How to incorporate and sub grains into your meals

Did you know? - Grains actually improve your heart health, stabilise your blood sugar, boost your indigestion and lower chronic disease risks! And, you can find easy substitutes in your weekly meals to incorporate more grains in breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast 🥯

• Overnight oats: Combine oats and seeds (like chia seeds) with almond milk or Greek yoghurt and let them sit in the fridge overnight for a quick morning meal.
• Homemade granola: Toast oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit under the grill for a nutritious, crunchy topping or to mix with yoghurt.
• Baking: Use wholemeal flour or oats when making pancakes, waffles or muffins as a substitute.
• Toast: Substitute your white bread for a wholemeal option and top with butter, avocado or jam.

Lunch 🥙

• Bowls: Add cooked grains (quinoa, couscous, brown rice) to a bowl with your chosen vegetables and protein (chicken, eggs, feta).
• Soup add-ins: Add wild rice or barley to leftovers to create a more filling soup.
• Wraps: Use wholemeal tortillas as a substitute. You could also fill it with cold quinoa salad or leftover rice and vegetables.
• Sushi/poke bowls: Use sushi rice or brown rice topped with soy-marinated salmon/prawns and avocado.

Dinner 🌮

• Stuffed peppers: Fill with a mixture of beans, rice, quinoa or couscous.
• Kimchi fried rice: Use brown rice and top with a fried egg.
• Spicy black bean quinoa bowl: Combine quinoa, black beans, vegetables, and avocado.
• Pitta pizzas: Using wholemeal pitta breads, top with tomato pureé, cheese and any other topping and pop under the grill.
• Mediterranean tacos: Use wholemeal mini wraps, and roast courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, red onions and add in couscous and feta cheese.

Not only are grains so good for you, but they're also quite cheap to buy! So grab your beans and rice and get cooking 🧑‍🍳