A Whole Day for Whole Grains with Life Long Learners

It was a "Whole Day for Whole Grains" when life long learners gathered for a lunch compiled of 7 different whole grains. The menu on this last Wednesday of National Nutrition Month featured:

Sorghum and White Bean Soup over Cheesy Polenta Bites

Ezekiel Flour Cookies

 

Posters and recipes for 10 whole grains lined the walls. These were planned for a larger event in 2020 which cancelled during the COVID stay at home order.

Favorite Whole Grain cookbooks were shared. Take home bags held local grain samples from Davis Brothers Inc. and the Vegetable Garden.

Retired dietitian Cindy Gay and Licensed Dietitian Tiffany Mihaliak greeted and served 16 life long learners. When fed and seated, Cindy shared a PowerPoint presentation reviewing gluten free and gluten containing grains, unique nutrients in each, where grown in the United States, a fascinating fact about each grain and cost per serving .Examples of things to make with each grain were shared. Guests were asked to pick out one new grain to prepare at home.

New this year were 2 grains, Kernza wheat grass, a perennial developed by the Land Institute in Kansas and Fonio, a millet (an ancient grain but one new to the presenter). 

What changed since 2020? The price of quinoa went down. Previously it was one of the highest priced whole grains, second only to wild rice. The cost of quinoa per serving is now about 50 cents-mid range. Interesting in comparing the cost of all the whole grains that the price per serving ranged from a low of 18 cents per serving to a high of 75 cents per serving. This is reasonable compared to other foods in the US grocery cart.

The presenter learned that C4 grains-Amaranth, Corn, Millet, Sorghum and Teff- have reduced environmental impact (Increased photosynthesis, more efficient using nitrogen and water). 

New in the slide show ere cooked cereals made with teff and amaranth and pastas made with farro and teff.

The cookies made with Ezekiel Flour have 5 whole grains. The link for the flour (comprised of 4 whole grains) is above. Adding oats with the flour brings the variety of whole grains to 5. Here is the cookie recipe:

Ezekiel Cookies

(28 Cookies)

Combine flour, oats, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
1 ¼ cups Ezekiel flour
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla

Add flour mixture to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add coconut and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.
¾ cup unsweetened coconut

¾ cup dark chocolate chips (60% cacao)

Drop by tablespoonful onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350F. for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.

 

  

What new grain did the learners plan to cook at home? Amaranth, Sorghum, Teff, Grits were among the choices.