Whole grains are one of the foundation foods of the
Mediterranean Diet.
Mention the Mediterranean Diet and delicious and healthy foods like pasta and pita bread come to mind immediately. However, there are many other healthy and scrumptious whole grains and whole grain products common to the traditional Mediterranean Diet, such as barley, buckwheat, bulgur, farro, millet, oats, polenta, rice, wheatberries, and couscous.
These established traditions may surprise you. The Venice region, for instance, is famous for
bigoli, a buckwheat pasta; in Tuscany, farro is a favorite choice. Moving on to Turkey, you'll find
köfte, patties or cylinders of bulgur mixed with chopped vegetables, nuts and herbs. Bulgur is also at the heart of tabbouleh, the bulgur-parsley-mint salad enjoyed throughout the Middle East. And don't forget North Africa, also part of the Mediterranean region. In Tunisia, a favorite grain is barley, according to acclaimed cookbook author Paula Wolfert in her book
Mediterranean Grains and Greens. Tunisians make barley couscous and even barley bulgur, and use both of them in a wide variety of dishes.
More and more of us are discovering the nuttier, fuller taste of whole grains, and their ability to deliver flavor and satisfaction. According to the Whole Grains Council, whole grain consumption in the U.S. jumped 23% from 2008 to 2010, as more people discovered the many delicious whole grain options available in restaurants and on grocery shelves. Yet most people are still far short of recommendations, and would benefit from switching more of the grains they eat to whole grains.
To acknowledge the importance of whole grains, Oldways and its Whole Grains Council (WGC) celebrate
Whole Grains Month every September. This year we are encouraging people everywhere to "
Make the Switch" to include more nutritious and delicious whole grains in their everyday meals, with a special contest. We invited sixteen leading bloggers and dietitians to take an "old" recipe made with refined grains and transform the dish into one featuring whole grains - and many of the recipes have a decided Mediterranean flair.
Millet and Lamb Tagine... Grilled Ratatouille Quinoa... Spiced Ginger Citrus Millet with Feta... Barley Risotto with Kale and Squash... You'll find the flavors and ingredients of the Mediterranean region in many of these recipes. Try a few - then
vote for your favorites. At the end of the month, we'll pick a random lucky winner to receive cash and whole grain prizes, from among everyone who votes.
Decades of science document the health benefits of whole grains; some benefits kick in at as little as one serving a day, though people who eat three or more whole grain servings a day benefit most. If you've been confused by the many myths about grains that have been sensationalized in popular pseudo-science bestsellers, check out the
Whole Grains Council's collection of health studies and our "
Myths Busted" page to see the real science. Or attend our
upcoming conference, where all the hot issues in whole grains will be covered by top experts.
To enjoy Mediterranean whole grains at every meal, we invite you to try the recipes below. We hope you'll take a look at the "
Make the Switch" contest recipes on the WGC site; or the many recipes on the
Oldways and
WGC recipe pages. Finally, from the
Oldways Bookstore, we highly recommend any one or all of the three books featured in this newsletter.
Click on a photo or recipe title below to link to the full recipe.
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