It very easily replaces rice in sauce dishes, stews or risottos.
Starchy foods provide what we call “carbohydrates” which inevitably raise our blood sugar level, in other words our blood sugar. However, we should neither demonize nor ban them because they are rich in essential nutrients and provide us with energy throughout the day. That said, not all starchy foods are equal in terms of composition and health benefits.
Long forgotten, an ancient cereal from the wheat family is now arousing renewed interest in France, in particular thanks to its very interesting nutritional profile and its positive effects on blood sugar levels. With its soft texture and subtle nutty taste, this cereal has it all: already, it is one of those with the lowest glycemic index (45 compared to 70 for white cereals for example). It is rich in magnesium, iron, B vitamins, proteins (it provides up to 20 g per cup of cooked product) and zinc, a mineral which participates in the breakdown of carbohydrates during digestion.
In a study published in The Journal of Ethnic Foodresearchers compared the effects of several types of wheat on blood sugar and concluded that this cereal had “the highest total soluble phenolic content and the greatest associated antioxidant and antihyperglycemic properties (before and after milling) compared to other types of wheat“.Better yet, “it can be integrated into a diet against chronic hyperglycemia, particularly associated with the early stages of type 2 diabetes“, continue the researchers. This is a “very satisfying starchy base to which add vegetables, meat, fish or legumes for a balanced meal“, add the scientists from the University of Sydney.
For a long time, this cereal was one of the most cultivated and consumed cereals in the Fertile Crescent (area stretching from Iran to Egypt) and in Italy, notably in culinary specialties from Tuscany. But over the century, what we nicknamed “the pharaoh’s wheat” was gradually abandoned in favor of durum wheat, easier to shell, until it returned to our plates today.
This is “farro” (sometimes called “emmer”), a kind of spelled which resembles barley and which very easily replaces rice in salads, stews or risottos. It can also replace granola, often sweet and high in blood sugar, at breakfast. Naturally crunchy, cooking in water or broth makes them tender and soft. It can be found in the bulk produce section of organic or Italian grocery stores, health food stores and in certain well-stocked supermarkets (brands like Barilla, De Cecco or Gallo offer it). To be sure you have farro of optimal nutritional quality, you should avoid labels indicating “pearled farro” and favor “whole grain farro”.