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Cereals, Pulses and Nuts
Cereals
Cereals are the seeds of cultivated grasses. They are often referred to as a staple
food because they are cheap to grow and so form a major part of our diet
(especially for vegetarians).
There are six important cereals, these are:
Name
Uses
Wheat
Wheat is normally milled into flour. It can be made into
breakfast cereals and pasta.
Maize is used for cornflour, custard powder and popcorn.
Sweet corn is eaten as a vegetable, and the corn is crushed for
oil (corn oil).
Maize/ Corn
Rice
Rice is used with curries, savoury dishes and also for
puddings.
Oats can be used to make rolled oats (porridge), oat flakes
(muesli) and breakfast cereals. They are also used for animal
food.
Oats
Barley
Barley is used to thicken soups and stews, but most often it
is used to make beer and whisky. A lot is used for animal
feed.
Rye is used to make a thin, dry crisp bread and black rye
bread.
Rye
What does wheat look like?
If you cut open a wheat
grain and look at it under
the microscope, you will be
able to see the different
parts.
Part of the
grain
Bran
What is it?
The outside
Husk
Endosperm
Middle of the
Grain
Germ/Embryo
Where the seed
grows
What is it made of?
It is rich in dietary
fibre.
This makes flour. It
is rich in Starch, and
contains a little
Protein and B
vitamins.
Contains protein, fat,
and some B vitamins
Storing Cereals:
Keep in airtight containers in a cool, dark, dry place to prevent the formation of
moulds (moffa). Cereals can be attacked by insects and so they should be
regularly inspected if stored for a long time.
Refined and Unrefined cereals
Refined cereals: (processed cereals)
 Include desserts, white bread, pasta, muffins, biscuits, refined breakfast
cereals, white rice, pancakes and pizza.
 Refined cereals do not have the same benefits of unrefined cereals. In fact,
when grains are refined by a process called milling (for example, to produce
white flour), the bran and germ are removed, leaving only the endosperm.
This process causes a great loss of nutrients and fibre.
 Some fibre, vitamins and minerals may be added back (enriched) into refined
cereal products (such as white bread), which compensates for losses, but it is
impossible to add back all the nutrients lost in the processing.
Unrefined cereals: (unprocessed cereals)
 Contain dietary fibre, some protein, very little fat, B vitamins, vitamin E and
iron.
 Most of these nutrients are concentrated in the g____ and bran of the cereal.
The importance of choosing unrefined products
Whole grains include grains like wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, and rye –
when these foods are eaten in their "whole" form. Whole grains consist of all
the 3 parts of a grain i.e. the bran, the germ and the endosperm.
Whole grains are healthier, providing more protein, as much as 4 times more
dietary fibre and many important vitamins and minerals.
Eating whole grains has been shown to reduce the risks of
constipation, heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
PULSES:
Pulses includes:

Beans

Peas

Lentils
Importance in the diet:

They are a good source of starch, protiens and B vitamins. They are also
low in fat and high in fibre.

We should try to make more use of pulses in our
diet because they are inexpensive, easy to cook and
store and high in food value.

The protein quality of pulses is not as good as the
protein quality of meat and eggs, but can be improved if we make use of
pulses more frequently in our dishes.
Uses:
Pulses are included in meal in a variety of ways:

Soups and stews – to thicken and add extra protein.

Vegetable accompaniment– served with vegetables.

Salads – Cooked pulses can be served cold in a dressing or with other salad
vegetables.

Vegetarian meals
vegetarian meals.
–
Pulses
are
the
main
source
of
protein
in
Products of Pulses: Can be used by vegetarians as meat alternative




 Soya beans
Texture vegetable protein (TVP)
Soya milk
Soy sauce
Tofu (cheese).
Cooking Pulses:
As they are usually dried, all pulses except lentils must be soaked before
cooking. Soak them either overnight in cold water (8hours) or for 2-3 hours in
boiling water. Drain, and then simmer gently in fresh water until soft.
Red kidney beans must be boiled for at least 15 minutes to destroy
the poison that they contain.
A pressure cooker will save you a lot of time if you are cooking pulses.
The cheapest way to prepare beans is to cook a large batch at once,
then divide it into useful quantities. You may also freeze them.
NUTS:
Most people only eat nuts in small amount because they are expensive.
Different types of nuts:
Coconut palm
Brazil
Hazelnut
Pecan
Chestnut
Macadamia
Pistachio
Almond
Walnut
Cashew
Uses:
Nuts are used in baking and confectionary, especially for their
flavour and texture. They can be used in poultry (e.g. chicken)
stuffing, served in salads, nut roasts, casseroles, and used as a
garnish for vegetables.
Importance in the diet:
Nuts are a useful source of protein and fat to vegetarians. They also add a
variety to their diet. They also supply some carbohydrate, calcium, iron and B
Vitamin (thiamin).