12 High-Protein Grains to Boost Your Health Diet
12 High-Protein Grains to Boost Your Health Diet
Here are 12 high-protein grains, along with images, to help you diversify your meals and increase your protein intake:
1. Quinoa
* Gluten-free and versatile, it can be used in various dishes like salads, pilafs, and even as a breakfast bowl.
Quinoa Salad with Fresh Mediterranean Flavors
Take bland and basic quinoa up at least 10 levels with fresh and vibrant Mediterranean ingredients in this easy quinoa salad!
Healthy recipes don’t need to be boring. In fact healthy recipes like this are actually some of my favorite. You just feel good after you eat them and when there’s this much flavor you’ll start to crave healthy dishes.
This quinoa salad makes the perfect lunch and it’s a great way to eat lots of vegetables at once and you get a fair amount of protein from the quinoa and chick peas.
2. Amaranth
* Another complete protein, rich in iron, calcium, and fiber.
* Has a slightly nutty flavor and can be popped like popcorn or used in baking.
Native to South America, this is one of the earliest of all crops. As a young archaeologist, I excavated charred Amaranth seeds at the Koster site dating back to the new world paleolithic, so the use of amaranth goes way back.
This plant is still easy and worthwhile to grow and makes huge plumes of golden flowers on plants to 8 feet tall. Golden Amaranth produces the superior type of seed for food use–light colored, loaded with nutrients, incomparably tasty. Plant prefers full sun and regular garden soil. If you can grow pigweed in your garden, then you can grow this amaranth (they are related). Direct seed in the spring garden and thin to about 1 foot apart.
3. Millet
* A gluten-free grain with a mild flavor, making it easy to incorporate into various dishes.
* It can be cooked as a porridge, added to salads, or used in pilafs.
Millet is a nutritious seed that can be used in a delicious pilaf or as a breakfast porridge. Find out how to cook it for both uses here and get recipe ideas.
Millet is a seed that is often found in birdseed. But don’t worry, we’re going to cook it before eating it. And, when it’s cooked up, it’s delicate and soft.
When I make it into a porridge, it reminds me of smooth and creamy corn grits. Served as a mounded side dish, it’s like fluffy mashed potatoes. After cooking it, you can also toast it to make it crispy.
What Is Millet?
Millet is naturally gluten-free, small-seeded grass. And yes, it is often found in birdseed mixtures. It is grown as a cereal or grain crop. We cook millet the way that we cook other grains, and then eat it in a variety of ways. I think of it the same way that I think about quinoa. Here is what millet looks like before it’s cooked:
4. Teff
* Tiny but mighty, teff is packed with nutrients like calcium, iron, and protein.
* It has a slightly nutty flavor and can be used to make pancakes, breads, or as a thickening agent for soups and stews.
Teff (Amharic: ) also known as Eragrostis tef, Williams lovegrass,
[1] or annual bunch grass,
[2] is an annual grass, a species
[3] It is cultivated for its edible seeds, also known as teff.
Teff was one of the earliest plants domesticated. It is one of the most important staple crops in Ethiopia.
5. Brown Rice
* A whole grain that provides a good source of protein and fiber.
* It's a versatile base for various dishes, from stir-fries to rice bowls.
6. Wild Rice,
* A nutty-flavored grain with a higher protein content than brown rice.
*It can be enjoyed as a side dish or added to soups and stews.
How to Tell Wild Rice Is Done
Simply dump it into a pot of boiling water and cook until you see the grains burst open. You do want to remove the rice as soon as this happens. It is possible to over-do it with the cooking. As a rule of thumb, wild rice takes anywhere from 35 to 55 minutes, depending on the brand. Just begin checking every 20 minutes or so.
Best Way to Serve Wild Rice
Once strained, the wild rice will have the best texture if you allow it to steam and fluff it with a fork.
You can serve wild rice like a salad with a shallot vinaigrette and some dried cranberries or with a hearty wild mushroom sauce like my mushroom stroganoff. It’s lovely as a side to some broiled salmon and those pan drippings can double as a sauce for the rice, too
7. Oatmeal
* A classic breakfast option that's also a good source of protein and fiber.
* It can be enjoyed hot or cold, with various toppings like fruits, nuts, and seeds.
8. Barley
* A hearty grain often used in soups, stews, and salads.
* It has a chewy texture and a slightly nutty flavor.
Malting barley is a small grain or cereal grass in the barley family (Hordeum vulgare) with varieties specifically for extraction of malt for the beer and brewing industry. The exact origin of barley is unknown, although many speculate Asia and the Mediterranean. Malting barley varieties are annuals and can be planted in winter or spring. Barley is typically lighter in color than rye or wheat.
Malting barley is produced to meet specific characteristics for the beer industry. Barley varieties are often identified as two-row or six-row barley. The brewing industry currently prefers two-row barley varieties for their malt. Barley quality factors for malt consist of kernel plumpness, germination, protein, and thin, skinned, or broken kernels. Two-rowed & six-rowed varieties have similar grain yield potential.
Early European settlers in North America were trying to make beer from malted maize. Beer can be brewed from a range of cereals, but by the 17th century beers brewed from barley malt predominated in Europe and North America. Today in the United States, barley is grown primarily in the northern great plains and northwest with the leading states being west of the Mississippi River. Wisconsin was a leading barley state from the late 1800’s until the early 1940
9. Sorghum
* A gluten-free grain with a slightly sweet flavor.
T cc* It can be used to make porridge, added to salads, or popped like popcorn.
Super grain. Nutritional powerhouse. Versatile crop. Sorghum is an ancient grain and pro-planet protein source that’s packed full of nutrients. Sorghum is truly a versatile crop that can be grown as a grain, forage or sweet crop. Sorghum is one of the top five cereal crops in the world. The United States is the world’s largest producer of grain sorghum, having produced 373 million bushels in 2020.
From grain, forage, biomass and sweet sorghum,there are plenty of uses from all around the world.
Grain sorghum can take many shapes and sizes from a tight-headed, round panicle to an open, droopy panicle that can be short or tall. There are various types of sorghum including red, orange, bronze, tan, white and black colored sorghum.
Red, orange or bronze sorghum is traditionally grown and used in all segments of the sorghum industry. Tan, cream and white colored sorghum varieties are typically made into flour for the food industry, while black and burgundy varieties contain beneficial antioxidant properties that are utilized in other food applications.
Whole grain sorghum is a great source of fiber and protein that adds a hearty, nutty flavor to recipes. Add whole grain sorghum to salads, cooked dishes, snacks and more to meet the daily servings of whole grains
10. Buckwheat
* Technically a seed but often used as a grain, buckwheat is a good source of protein and fiber.
* It has a slightly nutty flavor and can be used to make pancakes, noodles, or as a side dish.
Have you ever tried cooking buckwheat only to find out it turns into a pot of mush? Every roasted variety I ever got that’s not imported from Europe is that – unappetizing mess that I have no interest in eating.
No wonder buckwheat is not nearly as popular as some of the other grains that found their way on the plates of those western folks looking to expand their grain rotation from the usual corn, wheat and rice. Although to be correct, I shouldn’t call buckwheat a grain – it’s a fruit seed from the same family as rhubarb and sorrel, and is gluten free.
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11. Freekeh
* A green wheat grain with a smoky, nutty flavor.
* It's high in protein and fiber and can be used in pilafs, salads, or as a side dish.
Here is everything you need to know about freekeh, a Mediterranean super grain with a delicious nutty, slightly smoky flavor. Plus, how to cook freekeh perfectly every time.
Freekeh may sound new to you, but like barley and farro, this nutritious wholegrain has been part of the Mediterranean diet for centuries! And if you’re looking to change things up from your typical grain or rice, it’s time to try it. You’ll love its chewy texture and unique, slightly smoky flavor.
Freekeh is easy to cook on the stovetop, and you can use it as you do other grains–as a simple side dish, tossed in a salad, or added in a soup like I do with barley.
Don’t worry, if it’s not available at a grocery store near you, you can find the best freekeh grains via our online shop
12. Farro
* A whole grain with a chewy texture similar to barley.
* It can be used in salads, soups, or as a side dish.
Farro figures prominently in the Mediterranean diet, an eating style frequently endorsed by healthcare practitioners as the world's healthiest. Easy to prepare, farro's nutty flavor and chewy texture make it versatile and adaptable to many cuisines
Remember,
incorporating these high-protein grains into your diet can provide numerous health benefits, including increased satiety, improved muscle mass, and better overall health.
Disclaimer: While these grains offer various health benefits, it's essential to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalized dietary advice.
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