What are Wheat Berries?
What the heck is a wheat berry anyway? I get that question all the time and until only a few years ago I didn’t know myself. I always called them wheat kernels or simply wheat or grain. With the recent trend toward healthy eating and consumption of more whole grains the term wheat berries is being used much more, but hopefully this article will help many realize it’s nothing new.
The Wheat berry is one of the world’s most important food sources. Located on the tip or head of the wheat stem, wheat berries are harvested after the mature plant turns golden-brown. Grown for thousands of years, this cereal grain is a well-loved staple of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus for many families.
Oval in shape and tan in color the wheat berry is made up of three parts. On the outside is the bran. The bran contains protein, B-vitamins, minerals and insoluble fiber. Next is the germ that is like the seed or sprouting part of the grain. The wheat germ is highly concentrated with vitamins and minerals. Lastly, the endosperm is the largest part filled with starch, protein, minerals, carbohydrates and soluble fiber. The endosperm is what is separated from the other two parts to make processed white flower. True whole wheat foods will always contain all three parts and that is why they are more healthy.
You may hear of different types of wheat berries and it is important to note that they can be quite different. Some are better for baking breads while other have qualities that make them better for cooking cakes. My favorite is Hard Red Spring Wheat simply because it is the most healthy. Hard Red Spring wheat is highest in nutrition and has a yummy nutty taste to it that I love. It is also high in gluten, which makes it great for baking breads.
When ground to a flour in a mill, hard red spring wheat will keep all of its nutritional value. If you break the berry and take out the bran and germ you will get what has dominated our supermarkets and food products for too long, refined white flour. If you add a little chemical bleaching you get bleached white flour. If you throw a tiny bit of the germ or bran back in you can now call your flour “enriched”. Don’t be fooled. There is very little nutritional value in any processed flours.
Wheat berries do a lot more than just make flour. It is a surprise to many people the number of delicious ways to eat wheat berries. With raw wheat berries you can grind your own flour or cook them for an hour in water to be used in soups, salads, cereals and much more. There a surprising number of wheat berry recipes online.
There are many benefits of eating wheat berries. Of course they have a great taste, but they also come with all sorts of benefits; reduced risk of heart disease, less chance of getting diabetes or cancer, to name the top few. The high amounts of dietary fiber helps regulate digestion, aids in lowering cholesterol and helps keep your blood sugar levels under control.
With the added knowledge of what a wheat berry is and of how great it can be, go and be healthy. Avoid those processed flours and products without real nutrition from whole wheat. Get some whole wheat berries of your own and try them in your different meals. There are hundreds of ways to prepare them and certainly some will tickle your fancy taste. As you implement them into your diet you can rest assured you are getting the nutrition nature intended for you.