Nutrition

The resurgence of ancient grains

7 July, 2020 . 0

Ancient grains are back – or did they ever really leave? One thing is for sure – with food sensitivities on the rise, people are looking to the past for healthy food options.

Quinoa, buckwheat, and freekeh can all be included under the “ancient grains” umbrella.

And while they may seem like recent additions to popular recipes, they’ve actually been regularly used by different cultures for hundreds of years, according to dietitian Felicity Curtain.

“Ancient grains is more a collective term applied to grains that have been enjoyed for many centuries but only recently discovered by the western world,” says Felicity, of Dietitians Australia.

“They tend to be wholegrains – which means they’ve remained in the same state as what they were probably consumed many years ago, in comparison to other grains that we’re more familiar with today that might have changed over the years.”

Many ancient grains are now easily available on supermarket shelves, while others can be found in health food stores or international grocers.

The health benefits of ancient grains

The newly formed appreciation of ancient grains can be attributed to an increased awareness of nutrition as well as a prevalence of food allergies, explains naturopath and nutritionist Ange Sinclair.

“Ancient grains do not need the same amount of pesticides and herbicides to yield decent crops,” says Ange.

As the plants within this category are so diverse, there are health benefits specific to each, but what they have in common is they are generally a more nutritious option than modern refined sources.

“They offer a wide array of energy-boosting micronutrients and vitamins, blood sugar regulating and gut health-promoting fibre, and satiating protein content,” says dietitian Lulu Cook.

Not only that, many ancient grains are also gluten-free, or lower in gluten than the grains we traditionally consume, opening up the possibilities for those with gluten sensitivity.

“There are heaps of great benefits,” says Felicity.

“As well as the ability to add interest and taste, texture to dishes, for me, the best part is there is so many more possibilities of different recipes that we can cook with. It’s just about adding interest and variety to our diet.”

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What are some popular ancient grains and how can you use them?

Quinoa

A gluten-free grain, Felicity says quinoa is unique in that it provides a complete source of protein.

“While there’s lots of different plant-based sources of protein, very few are complete proteins – so we need to get all those different amino acids from other foods,” she says.

“Most of those amino acids are found in animal based foods.

“So if you are following a plant based diet or you’re reducing animal foods like meat in your diet, this grain is really great to ensure you’re getting that range of proteins.”

Quinoa is a versatile grain, making a tasty addition to a variety of salads similar to how you might use rice or couscous.

“I like to use it similar to oats – so made into a porridge, or I might cook a batch and put it in the fridge and use it in the same way you’d use oats for bircher muesli,” says Felicity.

Freekeh

A variety of wheat, freekeh is not gluten-free, but is rapidly gaining popularity as a nutty, textural addition to grain salads.

“It’s a really high fibre grain, and being wholegrain it contains all those layers of the grain that contains the vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients, so it’s definitely one to give a try,” says Felicity.

“It also can be used in winter recipes, so great in things like slow cooked meals or casseroles.

“It’s definitely one to experiment with.”

Spelt

A variety of wheat, and with a similar nutrition content, spelt is high in carbs and an excellent source of fibre.

While it should be avoided on a gluten-free diet, it is lower in gluten than traditional wheat products and may be tolerated better by those who have irritable bowel syndrome or follow a low FODMAP diet.

“It may be a good one to experiment with if you’re finding regular wheat flour is bothering you, but is definitely not suitable for someone who has to be gluten-free,” says Felicity.

“My favourite way to use spelt is spelt flour… you can find this as a wholegrain or refined grain, but what I really like about it is it has a milder flavour to something like a wholegrain wheat flour.

“It’s got that nutty sort of flavour, and it goes really well in baked foods.”

Barley

Available in many forms, including hulled barley, barley flakes or flour, barley is high in fibre and resistance starch.

“To get technical, resistance starch is a kind of fibre that basically when you eat it, bypasses digestion in your small intestine, so it ferments in your gut, and that provides food for all the good gut bacteria,” Felicity explains.

“There’s all kinds of great benefits this brings – it can reduce inflammation in our body, there’s great research emerging for resistance starch and barley is a rich source of that.”

Felicity says it tastes great when cooked and cooled – another way to increase resistance starch – and can be added to salads or stews. It tastes really good, it has