Wheatberry – a true whole grain

It’s BBQ season, so I’ll be posting some great healthy side dishes to go along with whatever you might be tossing on the grill.

This wheatberry salad is one of my favorites. Wheatberries resemble barley or brown rice; they are whole, unprocessed wheat kernels – a true whole grain! All the nutrients are intact, so they are a great source of fiber, protein, B vitamins, as well as iron, magnesium and selenium and other minerals. When ground, they create whole wheat flour.

They are sold in most health food stores in bulk, making them relatively inexpensive. There are hard and soft varieties, and red or white. I use the hard red spring or winter wheatberries, which are chewy, high in protein and have a mildly nutty flavor. The softer white wheat berries are more starchy and softer and may be used to make pastry flour. With the hard texture, you have to be patient and boil them long enough – usually about 60 minutes – and taste them intermittently to get them to the desired texture. I prefer them on the softer side, but with some chewiness remaining. They can be eaten as a cereal, mixed with a bolder dressing and dried fruits, as in this recipe, or added to soups or chili. This side dish does take some time to prepare, but stays good in the refrigerator for a week and is always a big hit.

A usual serving of wheatberries – 1/2 cup – without any dressing has 160 calories, 1 gram of fat, 6.5 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber and 1 mg of sodium, plus lots of vitamins and minerals, as noted above.  

Wheatberry Salad with Red Fruit 
Adapted from the Food Network – this recipe is no longer posted, but this link provides many other recipes for adding more whole grains to your diet.

Guests LOVE this recipe. It’s a great healthy side for almost any main dish.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 c cooked wheatberries (1 c wheatberries, 2 cups water, simmered until tender but still chewy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Drain, return to pan and stir in ½ tsp salt.)

2 large Fuji apples, unpeeled, diced
½ c pecan halves or almonds or pistachios, toasted* and coarsely chopped

3 Tbsp raspberry vinegar
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Combine OJ and cranberries in a small bowl and let stand 15 minutes.
2. Combine wheatberries, apples and nuts in a large bowl; stir gently. Drain the cranberries, reserving the juice. Stir the cranberries into the wheatberry mixture.
3. Whisk reserved OJ, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and stir gently to coat.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably a day, to allow flavors to combine. Serve cold or room temp. Make sure to toss before serving as much of the dressing settles to the bottom.

* To toast, spread nuts onto a baking sheet and bake at 350, stirring once, until fragrant, 7-9 minutes. Nuts burn easily, so watch carefully. Or, make it easy and buy them pre-toasted, at Trader Joe’s.

References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/281394-nutrition-information-on-wheat-berries/