Grains are an important part of our five food group daily consumption, however, when choosing your grains, be sure to keep them Whole Grain!
Grains are the seeds of food plants that have been harvested and include foods such as wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley etc. Grains are high in carbohydrates which provide energy to our brain and muscles. There are two types of grains: Whole Grain and Refined Grain.
Whole Grains are the entire seed of the plant and contain the entire grain kernel. Whole Grains are rich in vitamins, fiber, protein and iron. Whole Grain foods include brown rice, oats, barley, spelt, quinoa and whole wheat products such as whole wheat bread, pasta etc.
Refined Grains are processed grains and are missing some of these important nutrients. Refined grain foods include white rice, pasta, white bread and foods made with white, all-purpose flour such as cookies, cakes, muffins etc. We should be consuming limited quantities of refined grains as they provide us with limited nutritional benefits and breakdown into unnecessary sugar in our bodies.
Quinoa is one of my favorite whole grains with a “nutty” flavor plus its packed with protein. These Zucchini Quinoa Bites are a delicious addition to my recipe book. They remind me of little quiches without the phyllo crust, making them gluten free.
These quinoa bites are a perfect vegetable side dish to any meal or as an appetizer. They are super easy to make and so very yummy, a perfect whole grain food. I liked them so much, I’m going to make a couple other versions and will post the recipes later this week.
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