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Buying grains

The Sanitarium Nutrition Service
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Choosing wholegrain foods is an important part of eating a balanced diet, so we've got some tips for you below for tasty, economical ways to help you include them in your diet.

  • Choose plain brown rice, rather than pre-cooked as it is significantly cheaper. Brown rice is filling, but often children don't like it, so long-grain rice is another great option — it is low-GI, so gives you longer lasting energy. When preparing brown rice, cover it with water and soak it in the fridge while at work. It then takes less time to cook and is softer to eat. Or, blend long-grain and brown rice together, to get a wholegrain mix.
  • When purchasing flour or rice buy in bulk if you have somewhere to store it. Just check that the price is cheaper, it generally is. Keep in sealed containers in your pantry or freezer so that they last.
  • Try to purchase wholegrain or wholemeal breads, as they are more filling, and so you usually will need to eat fewer slices to end up feeling satisfied! Also, try a no-knead bread recipe to make your own — involve the children — so that they will be more likely to eat it! You could try using one slice of white and one slice of wholemeal in a sandwich, to get the family to eat more wholegrains.
  • Oats are nutritious, economical and can be dressed up with fruit to make a great breakfast — also they are a healthy base to crumbles and other baking.
  • Choose wholegrain breakfast cereals, they are filling and so will last longer. Weet-Bix is a really nutritious and cheap breakfast, which costs about $0.09 per biscuit — what a cheap breakfast. It is also a great alternative to breadcrumbs, and can be used in baking. Mix different cereals together, for example, puffed rice with some muesli — to add variety, fibre and wholegrains. This is a useful option for making expensive cereals last that little but longer.
  • Pasta is an economical food, which many children enjoy — even though it is made from white flour. Choose a topping that has heaps of vegetables, this will turn pasta into a very nutritious meal — full of nutrients and fibre. There are some wholegrain pastas available, but they are quite difficult to find and often are a bit more expensive. Maybe mix wholegrain pasta with white flour pasta, and you can have a much healthier pasta option.

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