Byte of BarleyBy
Patty "Sassy" KnutsonBARLEYHave you ever tried
barley? It's a plump little grain that is delicious whether eaten as a breakfast cereal, added to soups and stews, used in place of rice or mixed with other grains, even finely ground and used as a flour!
Personally, I didn't start cooking with barley until just two years ago! (Isn't it fascinating how many foods there are out there for us Vegetarians to discover?) Barley added such a wonderfully delicious flavor and texture to my soups that I started to experiment using it in other ways. It's a fun little grain and one that you're sure to love.
Barley has a
nutty flavor, and due to its gluten content makes for a
chewy grain that is reminiscent of pasta, and who doesn't love pasta? Barley is a most
comforting food.
But what I love most is learning about the
nutritional profile of barley -- it's quite impressive. There's so very much to learn about the nutrients in barley, but as always I'd like to highlight the most dense nutrient encased in this delicious grain...
IT'S TIME FOR A NUTRITIONAL QUICKIE! 
Barley is an outstanding source of dietary fiber. In fact, 1 cup of cooked barley will provide you with
over 54% of your body's daily requirement for dietary fiber. Whoo-hoo!!!
Surely we've all heard about fiber. In fact, sometimes we tend to let any talk about fiber fall by the wayside because it's just SO mainstream! ;O)
So let's discuss some facts about dietary fiber that you may find not only helpful, but interesting as well.
Of course, the number one thing we usually think of when we hear the word fiber is how it's so helpful to our
bowel movements! This is because fiber is like a broom that sweeps through your colon and pushes things along. This means food sits in your colon for less time, which
decreases your chances for colon cancer and hemorrhoids. (And by the way, did you know that EVERYONE has hemorrhoids? But they don't become noticeable until they make an appearance into the "outside world". One of the reasons for this? Pushing too hard to eliminate stools! Ouch!)
Dietary fiber is also a fabulous food enjoyed by the
friendly bacteria in your intestines. This "good bacteria" eats the very hard bits of
insoluble fiber (fiber that simply can't be dissolved in a liquid) and breaks it down into smaller parts. One of these smaller parts is a short-chain fatty acid that is the
primary food for the cells of the large intestine.
Isn't your body miraculous? Sometimes it just overwhelms me. :O)
And the
soluble fiber in barley goes to work for you too. In fact, those with blood sugar challenges might be interested to learn that
barley's soluble fiber can actually lower both glucose and insulin responses. And barley contains four times the soluble fiber of oats. Go barley!
Another cool fact about fiber is that it contains a carbohydrate called
beta glucan which helps to lower cholesterol. You see, your liver creates
fats which are
digested by bile acids.
Beta glucan attaches itself to these bile acids and sweeps the whole kit and caboodle through the colon and out of your body. When this happens, your body has to create even more bile acids, which are made from cholesterol which is circulating around in your system. Goodbye excess cholesterol!
Cool, eh?
Dietary fiber also helps you to feel full after a meal, which means you're less likely to reach for 2nd and 3rd helpings -- or dessert -- which can go a long way towards that
weight loss you're striving for.
Although I could go on and on about fiber and all the wonderful attributes, this is supposed to be a "nutritional quickie", so I'll stop here.
Except to say that although barley contains gluten, it just might be okay for those on a wheat-free diet. Scientists have been examining the composition of gluten grains, and it appears that barley may not be in the same strict "gluten" category as wheat after all. But be sure to ask your doctor or nutritionist if barley is a food you can consider if you're on a wheat-free diet.
p.s.
Be sure to use "hulled barley". "Pearl barley" is just a shadow of its former self, containing just a fraction of hulled barley's powerful nutritional value.
BARLEY SERVING IDEASGrind barley and add to boiling water to make a yummy and nutty-tasting breakfast cereal. Use as you would oatmeal.
Grind barley and mix it with whole wheat flour in your baked goods.
Add barley to your soups and stews at the beginning of the cooking process (before you even chop your veggies) and the barley should be soft and edible by the time your soup is ready to eat.
Soak your barley overnight, then drain and cook as you would other grains. The soaking helps to make your barley more digestible, and cooks up faster too. Combine with mushrooms, carrots, onions, and pine nuts, to name just a few delectable additions to your barley dish.
Make a cold salad with cooked (and cooled) barley, chopped veggies such as green onions, bell peppers and peas, along with a tasty vinaigrette.
And the fun has only just begun. Follow this link to learn all about Barley, including the difference between "hulled" and "pearled". You'll also learn how to Clean and Prep your barley, Cooking Techniques, a complete list of Barley's "Vegan Flavor Matches" (the foods, herbs, spices and other ingredients that tend to go perfectly with barley), Helpful Hints, and more Nutritional Information.Happy cooking!
About the author:Sassy is a Vegan Chef and Nutritional Consultant.
Her website
VeganCoach.com was created to marry these two loves, along with
over a decade of vegan experience, by teaching her fellow vegans the secret to
balanced vegan nutrition and easy vegan cooking
without recipes.
Pop on in for a visit.
Copyright © 2007 by Patty "Sassy" Knutson
All rights reserved.
No part of this article may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Thank you.
