This article was written and paid for by Pharmacy Advantage.
The month of September is National Whole Grains Month, and whole grains are often forgotten about, but they're actually a great source of energy to add to your diet.
They may sound boring, but there are so many ways you can introduce this healthy food option into your diet and still feel full and satisfied.
Here are a few options for how you can incorporate more whole grains into your diet.
1. Make whole grain pancakes
Pancakes will always be a favorite breakfast dish for so many people, so why not add some whole grains to your batter to make it healthier without losing everything you love about pancakes. All you have to do it use whole wheat flour and some rolled oats and you've got yourself a delicious breakfast. Don't forget the syrup and butter!
2. Replace white rice with brown rice
It's not that white rice is necessarily bad for you, but it's a refined grain, which means that a lot of the essential nutrients have been removed. Brown rice, on the other hand, has all of those healthy nutrients. From Mexican fiesta rice bowls to a delicious stir-fry, brown rice can be used in so many ways.
3. Try cooking with quinoa
If you've never tried quinoa then you're missing out on a culinary experience. Not only is quinoa a whole grain, but it's gluten-free, high in fiber, and a bunch of other nutrients that are great for your body. You can always cook quinoa all by itself as a side dish (like you would with brown rice), but try including some in a salad or even in a soup to add some flavor to this super food.
4. Replace regular pasta with whole wheat pasta
Just like with rice, replacing regular pasta with a whole wheat pasta is a fantastic way to still eat your favorite pasta dishes without sacrificing on noodles, aka the best part. Once you pour a creamy Alfredo or your grandma's recipe for marinara, you won't even notice you're eating whole wheat pasta.
5. Try adding more corn to your diet
Corn on the cob may be considered a vegetable, but the corn kernel is surprisingly a whole grain. That's why eating popcorn (that's not drenched in butter and salt) is a great way to eat more whole grains. There are so many ways you can eat more corn in your diet (soups, salads, bread), so think of how you can add corn to your meal next time you cook.