The new edition of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" emphasizes the importance of consuming grains for human health. As the base of the food pyramid, whole grains are the best foundational food and the most affordable source of energy. Adults who consume 250-400 grams of grains daily can help prevent the occurrence of related chronic diseases. For a wide variety of grains, each has its own best method of preparation to fully utilize their nutritional benefits.
Brown Rice Porridge "Scrapes" Fat
When dining out, we might occasionally encounter a rice porridge different from the white congee we make at home. Although also made from rice, its texture and aroma are superior, and this is brown rice porridge. The biggest characteristic of brown rice is that it contains the germ, which is rich in vitamins and fiber. Regular consumption can help lower fat and cholesterol levels. Brown rice is also high in zinc, which can help improve rough skin.
Brown rice is literally "coarse rice," with most grains still covered in the rice bran. Brown rice can be bought in general supermarkets. The best quality is intact in appearance, with a yellowish-brown or light brown color and a fragrant smell. Before cooking brown rice porridge, soak the brown rice for about 30 minutes, then cook it just like regular rice porridge. Brown rice porridge stimulates gastric juice secretion, aiding digestion and nutrient absorption. However, diabetics should avoid drinking this plain brown rice porridge directly, as it might cause a sudden spike in blood sugar. Sorghum is Suitable for Making Snacks
"Red Sorghum" once gave a generation a unique feeling for the plateau, but you might never have imagined that such a rugged food is actually best eaten as a snack.
Sorghum rice seems a bit coarse when used for congee or rice, but when ground into flour to make snacks, it becomes much more delicate and nutritious. Sorghum rice is best for making a snack called sorghum cake. Grind the sorghum rice into flour, then add baking powder, sugar, eggs, and a moderate amount of water to mix into a sticky dough. Flatten the sorghum dough, steam it, then briefly deep-fry it, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Sorghum cake can be difficult to digest for people with slightly weaker gastrointestinal function. You can try making sorghum soup, for example, adding a little sorghum when making tremella soup or corn soup to add a richer texture to an already nutritious broth. Job's Tears are Most Nourishing in Soups
Job's tears looks more like a kernel than a grain, so it is also called Job's tears or barley in many places. More people now like to eat Job's tears because its unique growing environment means it has fewer pollutants. It prefers to grow in damp, shady areas, and in many places, it is grown in the mountains or along small rivers.
Plump, fresh Job's tears is sticky and glutinous, and many people like to eat it, but few know its many health benefits. Traditional Chinese medicine says that Job's tears can strengthen bones and muscles, invigorate the spleen and stomach, reduce edema, expel rheumatism, and clear lung heat. For women, Job's tears is a very good tonic. Its high content of Vitamin B1 can make the skin smooth and fair, and it can also help prevent uterine cancer.
Job's tears is slightly cold in nature, so it is not suitable for congee or eating on its own. It is very suitable to be stewed in soups with foods that have a warming and nourishing effect. You can stew it with chicken legs and tomatoes. It is not only easy to digest but also has a very good nourishing effect. Job's tears is not easy to digest, so do not eat too much of it, especially for the elderly, children, and those with a cold stomach or gastritis. When eating Job's tears, be sure to consume it in moderation and not excessively.
Buckwheat Noodles for Growing Bodies
Buckwheat flour is grayish-black, but don't be fooled by its plain appearance; its nutritional value is very high. Buckwheat has various ways of being eaten, but people are most accustomed to using it to make noodles. Buckwheat's protein content is higher than that of rice and flour. Children in their growth period are especially suitable for eating some buckwheat noodles. The lysine and arginine in them will surprise parents with their children's growth rate and intelligence. However, when parents make buckwheat noodles for their children, there are some points to note.
The best pairing for buckwheat noodles is to mix it with minced meat and cucumber in a cold salad. Buckwheat is cooling in nature and can easily harm the stomach, so it must be soaked for a long time until soft before cooking. This results in a better texture and is easier to digest. The cucumber makes the buckwheat noodles feel fresher and less greasy, and minced lamb is the best choice, as lamb is warm and nourishing to the stomach, making it a good match for buckwheat.
The most suitable people to eat buckwheat are the elderly and children. Occasionally eating buckwheat noodles can help the elderly reduce blood lipids and lower blood pressure. Children in their growth period especially need buckwheat. Although buckwheat noodles are delicious, they are not suitable for breakfast or dinner, as they can easily damage the stomach or be difficult to digest. Do not eat too much at a time; the principle of moderation is best.
Glutinous Rice is Most Suitable for Making Fermented Rice
Glutinous rice can be used to make congee or tangyuan (sweet rice balls), but the healthiest and most magical way is to make it into fermented rice (jiuniang). Glutinous rice can help digestion and also has a sedative effect, relieving fatigue and dizziness. These effects of glutinous rice are more prominent when made into fermented rice, and it is also more convenient to eat, with less restriction on the amount consumed.
We can mix glutinous rice, Job's tears, coarse powder of lotus seeds, coarse powder of Chinese yam, fox nut seeds, coarse powder of Poria, and an appropriate amount of fermented rice starter. Place the mixed ingredients in an enamel basin, add an appropriate amount of water, steam in a steamer for 1 hour, then take it out and let it cool. Mix in the fermented rice starter, place the basin in an environment of about 25°C, and after 36-48 hours, the ingredients will ferment into fermented rice. If you like it sweet, you can add some rock sugar. Fermented rice can be taken at noon and at night; it not only aids digestion but also calms the mind and makes the stomach feel comfortable.
In addition, Job's tears strengthens the spleen and promotes diuresis, lotus seeds and Chinese yam tonify the spleen and kidneys, and Poria replenishes qi. The combination of various ingredients makes a nourishing and strengthening food. The resulting fermented rice is truly the most nutritious and healthy combination.
Oatmeal Eight-Treasure Rice is Good for Weight Loss
Oatmeal is usually eaten soaked in milk, but occasionally making eight-treasure rice with oatmeal can better achieve the effects of beautifying the skin and delaying aging. Oatmeal contains various enzymes that not only inhibit the formation of age spots but also delay the aging of human cells, making it the best health food for middle-aged and elderly patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
More importantly, the rich soluble fiber in oatmeal can promote the excretion of bile acids, reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, and reduce the intake of high-fat foods. Because soluble fiber absorbs a lot of water, it creates a strong feeling of fullness, and regular consumption has a particularly good effect on weight loss.
Oatmeal eight-treasure rice is made by soaking oatmeal, black glutinous rice, long glutinous rice, brown rice, white rice, soybeans, soybeans, lotus seeds, Job's tears, red beans, etc., in water for an hour, and then cooking them until done. Eight-treasure rice has more abundant dietary fiber and carbohydrates, making it suitable to be eaten as a staple food.