The Whole Grain Promise

 It was 2006 when my first book, The New Whole Grains Cookbook was released. It was exciting, to say the least, to get to put my work with whole grains into a book, and share it with the world. 

That first book was timed to come on the heels of a big announcement by the USDA. After years of deliberation, they were raising the number of recommended servings of whole grain to three per day, up from the paltry one in the old recommendations. The whole grain community was abuzz with activity, as manufacturers geared up to make new foods for all the hungry American people to buy, and writers like me put our creativity on overdrive. We were sure that things would change, and change quickly.

But it took a little time.

In the meanwhile, I learned and cooked and learned some more. I taught classes on whole grains across the country and in Mexico. I listened to what the participants had to say. I wrote articles and developed recipes for whole grain dishes in national magazines like Better Homes and Gardens and Real Food. I posted blogs about whole grain dishes.

I had the honor of being  invited to a meeting at the USDA to discuss whole grains this year. 

That's me, at the USDA.

I also went to several Whole Grains Conferences and Summits, and went to a Whole Grain seminar at the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, to learn about the chemistry of whole grains in commercial applications.

Whole Wheat Pita, Fresh Out of the Oven

And along the way, the American consumer did start eating more whole grains. Not as many as we had hoped, but more.  According to the Oldways 2015 Whole Grains Consumer Insights Survey:

•  Nearly two-thirds (64%) have increased whole grain consumption "some" or "a lot" in the last five years. Useful to know, since the most recent official USDA data are from 2010.

• Almost one-third of respondents (31%) say they nearly always choose whole grains. Five years ago, only 4% would have said this.

• Another third (32%) choose whole grains about half the time. Combined with the "nearly always" group, this makes 63% making half or more of their grains whole, in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

• We eat about 37% of our whole grains at breakfast, 27% at dinner, 22% at lunch, and just 14% as snacks. 

• 86%of Americans choose whole grains for their health benefits.

• 87% of those who nearly always choose whole grains have increased their consumption in the last 5 years

• The most popular whole grains are whole wheat, oats, brown rice, and corn

• 40% of Americans choose whole grains for their great taste

• People eat whole grain bread and whole grain cereals more often than their refined counterparts.

It took a while, but we are seeing momentum!

And it was for this reason that I wanted to bring a new whole grain cookbook into the world. Whole grains are good for you. So many health problems would be decreased, from heart disease to obesity, if everybody made the switch more often.

The Whole Grain Promise is the culmination of all the feedback and experiences that have come along since the first book, 9 years ago. Based on studies done at the University of Minnesota, I designed a bread and a pizza crust that are made with white whole wheat flour, a paler version of whole wheat flour that helps the healthy foods fly under the radar. To make it even easier to introduce, the recipes allow you to choose differing percentages of whole wheat to unbleached flour, so that you can start with a paler version, and work your way up.

Breakfasts that taste like pumpkin pie, or strawberries and lemon give your morning meal a whole grain thrill. Savory porridge, Curried Egg Bowl, or a Baked Biscuit Topped Breakfast Pie cover the less-sweet end of breakfast. Simple soups, often thickened with pureed whole grains instead of a fussy flour thickener, sustain and entertain your palate. Whole grains take center stage in main courses, too, from Barley and Sweet Potato Burgers to Red Quinoa-Crusted Baked Fish with Cucumber Lime Salsa.

Whole Grains are such a delicious way to enjoy life to the fullest, all while feeling energetic, centered and healthy. 

I hope that you will give my latest recipes a try, and get in on the great party that is whole grains.