By michael - April, 14th 2014

Whole grains are rich in complex carbohydrates,fiber, and many vitamins and minerals. They are also very low in fat, and when eaten in combination with beans and other legumes, grains are a good source of complete protein.

For the next few weeks you’ll be hearing a lot from me about a conference I attended in March at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley. Called “Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives,” this conference, presented by the Culinary Institute of America, the Harvard School of Public Health and the Samueli Institute, brings together medical professionals with chefs and nutrition researchers to explore food and its relationship to health. Now in its 10th year, the conference has inspired hospitals to install teaching kitchens. Surgeons whose knowledge of knives had been limited to the scalpel have learned to wield a chef’s knife as they participate in kitchen workshops run by chefs from the Culinary Institute and chefs presenting at the conference.

Whole grains, legumes, nuts and vegetables were the focus of most of the cooking demonstrations by the likes of Joyce Goldstein, Suvir Saran, John Ash, Iliana de la Vega, Mollie Katzen, …

Today, thanks to modern agricultural techniques and efficient transportation, we can sample a huge variety of grain products. Despite this proliferation of grains from around the world, we still tend to make the greatest use of our native wheat, which is ground into flour and made into bread and other baked goods. To a lesser extent, we also consume corn, rice, oats, barley, and millet, and many exotic grains.

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