We all know that whole grains are good for us – and that we should be eating more of them. So where do you begin with trying to encourage your family to eat more whole grains? Try gradually. Maybe one whole grain recipe a week. You might start with a chicken and brown rice soup – your family won’t even miss the noodles. Then there’s the quinoa-crusted chicken fingers, which are tenders dipped into cooked quinoa before they’re baked until crispy. And what child can resist a granola bar, especially if he or she helped make them? Or, you can keep it simple and make banana whole grain muffins. For more recipes, check out the Whole Grains Council website.
Chicken and Brown Rice Soup
Infuse this ultimate comfort food with some whole grain goodness. This chicken and brown rice soup recipe from Whole Foods includes all of the expected ingredients along with brown rice. Soothing and delicious.
Quinoa Crusted Chicken Fingers
Little seeds packed with a big nutritional punch – that’s the reason quinoa has been making headlines lately. Introduce your kids to this whole grain with this clever recipe for quinoa crusted chicken fingers. Cooked quinoa is mixed with breadcrumbs before being rolled in strips of chicken. Bake to golden perfection!
Easy Brown Rice Casserole with Turkey Italian Sausage and Green Bell Pepper
Low-fat doesn’t mean low-flavor and this recipe for easy brown rice casserole from Kalyn’s Kitchen proves it! Sauté finely chopped onions and bell peppers in olive oil before mixing in Italian turkey sausage, then brown rice. Top with cheese and bake for a yummy dinner that will soon become a family favorite.
Three Pepper Oat Pilaf
Oats are a stand-in for pasta or white rice in this recipe for three pepper oat pilaf from Quaker Oats. But this is no breakfast food! The bell peppers, mushrooms, green onions and garlic added to the oats give them a robust, hearty flavor that’s perfect for a side dish – or your main meal!
Coconut Almond Granola Bar
Make extras of these coconut almond granola bars from the Whole Grain Gourmet. Easy to make, this recipe includes rolled oats, 7-grain cereal, oat bran, almond, sesame seeds, honey, coconut and dried fruit. Your kids can come up with their own mix-ins.
Banana Whole Grain Muffins
What kid could resist a banana muffin? This banana whole grain recipe from Pinch My Salt uses whole-wheat flour, oat bran and pecan meal (made from ground nuts). You can make these to go along with your meal or even better add some chocolate chips to mix in for a tasty dessert.
