Transitioning to Whole Wheat

100%  whole wheat is packed with fabulous nutrients, and freshly ground whole wheat ensures those nutrients.  If you are trying to eat healthier and want to incorporate whole wheat into your diet, there are a few things you should know.

Start with Hard White Wheat:
I recommend starting with hard white wheat due to its mild flavor.  Hard red wheat's flavor is robust and may be unpleasing if you are used to traditional white bread.

 Switch Over Slowly:
If you are used to white all-purpose flour, drastically switching to 100% whole wheat may not be the best choice for your body.  It's not a race to prove to people that you have converted over from processed foods to unrefined, whole grains. Take it slowly and in the end, your body will thank you.

Drastically switching to whole wheat may result in symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Upset Stomach
• Bloating
• Excessive Gas

It takes some time for your body to adjust to the whole grains and unprocessed foods you are putting into it. Just as it is important to take gradual steps when introducing a baby to food, so should you take gradual steps when introducing your body to less refined, healthier options.

When using recipes that call for flour, I would recommend starting off with 1/3 whole wheat flour and 2/3 unbleached all purpose flour.  When you feel that your body is handling it well, increase the amount of whole wheat to 2/3 and decrease the unbleached flour to 1/3.  Eventually you will be able to use 100% whole wheat.  If you can't seem to adjust to 100% whole wheat because of the flavor difference, then find a ratio of whole wheat and unbleached flour that you can handle.  In the end, it is still a healthier option from the typical bleached all-purpose flour.

A Wheat Grinder Isn't Necessary:
The typical person doesn't necessarily have a wheat grinder in their pantry, especially if you are new to using whole grains or whole wheat.  Many stores sell 100% whole wheat flour. Typically whole wheat comes in 5 lb bag.  Just read the bag thoroughly to know whether you are buying red wheat or white wheat. 

Cook the wheat berries / kernels whole. There are many recipes out there that incorporate whole wheat berries or cracked wheat. If you are in the adjusting period and come across a savory recipe that calls for wheat berries, you can replace a portion of the wheat berries with brown rice.

Whole Wheat Berries

Wheat is packed with nutrients.  Among the list of nutrients, wheat contains high levels of  fiber, magnesium,  phosphorus, potassium, folate, and calcium. Wheat also stores very well and has an incredibly long "shelf life".  If stored properly, wheat can last 25+ years.

There are many types of wheat, but among them the most common are:

• Hard Red
• Hard White
• Soft Red 
• Soft White
• Durum 

Hard Wheat:

Hard wheat kernels/berries are smaller in comparison to the soft wheat kernels.  They are high in protein and gluten, making them good candidates for bread making.  Generally, hard wheat contains 15-16% protein.

Red Wheat

When baking your own bread, hard white wheat is most commonly used.  Hard white wheat is lighter in color and has a milder taste than hard red wheat.  Hard white wheat will give you a lighter, fluffier bread loaf.  Hard red wheat on the other hand, will produce a more dense loaf with a stronger, more robust taste.

Hard wheat can also be cooked in its whole kernel/berry form and can be used in chili, soups, casseroles, hot cereal, and just about any way imaginable. It has a nutty, chewy texture, similar to that of brown rice.

Soft Wheat:

White Wheat

Soft wheat is not nearly as hard and is a good wheat to use if wanting to roll/flake the wheat.  Soft wheat does not contain as much protein and gluten as its hard counterpart. Soft wheat contains about 9-11% protein. It is commonly ground to use as pastry and cake flour for making cookies, quick breads, cakes and other things not requiring a larger percentage of gluten.

Durum Wheat:

Durum Wheat

Durum is the hardest among all the wheat varieties. It also has the highest amount of protein, but it won't develop enough elastic gluten for baking. Durum is used to make pasta of all varieties.

Semolina is used to make pasta as well.  To help with the confusion, semolina is the endosperm (heart) of the durum wheat kernel. It is more nutritious to use the whole kernel versus the center of it. 

 Cost:
  
For some people, the expense of purchasing a grain mill to grind various grains at home is unrealistic. There are so many types of grain mills to choose from and they can be quite expensive. I fell into this category. We just couldn't afford to buy a grain mill with the hope that I would use it enough to get my money's worth out of it. I have never spent that much money on a small appliance before. The key here is to do the research, save your money, and use a different method in the meantime. From my research, I  narrowed my choice of grain mills down to three:

• Nutrimill
• Wondermill
• Country Living Grain Mill (hand grind with the option of adding a motor and by far the most expensive)

It took me a little over a year of saving, but I finally ended up purchasing the Nutrimill. At the time, the Nutrimill was priced at $239.00. I had a specific envelope label "grain mill" and would put $20-$30 in it every  feasible month. Meanwhile, I continued watching certain websites, and one day a private seller on Amazon listed the Nutrimill. It was brand-new, undamaged, in the original packaging for $180 (including shipping). Apparently she had several because even after mine had arrived, the listing was still up for another week or so.

My suggestion is this - don't settle for something else unless it is incredibly cheap.  In the long run you'll just be disappointed. I finagled with the idea of buying a $150 grain mill, but I'm glad I didn't. Unless the mill is super cheap, just save and wait.

Before I really started making food from scratch, I longed for the day that we could buy a Bosch or a Kitchen-Aid mixer (much cheaper than a Bosch). One summer I came across a yard sale that was selling an old (and I mean old) stand alone Kenmore mixer.  The price was only $4 so to take it home an find out it didn't work was no loss. I figured I could use it until it died. This would be a test to see how much I really would use such an appliance, and would justify the expense of a new one. Well I took it home and to my surprise, it worked. It has now been five years, and crazy enough it still works. I still would like to purchase a Bosch someday, but for right now I'm just fine.

Bulk Foods Misconception

There is sometimes a bulk food misconception that I want to address. You do not have to purchase in bulk quantities in order to shop in the bulk section. I think the word bulk can be misleading. Sometimes people think of bulk as shopping at Costco or Sam's Club, loading your cart up with huge quantities that you are not going to know what to do with when you get home. Stores that have a bulk section, purchase items in large quantities, but don't require that you do the same. This allows us to purchase an item at a reduced price. This saves the supplier money, time, and hassle by not having to package items in smaller quantities. Sometimes the packaging can cost as much as the actual contents.

Having the freedom to purchase an item in a desired quantity gives us the opportunity to try new things. I have walked out of Good Earth and WinCo many times with bulk food that I had never tried before in small amounts, so I could take it home, figure out how to use it, and see if I like it. Sometimes stores will offer a further price reduction on items if purchased in the large bulk bag. I believe WinCo takes 10% off an item if purchased in the 25-lb or 50-lb bag.  Also, every few months Good Earth will have a stack of 50-lb bags, generally of 6-grain or 9-grain "cereal" for roughly $25. That's only .50/lb compared to at least $1.00/lb price that is sold in the bulk containers. If you know how to use it and can store a large quantity, go for it. Before buying the 25 lb bag,  it is best to know what you are taking home.   I've seen Good Earth sell their multigrain "cereal" in the steel cut form as well as the rolls oats form. It would be disappointing to take home multi-grain cereal, assuming it was breakfast cereal where you just add milk.

On the other hand, you can purchase food in bulk quantities that are not in the bulk food section.  If something is on sale and the price is not a typical sale price, I do buy large quantities of it. Generally during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, black olives go on sale. Sale prices on black olives are frequent throughout the year, but during the holiday season, the price seems to be less. Last year I was able to pick up several cans of Black Pearls brand for .49 each. This year, the best price I've seen so far was generic for .59 each. 

Last year, Sunflower Farmer's Market had a fantastic price on asparagus.  Asparagus is loaded with nutrients and my family loves it, so I like to buy it when I can, but the price can put a cramp in the budget if I'm not careful.  Sunflower Market happened to have it on sale for .69/lb.  In my area, this price is insane. When I went to the store, I noticed the stocker was filling the display with asparagus and had several cases on his cart.  I asked if I could buy a whole case and without hesitation, he put one in my cart.  The asparagus was in perfect condition.  It was young and tender, with not many woody stalks at all.  I brought the case home, washed, cut and bagged the asparagus into gallon size freezer bags to store in my freezer and use throughout the year.