8 Ways to make whole grains taste great

Whole grain flour

If you're baking cookies or cooking other flour-filled treats, switch to whole grain flour instead. If you're worried about the flavor, it will be hidden by the other ingredients you use. Try using whole grain flour to make oatmeal cookies, and you have yourself a whole grain-rich treat that's actually pretty good for you.

Whole grain pasta

Pasta is a carb-filled, cheap meal that's filling and quick, but when you use white flour pasta, you're not getting many health benefits. Whole grain pasta, on the other hand, contains about six grams of fiber per cup, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pair it with a fresh tomato-rich sauce and vegetables, and you have yourself a healthy pasta dinner that won't ruin your diet.

Add a bit of honey to oats

Oatmeal is a fiber-rich meal that fills you up easily, but it's not for everyone. Rather than buying pre-packaged oats filled with sugars and filler, try making steel-cut oats. Add a bit of honey and milk into the mix and you have a sweet, healthy breakfast that will fuel you through the rest of the day.

Make a whole grain trail mix

Believe it or not, popcorn is a whole grain. Before you go snacking on kernels doused with butter and calling it healthy, though, you should know that popcorn is only healthy in its plainest form. However, if you add granola, nuts and dried fruit into the mix, you have yourself a whole grain, energy-packed snack that will keep you full and fend off trips to the vending machine.

Make grain-filled desserts

As mentioned earlier, you can add whole grain flour to just about any dessert to make it more healthy, but there are other options too. Add some fruit, yogurt and a sprinkling of granola in a cup for a healthy dessert parfait, or swap white rice for brown rice in your next rice pudding treat.

Switch to brown rice

If you eat a lot of rice, whole grain brown rice is a healthier option. It perfectly accompanies everything from Asian food to home-style casseroles, and has a more interesting feel than plain old white rice.

Make a whole grain pizza

Use whole grain flour to make your favorite pizza dough. When tossed thin, a whole grain pizza, topped with tomato-rich sauce and yummy fiber-filled veggies can taste good and be good for you. Just make sure to go light on the cheese.

Switch to a whole grain cereal

Sugary cereals won't do anything for your energy levels in the morning. Cereals rich in whole grains will fill you up and usually have enough sweetness to make the ingredients taste great.

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