The Art of Healthy Eating

Lesson Twenty Two

A quick check-up on your grains.

Refined grains are missing something. Goodness to be precise. That’s because when grains are refined, the outer bran and germ layers are removed, and this is where much of the fibre and many of the nutrients and phytonutrients live.

Refined grains are found in white bread, white flour, cakes, biscuits and pastries. So it’s best to avoid these whenever you can. They’re pretty useless to you really.

Make a lasting switch to wholegrain pasta and rice. Alternatively, have you ever tried bulghar wheat instead? If not, try this recipe for Tabbouleh, a mixture of soft bulghar wheat, cucumber and mint. It’s full of prebiotics.

Ingredients
110g (4oz) bulghar wheat
1 medium cucumber (diced)
1 large red onion (chopped)
4 large tomatoes (chopped)
6 large sprigs each mint and
parsley (chopped)
150g (5oz) blueberries
200ml (7fl oz) standard
French dressing

Method
1. Put the bulghar wheat into a bowl, cover with cold water and leave until swollen – about 30 mins.
2. Drain the bulghar wheat. Mix in the cucumber, onion, tomatoes, mint and parsley. Scatter the blueberries on top. Pour over the dressing.