The idea that whole grains are beneficial to health has been deeply rooted, however, not everyone understands the essence of eating them. The following are some key points about eating whole grains that everyone should know. How to eat whole grains? There are 5 key points to eating whole grains.
Daily intake should account for about 1/3 of your staple foods
If you eat too few whole grains, you won't achieve the health benefits of preventing chronic diseases and more. However, whole grains contain more dietary fiber and phytic acid. Long-term, large consumption can affect the body's absorption of minerals like calcium and iron and also lower the body's immunity. Therefore, the "Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents" suggest that it's best to eat 50-100 grams of whole grains daily. For healthy adults, an amount that accounts for about 1/3 of the total staple foods is more appropriate.
Drink more water after eating whole grains
Whole grains contain a lot of dietary fiber, which requires sufficient water to ensure normal digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if the whole grain products you eat have low water content, such as mixed bean rice or corn steamed buns, you should drink more water.
Brown Sugar Oat Cookies
Elderly and children should have whole grains finely prepared
The elderly and children whose digestive systems are not yet fully developed have weak digestive and absorption functions. Eating too many whole grains can increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and hinder the absorption and utilization of other nutrients. For these groups, in addition to choosing easily digestible whole grains like millet and yellow millet and appropriately reducing the amount, they can also improve absorption rates by improving cooking methods, such as cooking porridge until it's soft and sticky, or grinding whole grains into flour. However, it should be noted that for diabetic patients, the softer and stickier the porridge, the faster the post-meal blood sugar will rise.
Adjust varieties according to your own constitution
Oats are rich in soluble dietary fiber, suitable for people with high blood lipids and obesity; Red beans and Job's tears promote urination and reduce swelling, suitable for people with a constitution prone to edema; Those with a "hot" constitution can eat more "cooling" and moistening grains like mung beans and buckwheat; Those with a "cold" constitution should choose "warming" grains like sorghum, red adzuki beans, and glutinous rice; People with poor gastrointestinal health can choose millet, yellow millet, and brown rice, which are easy to digest when cooked into porridge.
Corn and Wheat Soy Milk
Cook with a pressure cooker to preserve nutrients
Darker-colored whole grains like red beans, mung beans, and black rice are often rich in antioxidant components that help the body clear free radicals and resist aging. Pressure cooker cooking can prevent food from contacting too much oxygen, which is very beneficial for preserving precious antioxidant components in whole grains, such as polyphenols. Foreign research has also confirmed that steaming and boiling can reduce the antioxidant capacity of beans, however, cooking beans in a pressure cooker can reduce the loss of antioxidant substances to the same degree of softness.
Home-style Eight-Treasure Porridge