To rotate your wheat, it is important to understand what type or types of wheat you have. Hard wheats contain the most protein, so they work well as protein substitutes in recipes. Hard red wheat is commonly used for cereals such as cracked wheat and hearty breads. Hard white wheat produces a lighter flour, so your baked goods are more like the store brands familiar to your family. Softer wheats are often preferred for breads and rolls, but they have a lower percentage of protein. There are excellent wheat books on the market today which provide pointers in addition to recipes. One of these books is called The Amazing Wheat Book by LeArta Moulton. It explains how to use wheat as meat, make your own gluten, create delicious desserts, and how to "get started" if you've had little experience using whole wheat in the past. Once you've determined the type of wheat you have stored, it's easy to begin incorporating whole wheat into your present diet. You'll love the health benefits.

The Health Benefits of Wheat

You may remember the old Total® commercials "How many bowls of your cereal would it take to equal one bowl of Total®?" Studies were made by Utah State University which indicated it takes nearly 10 slices of white bread to equal the nutrition found in one slice of whole wheat bread. So you can see the health benefits of eating wheat regularly (and not just in emergencies) really add up.

Wheat is packed with vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, processing to refine and produce white flour removes most of these valuable nutrients. White bread flour is ground from the endosperm, which is mostly starch. Wheat kernels have three main divisions: the bran, the starch endosperm, and the inner embryo or wheat germ. Many important nutrients are removed when the endosperm layer is separated from the other two. The bran layer makes up 14 % of the wheat kernel. This portion is removed when producing white flour. It is high in B vitamins. These vitamins serve your nervous system. The bran is also packed with other important nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E; calcium, iron, fluorine, iodine, etc. Vitamin C levels increase when the wheat is sprouted. Wheat bran also happens to be the best source of dietary fiber. High fiber diets aid digestion and help ward off disease. In the germ we find, once again, the high vitamin and protein content exhibited by the bran. It is also an excellent source of vitamin E which is important to skin resilience and suppleness. So finding ways to put whole wheat back into your diet makes sense. It really is the staff of life.

As you begin to use wheat regularly you may be surprised by its versatility. Not only can you make breads, cereals, and thickening agents but delicious, nutritious desserts as well. And, because of wheat's protein content and texture, wheat can even be used as a meat substitute. As you start feeding your family meals containing wheat, they'll soon discover that wheat's a treat!