I found the following information very interesting and thought I would pass it on...
"Wheat generally contains about 23% protein (whole wheat flour 12% and white flour 11%). Interestingly, the protein in wheat germ is extra-rich in lysine, which is deficient in the rest of the grain after it is milled. Since WWII, wheat has been severely milled, causing an equally drastic drop in nutrients. By using only the endosperm to make the white flour and disgarding the bran and the germ, what is lost are the following: 77% thiamin, 80% riboflavin, 82% niacin, 72% B6, 50% pantothenic acid, 67% folate, 86% Vitamin E, and 29% choline. With the bran and the germ removed, the "prized" white flour is used extensively while, at the same time, the bran and the germ are packaged and sold at inflated prices so that people can buy them, add them to their processed foods and, once again, achieve good health." (Read entire article here.)
2 comments:
Katrina, while you're writing about grains--do you have experience with some of the less common ones? I'm just starting to try out quinoa, and I'm really excited about it because it's the highest protein content of any grain.
Wheat is nice, but frankly I don't really like the taste of it, and it's also a more common allergen than many other grains & I know a lot of people who are gluten intolerant.
I started with exploring oat flour because I like oat a lot more than wheat. (You can throw rolled oats in a food processor/blender and make your own.) It's tricky because it doesn't have gluten so it doesn't rise well, so needs extra yeast or extra gluten or something like that to perk it up. Thus far I've had success with mixing it with wheat flours, but not on it's own. I'd really like to learn how to use it alone.
And do you make your own pasta or buy it? I've started making mine (I LOVE pasta) and I'm wanting to branch into making veggie based pastas, like with spinach or pumpkin or carrot or garlic in them. Any experience there? Or shall I blog my own experiments as I bumble through it? :p
Oh, and on an entirely other topic--you ought to write a post about fats. I see you've been pulling quotes from weston a price foundation, so I'm guessing you've read some of their ideas about fats, balancing fats rather than avoiding certain types altogether, that kind of thing. Balance ("moderation in all things") has always made more sense to me than making total taboos of butter or other natural foods. (Synthetics of course I can make taboo, but if it's a natural food then I have to believe it's not wholly evil, you know?)
Jenni, I don't have much experience with grains like quinoa--yet. Someday in the not too distant future I hope to start experimenting with other kinds. But while our grocery budget is $35 I'm not able to branch out much.
I know lots of people who are gluten intolerant as well, but fortunately none of my family is. I wonder if the wheat you use is red...? White (what we use now) has a milder flavor, among other virtues, as I keep referring to throughout this blog. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it!
So far, for the most part I have had to use store-bought pastas. Of course, homemade is tastier and healthier, but until I have a good quality pasta maker, I won't be making it regularly... But I'll be on the lookout for when you share what you learn about it. :)
Yes, I have been meaning to write about fats and have actually scheduled a post on that topic for next week. Though I posted the exact same thing on my private blog over a year ago, citing that exact article you mention (it used to just be an article, now there's a whole foundation with a wonderful website!).
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