Hearty whole grains are extra appealing at this time of year, adding delicious flavor, texture and nourishment to each bite. And with so many of our favorite cozy comfort foods coming from the grain foods category, we’re here to help you figure out some new and nutritious whole grain swaps that will appeal to even your pickiest of eaters.
Underrated Whole Grains
We often talk about delicious and interesting whole grains like barley, millet or sorghum, or we tout the benefits of incorporating whole wheat flour and brown rice into your menu planning. However, we think there are a couple of other whole grains that sometimes get overshadowed: corn and oats.
Corn is a whole grain?
Absolutely! Cornmeal, corn bran and corn flour are all whole-grain options that bring robust flavor, texture and nutrition to the table—though it’s important to note that only products made from whole kernels are truly whole grains, as degerminated varieties lack the nutrient-rich bran and germ.
Each serves a unique culinary purpose:
- Cornmeal adds texture to dishes like cornbread and polenta
- Corn bran boosts fiber in baked goods
- Corn flour creates smooth, cohesive results in tortillas or gluten-free baking.
Cornmeal, in particular, is rich in fiber, B vitamins, and essential minerals like iron and magnesium, making it a nourishing choice for the holidays. Recent research highlights even more benefits, showing that incorporating corn bran into refined corn flour can significantly lower cholesterol levels, making it a heart-smart addition to your holiday dishes.
Recipe Ideas Using Corn
- Swap traditional crusts for a Cornmeal Pie Crust, add Cornmeal Pancakes or a Vegetable Tortilla Casserole to your holiday breakfast lineup
- Delight guests with our Jalapeño Cornbread and Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing at dinner.
- Don’t forget popcorn—it’s a whole grain too! Whip up a batch of our Homemade Popcorn Snack Mix as a festive appetizer or thoughtful edible gift.
From breakfast to dinner and everything in between, corn is a delicious and nutritious addition to your holiday table.
Oats for every meal!
These whole grains are often overlooked or rigidly classified as a breakfast ingredient, but the delicious bang-for-your-buck-with-oats is a story we never get tired of telling! Oats are known for being a good source of fiber, but what’s less known is that the fiber in oats is considered soluble fiber – the type of fiber that’s generally associated with slower digestion.
So when you eat a bowl of oatmeal, particularly if it’s paired with other macronutrient sources like milk, you actually feel fuller longer. Plus, the specific fiber in oats, called beta-glucan, not only acts as a slowing agent in the digestive process and therefore helps with weight management, but it can also help increase the diversity of gut microbiota, reduce cholesterol, and the less processed versions have a very low glycemic index.
Including oats in meals outside of breakfast is actually way easier than you might think and leads us to our promise that we’d talk about how and when to swap whole grains in! It’s not always a 1:1 swap of whole grains when the recipe calls for enriched grains, like when substituting flour in baking. We find it’s yummiest when you halve it. If you want to go 100% whole grain, just remember your resulting dish might be a little drier and denser, so compensate with more liquid from other sources (for example, if you add oats to your meatloaf, add a little more ketchup).
| Hot Tip: Slip a cup of old-fashioned whole oats into your next batch of chocolate chip cookies for extra chewiness, richer flavor and better nutrition! |
Whole Grain Swaps
- Meatballs: add half of the called-for enriched breadcrumbs, and an equivalent serving of oats, brown rice or whole grain breadcrumbs (note: if your meatballs are a quick-cook recipe, use cooked rice. For oats, do a ten-minute soak in a liquid that complements your recipe, and then drain any remaining liquid).
- Bread: whether you’re making cornbread, challah, naan, rolls or biscuits, halve your enriched flour so you can add whole wheat flour, or just add in a scoop of oats.
- Rice: a mix of white and brown makes for a more elevated look to any rice dish, plus it’s delicious and nutritious.
- Pasta: some dishes simply call for traditional pasta, but our favorite way to sneak in whole wheat varieties is in a baked pasta! Just remember the wheat brings in a unique taste, so play that flavor up or quiet it down by increasing or decreasing herbs and spices in the recipe.
With so many delicious options to add to the mix, ensuring half of your grains are whole is surprisingly easy, not to mention oh-so-tasty!