The Whole Food Journal

History tells us that wheat has been around for at least six-thousand years, feeding entire civilizations.  Today there are more than 30,000 different varieties, representing some fourteen different species.  Just one called Triticum represents nearly all the wheat produced in our country.  After the harvest much of the crop goes through some sort of processing, on the way to it’s ultimate destination….our dinner plates.

I vividly remember harvest time on my grandparents wheat farm in Kansas.  By today’s standards their methods were quite primitive, but it was always a time of hard work and celebration.  We (my sister’s and I) were too small to be of help, but we had a blast playing in huge piles of the grain.  We also chewed the kernels into what Grandpa had us believing was really chewing gum.  We didn’t know any better at the time.

I guess you could say that the humble grain called wheat is a powerhouse of nutrition, yielding perfect measures of vitamins, minerals and also fiber.  As well, wheat is high in complex carbohydrates (don’t confuse this fact with the simple carbs that wreck health) and low in fat and sugar.  Wheat is just plain good for you, and luckily we’ve got a lot to choose from when shopping for wheat-based foods.

Above all, read the label.  What you’re looking for is food made with 100% whole wheat flour, preferably organically grown.  I repeat:  made with 100% whole wheat flour.  You now have a product that contains the original nutrition of the wheat kernel itself. 

Raw wheat itself has a very, very long storage life because the oils and nutrients are sealed inside.  So, when you grind your own wheat flour it’s as healthy as it can possibly be.  All ground whole wheat flour though should be stored in the freezer to prevent the oils from going rancid and losing nutrition.    White flour is another story.  It can sit on any shelf for years…….I’ve actually seen it.   I also have a set of five little glass vials that show the removal process of every living source of nutrition and fiber to achieve white flour…..and we wonder why Americans are over fed and malnourished at the same time.

Don’t just assume that wheat is only for flour.  It’s also a source for healthy cereals, pastas, desserts, soups and even salads.  If you bake your own bread, try adding dried wheat sprouts for a great texture while you also pump up the nutritional value and enhance the taste as well.

Here’s a little tip that doesn’t have a thing to do with food at all.  Nestle your candles in a base of wheat kernels in the bottom of the container.  Works every time.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 at 7:28 pm and is filed under Whole Food 101. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.