Most people in the United States don’t consume enough whole grains. And that’s a problem, experts say.
They’re loaded with nutrients and fiber, offering benefits for your gut, heart and metabolic health, said Neda Akhavan, an assistant professor of nutrition sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. And whole grains have been linked with reduced risks of colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and other conditions.
Most Americans tend to get their whole grains from sources like wheat, corn, rice and oats, but adding a wider variety of grains into your diet will offer a larger range of nutrients and health benefits, experts say.
Here are five lesser-known grains that health experts recommend, along with recipe ideas and cooking notes from our colleagues at NYT Cooking to help you add them to your meal rotation.
While three of the varieties — buckwheat, amaranth and teff — are technically seeds, they are treated as grains by the nutrition and cooking communities. If you can’t find them at your local grocery store, try specialty health food stores like Whole Foods or online retailers like Amazon.
Buckwheat
There are various types of buckwheat, but the two you’re most likely to be putting on your plate are common and Tartary buckwheat.
Tartary buckwheat in particular is an exceptional source of rutin, a plant pigment that may play a role in preventing inflammation and diabetes, said Iago Hale, a professor in the department of agriculture, nutrition and food systems at the University of New Hampshire. This is in part because rutin helps to make blood vessels strong and flexible.
One cup of cooked buckwheat also supplies about six grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fiber.
Buckwheat flour is used to make French-Acadian flatbreads called ployes, which are similar to pancakes or crepes. The flour can also be baked into cookies and crackers, or incorporated into a knish filling.
Kasha, a typical Eastern European porridge-style breakfast, is made by roasting, soaking and simmering dry roasted buckwheat grains in water with butter and salt.
Millet
This protein-, fiber- and antioxidant-rich grain comes in two main varieties: pearl and finger millet, each with similar nutrient profiles. One cup of the cooked grain offers about six grams of protein and two grams of fiber, as well as iron, magnesium and potassium. It also contains ferulic and phytic acids, antioxidants with anti-inflammatory effects.
Both pearl and finger millet have a light, fluffy texture when cooked. Pearl millet is a little chewier and has a hazelnut-like flavor, whereas finger millet has more of a green or grassy note.
Celine Beitchman, director of nutrition at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, said that millet provides a nice “blank canvas” for stews and grain bowls. She also likes to overcook the grain to the point of stickiness, then form the grains into patties and pan fry them into cakes, which can be eaten on their own or topped with soy sauce, sriracha, roasted red pepper sauce or red pepper jelly.
Amaranth
This tiny, crunchy seed is high in protein, with about nine grams per cooked cup. It’s also packed with fiber — about five grams per cup — and antioxidants. Because our bodies can readily absorb and use the protein in amaranth, it can be a good substitute for animal-based proteins.
Tina Archuleta, an Indigenous chef and the owner of Itality Plant-Based Foods, a vegan restaurant in Albuquerque, said she grinds uncooked amaranth in a spice grinder and uses it in “anything you put flour in,” like baked goods. She makes pudding by simmering the grain in milk, then adding chocolate and a sweetener, like agave.
Sorghum
This antioxidant-rich grain, which is about the same shape and size as Israeli couscous, has a mildly sweet and nutty flavor and a tender texture.
It’s also high in protein — providing about eight grams per cooked cup — and is a good source of iron.
Sorghum kernels can be popped like popcorn, cooked like rice or roasted for a crunchy salad topper. To make a creamy breakfast porridge, soak sorghum in water overnight in the refrigerator, then prepare it as you would oatmeal. Top it with fresh fruit, nuts or toasted coconut flakes. Sorghum flour can easily be swapped into gluten-free recipes because of its neutral flavor, Ms. Beitchman said.
Teff
According to Dr. Akhavan, teff is one of the most promising grains for improving health because it is so dense with nutrients. One cup of cooked teff contains about 10 grams of protein and seven grams of fiber, for instance, about twice as much as would be found in an equal serving of brown rice.
And it supplies plenty of calcium and iron, making it good for bone and blood health.
Teff is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, especially in the preparation of injera, a spongy flatbread used to scoop up stewed vegetables and sauces. The distinctive cocoa-like flavor of brown or red teff lends itself to breakfast porridges served with fruit, nuts and maple syrup; its flour works well in cookies, cinnamon rolls and coffee cakes. White teff has a milder flavor, and can be mixed with cheese and topped with roasted vegetables. White teff (or its flour) can be added to any dish that might need thickening, like a meatloaf.
