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Adding Whole Grains to Your Menus

To make room for more whole grains in your meals, substitute whole-grain products for refined products. Don’t just add servings of whole grains to your menus, or you may surpass your calorie and carbohydrate goals. Here are some whole-grain menu suggestions:

• Try brown rice stuffing instead of white rice in baked green peppers or tomatoes. Try whole wheat macaroni in macaroni and cheese.
• Add whole grains such as barley or buckwheat groats to vegetable soups or stews. Serve stir-fries over bulgur or quinoa instead of white rice.
• Create a whole-grain pilaf with a mix of grains such as barley, wild rice, and brown rice. Stir in toasted nuts or chopped dried fruit for added flavor.
• Replace up to half of the all-purpose flour in pancake, waffle, muffin, or cookie recipes with whole wheat flour or oat flour. You may need add a bit more leavening (such as baking powder or yeast) as well.
• Try rolled oats or crushed, unsweetened whole-grain cereal as breading for baked chicken, fish, veal cutlets, or eggplant parmesan.
• Snack on ready-to-eat, whole-grain cereal such as toasted oat cereal in place of cookies or chips.
• Try a whole-grain snack chip, such as baked tortilla chips, in place of your usual choices.
• Eat unsalted, unbuttered popcorn for a healthy, whole-grain snack.

Note: These tips are based on www.mypyramid.gov.

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