 minutes, whilst stirring. Do not let the pan get too hot – turn down the heat if the mixture is bubbling/boiling a lot.
3. When thickened up transfer to a bowl and top with the yoghurt, berries and maple syrup. Eat straight away.

BUCKWHEAT FLAKES

Almond & Strawberry Buckwheat Porridge

Good source of: Fibre, protein, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium.

Low in saturated fat & cholesterol. Gluten-free and vegan.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup buckwheat flakes

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup soy/milk

½ cup water

½ cup natural or soy yoghurt

½ cup sliced strawberries

½ banana, sliced

1 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp flaked almonds

Method:

1. Add the buckwheat flakes, soy milk and cinnamon to a pan and heat on a medium-low heat. As the mixture thickens keep stirring and add the water a little at a time.
2. Keep on the heat whilst stirring for a total of 5 minutes. If it gets too thick and clumpy the heat is too high, you can add a little more water to thin it out.
3. Transfer to a bowl and top with the remaining ingredients.

TEFF

Maple & Pecan Teff Porridge

Good source of: Fibre, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, folate, magnesium, manganese, potassium.

Low in saturated fat & cholesterol. Gluten-free and vegan.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup teff

1 cup soy milk

½ banana, sliced

½ cup natural or soy yoghurt

5 pecan pieces, broken into small pieces

1 medjool date, stone removed, chopped

1 tsp maple syrup

Method:

1. Add the teff and ½ cup of milk to a pan. Heat for 5 minutes on a medium heat, keep stirring.
2. Add another ½ cup of milk and continue heating and stirring for another 5-7 minutes. Don’t worry – it will thicken up quite quickly at the end!
3. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl.
4. Top with all the remaining ingredients and enjoy!

AMARANTH SEEDS

Amaranth Porridge, with Cherry Compote & Greek-style Yoghurt

High in omega 3, protein, iron, fibre, B vitamins, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Low in saturated fat & cholesterol. Gluten-free and vegan.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup amaranth

1 cup soy/milk

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch salt

1 cup fresh or frozen sweet cherries, stones removed

1 tbsp chia seeds

½ tbsp maple syrup

Wedge of lemon (juice of)

100g natural or soy yoghurt

Method:

1. Place the amaranth, milk, nutmeg and salt in a pan. Stir well and bring to the boil, takes about 5 mins.
2. Turn the heat down and simmer on low for around 15-20 mins, stirring regularly to avoid the mixture sticking. It is done when it thickens up to a consistency you like. Meanwhile make the cherry compote.
3. In a small pan, heat the cherries for about 5 minutes until they are thawed (if frozen) and are softened.
4. Remove from the heat and mash well using a potato masher or a fork.
5. Add the chia seeds, maple syrup, and lemon juice to the cherry compote and stir in.
6. When the amaranth is cooked, transfer to bowls and top with the yoghurt and then the cherry compote.

PUFFED MILLET & PUFFED AMARANTH

Sunshine Muesli Mix

Good source of: Fibre, magnesium, manganese, vitamin K & Omega-3.

Low in saturated fat & cholesterol. Gluten-free and vegan.

Makes a big jar of 13ish servings

Ingredients:

3 cups puffed millet

1 cup puffed amaranth

1 cup oats

1 cup quinoa flakes

½ cup chia seeds

½ cup sultanas

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

1 cup flaked almonds

½ cup pumpkin seeds

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground nutmeg

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl then transfer to a jar for storage.
2. Serve as a 60g portion with milk, yoghurt and fruit for a delicious breakfast.

Crunchy Cinnamon & Blueberry Granola

Good source of: Fibre, omega-3, vitamin K, copper, magnesium, selenium.

Low in saturated fat & cholesterol. Gluten-free and vegan.

Makes a big jar of 10ish servings

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

1 cup puffed amaranth

½ cup maple syrup

3 tbsp cacao nibs

½ cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped

½ cup brazil nuts, roughly chopped

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup chia seeds

½ tsp fine salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup freeze-dried blueberries

Method:

1. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes, on 180°C.
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, except the freeze-dried blueberries.
3. Pour the mixture onto a large baking tray and spread out so it’s not too layered.
4. Toast in the oven for 15 minutes, removing from the oven every 5 minutes to stir.
5. It is ready when the mixture has started to golden, but not for so long that it burns.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes, it will crisp up more as it cools. When cooled, stir in the freeze-dried blueberries and transfer to a storage jar.
7. Serve as a 60g portion with milk, yoghurt and fruit for a delicious breakfast.