I remember one time years ago there was a strange salad at a vegetarian restaurant that I was forced to go. I was out with vegetarian friends and since I not only was a meat eater, I completely didn’t eat healthy at the time. The salad had a strange brown look to it. Not quite couscous, not quite rice. It was just weird. I had a good laugh at the thought of eating it, and then of course didn’t eat it.
Last night I drove 30 miles round trip to pick up these incredible edible wheat berries. Yes, that same grain that I scoffed at before was now the sole purpose of my trip to Whole Foods. It’s funny how times change. I never would have imagined this back then.
Have you ever tried wheat berries? If not, I highly recommend them as a unique grain to add flavor to your salads, breakfasts and side dishes. You can eat them hot like a rice dish. Flavor them like couscous with spices, sundried tomatoes, and onions.
You can also eat them like oatmeal and make them sweet with a little bit of cinnamon, a pinch of sugar and splash of vanilla. I even have them cold in salads or with milk like cereal. They are a completely versatile, magical berry.
I make a large batch in my rice steamer and use them throughout the week. I also freeze some so that I can quickly reheat them when I need a fast side dish. They are kid friendly too. The Kid polished off the batch I had left in the fridge and actually texted me to pick some up on the way home. It was a jaw dropping Mom moment. I’m betting not many get that text from a 13 year old. 😉
Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find them yet in a mainstream grocery store so I have to make a trip to the bulk food section at Whole Foods. They are quite cheap though at $1.19 a pound. By my measurements, there is approximately 4 cups in a pound. The Food Network had some great information about them and even suggested using them in chili. I bet that would be delish.
Remember, it’s good to mix up your grains and try some new varieties. Every grain has different nutrients and amounts of vitamins and minerals. If you change things up, you have a better chance at balanced nutrition naturally. That’s my public service announcement for the day. Carry on with you normal lives now that I got that out of the way.
I might try a wheat berry chili version this weekend. Stay tuned for feedback and let me know how far you’ll drive for a bag of wheat berries.
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