Healthy eating tips: Durum and wheat products offer many health benefits

(NC)—Eating healthier doesn't have to be a chore. Sometimes it is as easy as including simple, healthy products in your favorite recipes.

With the recent focus on gluten-free and low carb diets in the media, the benefits of wheat products have been largely forgotten. Yet, according to Winnipeg-based Nutritionist Kelley Fitzpatrick, they have a huge array of benefits. “Whole grains are excellent sources of various vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, are low in saturated fat, and contain healthy polyunsaturated fats,” she said. “They are also rich in essential dietary fibre and can lower the risk of diseases such as cancer, diverticular disease, diabetes and coronary heart disease.”

Advances in biotechnology research have helped plant breeders develop new varieties of wheat that taste better in our food. For example, durum wheat is milled into semolina that prevents pasta from become mushy or sticky. It is also being used to produce Asian noodles and various types of bread.

Try using durum semolina flour in your recipes, or add wheat bran or wheat kernels to your recipes for an extra boost of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Try this tasty recipe:

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 14-16 minutes

Makes: 15 biscuits (600 g)

1¾ cup (425 ml) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder

1 tbsp (15 ml) white sugar

¼ cup (50 ml) soft margarine, unsalted

2/3 cup (150 ml) lentil purée

2/3 cup (150 ml) 1% milk

• Preheat oven to 425˚F (220˚C).

• In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

• Cut margarine into mixture and add lentil purée (still cutting) until it resembles coarse oatmeal.

• Add milk and fold into flour mixture until ingredients are just incorporated.

• Turn out dough onto a lightly-floured surface and pat down to 1½-2 inches thick. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch (5 cm) cookie cutter. Dust cookie cutter with flour to help prevent dough from sticking.

• Place biscuits on baking sheet at least 1-inch (2.5 cm) apart.

• Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until golden. Serve immediately!

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Source: Pulse Canada

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