Grains

Some Examples of Grains are Barley Oats Wheat Rice Corn Rye Quinoa

LearningTarget: Students will be able to identify the nutrients found in grains  and their importance in our diets. When you purchase grains they are either whole or refined. Whole grains have 3 parts endosperm – inner part of the grain mostly carbohydrate and some protein Germ – is the small base of the seed. This is the part that sprouts when planted. It contains protein, some fat, b vitamins, Vitamin E and minerals. Bran – Outer Layer. Supplies most of the fiber, B vitamins and minerals

Refined Grains are products that have one or more parts of the grain kernel removed Enriched Grains – are grain products that had portions of the grain removed and then they add back some of the nutrients that were removed Example: Iron in Iron Kids Bread They can add in a number of vitamins and minerals but they cannot add back the Fiber that was removed

Nutrients and their functions Carbohydrates One of the nutrients that is naturally found in grains excellent source of starch. Our body uses this for energy. Fiber this is a non-digestible complex carbohydrate. Helps your digestive tract to work properly and has been shown to reduce incidence of heart disease and some cancers. Found primarily in whole grains Fat Grains naturally have little fat and no cholesterol. We add fat through the things we put on it.

Learning Target: I can demonstrate how to prepare grain products. Preparing Grains Learning Target: I can demonstrate how to prepare grain products.

Due to the absorption of water the product becomes When cooking pasta and rice the starch in the product absorbs the water while cooking. Due to the absorption of water the product becomes soft increases in size Pasta generally doubles in size while rice usually triples. An exception to this is if you use Minute Rice. Due to the processing of this product the rice only doubles in amount.

Functions of Nutrients B-vitamins – these are naturally found in whole grains Folic Acid – Helps to build red blood cells and helps to prevent heart disease Thiamin & Niacin – helps in energy production and to help maintain a healthy nervous system Minerals Iron – Found naturally in whole grains and some products are enriched with iron. It works with helping to form your red blood cells.

How to Cook Pasta Select a pan that allows the pasta to expand and additional space for water to boil. Bring water to a boil before adding the pasta. The starch in pasta solidifies when put into cold water. Stir pasta while cooking in order to keep pieces from sticking together. May add a tablespoon of cooking oil to the boiling water which helps to keep pasta from sticking together. You will need to drain pasta when it is done cooking.

How do I know when my pasta is done cooking? Pasta should be cooked until it is “al dente”. In Italian this means “to the tooth.” It should be tender but firm to the bite. Overcooked Pasta is soft and mushy. Undercooked pasta will be hard and chewy.

Things to look for when purchasing and selecting grain products Check the nutrition labels Look for higher percentage of fiber. Ingredients which signify a higher amount of fiber are: brown rice, bulgur, graham flour oatmeal, whole grain corn, oats, whole wheat, and wild rice. Words that do not mean whole grain are: multi grain, stoneground, 100% wheat, cracked wheat, seven grain and bran Check the ingredient list for added sugar Words to watch for sucrose, high fructose corn sugar, honey, molasses Check for Oils Look for partially hydrogenated vegetable oils Check the freshness date

Storing Grain Products Keep bread in the store wrapper in a cool dry place. Make sure it is airtight. For longer storage freeze it. If it is hot and humid you may want to refrigerate bread to prevent the growing of mold. Store grain products in a covered container in a cool dry place. Most keep for up to a year. Refrigerate whole grains unless you are using them right away. They contain oils which can go rancid if left at room temperature.