How to Add Whole Wheat to Your Family’s Diet

In today’s fast-paced world, making sure your family is continually eating a healthy diet
can be a challenge. Incorporating whole wheat into your family’s diet is a simple and effective way to improve nutrition and promote healthy eating habits (If you want to really get into check out Benefits of Dietary Whole Grains: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.) Whole wheat is full of essential nutrients including fiber, vitamins, and minerals which can strengthen overall health. How to add whole wheat to your family's diet is now easier than ever!

Here’s a closer look on why whole wheat is beneficial in the long run and some approaches to adding it to family meals.

Why whole wheat is important:
Whole wheat is far superior than refined grains (refined flours being sifted and separated) because whole wheat includes the entirety of the grain: the bran, germ, and endosperm. By including all parts of the grain, you are consuming far more fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients. Some benefits of whole wheat are improved digestion, reduce heart disease, make you feel full longer, and have a lower glycemic index which balances blood sugar. Sign me up!

Start with Breakfast:
The easiest way to start introducing whole wheat to your diet is breakfast. Some examples like whole wheat cereals, oatmeal, or whole wheat pancake mixes. One way to make sure that you’re getting higher amounts of whole wheat is to check the nutrition label and see if whole wheat is listed as the first ingredient! Many of these breakfast options can be topped with fruit, honey, or nuts to make it an even more enjoyable way to consume whole grains. Great options for breakfast could be a bowl of overnight oats, sprouted whole grain cereal, or a slice of whole wheat spelt toast.

Switch up bread and pasta choices:
Bread is a staple in many households and many are not considered whole grain.
Consider whole wheat options for breads, wraps, and buns. Substitute regular pasta for whole wheat pasta and whole wheat couscous and quinoa are great side dishes that pair well with vegetables.

Baking swaps:
If your family loves baked goods, start by replacing refined flour with whole wheat flour in recipes. Here are some ideas:

Cookies: Substitute half the white flour in cookies, muffins, and cakes with whole wheat flour.

Breads and Pizzas: Use 100% whole wheat flour in breads and pizza dough for added texture and flavor.

Muffins and Biscuits: Try whole wheat pastry flour for softer, lighter baked goods.

Supplementing Existing Recipes: Refined flours have their merits! When you think about incorporating whole wheat flour into your cooking we suggest adding in a little bit of whole wheat to a recipe that you already have experience with that uses a refined white flour. Adding whole wheat to a base recipe that uses a high protein refined flour can help you stay confident with the baking process while incorporating whole wheat flour types. Adding fresh ground whole wheat flour to a recipe that calls for 6 cups of white flour can be as easy as adding 5 cups of white flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour as a substitute. The protein content of your existing all purpose flour will help you stay consistent and retain your confidence with a recipe that you are already confident with.  

Make whole wheat fun! It's delicious and expresses more complexity in flavor and texture. Food should be enjoyable! Getting the whole family involved in the process can make adding whole wheat more fun. Find creative ways to make whole wheat appealing:

Here are a few ways you can have whole wheat in you mind:

1. Create whole-wheat DIY pizza nights where everyone makes their own pizza.
   
   
2. Organize a taste test comparing whole wheat versions of their favorite foods with refined versions. This can help them appreciate the taste and texture of whole grains.
3. Use fun shapes of whole wheat pasta for kids. Pasta noodles can be time consuming but if you are making a night of it - Get out 

Conclusion:
Adding whole wheat to your family's diet can be fun, rewarding, and a simple way to boost nutrition. By making simple substitutions with breakfast foods, household staples, and involving your family in meal preparation, you can enhance their nutrition and promote healthier eating habits. With a little creativity and effort, whole wheat can become a delicious and integral part of your family meals. It all starts with small steps and before you know it, whole wheat will become a staple in your household!