All grains, when they grow in the field, have three parts: the bran, germ and endosperm, as shown in the illustration here. Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. Enriched (”white”) flour contains only the endosperm, while whole grain flour contains extra protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals that are found only in the bran and germ. All three parts are important!

The following are considered whole grains, when all three parts – the bran, germ, and endosperm are included:

Amaranth, Barley (lightly pearled), Brown and Colored Rice, Buckwheat, Bulgur, Corn and Whole Cornmeal, Emmer, Farro, Grano (lightly pearled wheat), Kamut® grain, Millet, Oatmeal and Whole Oats, Popcorn, Quinoa, Sorghum, Spelt, Triticale, Whole Rye, Whole or Cracked Wheat, Wheat Berries and Wild Rice.

© The Whole Grains Council / Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust. For more information on whole grains, visit wholegrainscouncil.org.

Montana High Plains Wheat Berry Chili and Washington State Squash and Lentil Soup are two Frontier Soups that contain whole grains.

• Vitamin C: Works by increasing the production of white blood cells, which fight off infection. A good source is orange juice in our Washington State Squash and Lentil Soup or Texas Wrangler Black Bean Soup.
• Vitamin E: Enhances the production of immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria and is in grains like our Montana High Plains Wheatberry Chili
• Beta Carotene: Works by increasing the number of infection fighting cells and is in sweet potatoes like in our California Gold Rush White Bean Chili.
• Zinc: Studies have shown that a zinc deficiency can impair a number of white blood cells. Zinc is in beef, lentils, garbanzos, as in our Dakota Beef Barley Bean, Hungarian Goulash, Indiana Harvest Sausage Lentil, Italian Wedding Soup and New Mexico Mesa Spicy Fiesta Soup.

For more information on top ranked flu fighter foods visit Truestar Health.

All Frontier Soups products belong to the essential and dominant food category in the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

Dietary data from the parts of the Mediterranean region that in the recent past enjoyed the lowest recorded rates of chronic diseases and the highest adult life expectancy are characterized by a pattern similar to the one illustrated in the list below. The healthfulness of this pattern is corroborated by more than 50 years of epidemiological and experimental nutrition research. The frequency and amounts suggested are in most cases intentionally nonspecific, since variation was considerable. The historical pattern includes the following (several parenthetical notes add a contemporary public health perspective):

• An abundance of food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, potatoes, breads and grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.
• Emphasis on a variety of minimally processed and, wherever possible, seasonally fresh and locally grown foods (which often maximizes the health-promoting micro nutrient and antioxidant content of these foods).
• Olive oil as the principal fat, replacing other fats and oils (including butter and margarine).
• Total fat ranging from less than 25 percent to over 35 percent of energy, with saturated fat no more than 7 to 8 percent of energy (calories).
• Daily consumption of low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt (low-fat and non-fat versions may be preferable).
• Twice-weekly consumption of low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry (recent research suggests that fish be somewhat favored over poultry); from zero to four eggs per week (including those used in cooking and baking).
• Fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert; sweets with a significant amount of sugar (often as honey) and saturated fat consumed not more than a few times per week.
• Red meat a few times per month (recent research suggests that if red meat is eaten, its consumption should be limited to a maximum of 12 to 16 ounces [340 to 450 grams] per month; where the flavor is acceptable, lean versions may be preferable).
• Regular physical activity at a level which promotes a healthy weight, fitness and well-being.
• Moderate consumption of wine, normally with meals; about one to two glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women. From a contemporary public health perspective, wine should be considered optional and avoided when consumption would put the individual or others at risk.

Source: Oldways

2. Use your own recipes and substitute whole grains for refined grains.

For example, try brown rice instead of white rice, simmer with chicken broth, add some crumbled walnuts and serve up a delicious side dish for chicken or pork.

3. Know your grains! The following are just a sampling of whole grains, look for them when you shop.
Asterisked grains are also gluten free!

• Amaranth*
• Barley
• Buckwheat*
• Bulgur
• Corn*
• Farro
• Grano
• Kamut
• Millet*
• Oats
• Quinoa*
• Rice*
• Rye
• Sorghum*
• Spelt
• Teff*
• Triticale
• Wheat
• Wild Rice*

Do you want to keep your body healthy and functioning at peak abilities?

Do you want to regulate your blood sugar, prevent heart disease and certain cancers, plus help promote weight loss?

Yes, of course you would! And there is a simple food out there that can do all those things: BEANS!

Beans, the common term for the food category called legumes that includes beans, peas, and lentils, are an ancient and incredible source of health benefits.

1. BEANS Contain a Wide Variety of Nutrients

In the food pyramid they belong in both the meat and bean section and the vegetable section. They provide complete proteins, a rarity in plants. 1/4 cup of cooked beans, peas or lentils has the equivalent amount of protein as one ounce of meat, or 15 grams per cup. But beans provide proteins without the animal fat that meat sources provide.

2. BEANS are High in Carbs

Beans are high in carbohydrates–but the good kind–complex carbohydrates that help to curb hunger and boost energy levels, resulting in weight loss.

3. BEANS Give You Energy

Beans have the unique ability to release energy into the bloodstream over a sustained period of time. This gives them a low glycemic index, making them an excellent food source for diabetics, as well as protection against obesity.

4. BEANS are Loaded with Fiber

Beans are not only loaded with fiber, but with soluble fiber, which has been proven to help lower cholesterol levels. Fiber is a critical nutrient especially as people age. In a 2001 study people who ate beans four times a week instead of once showed a 22% reduction in heart disease. A University of Kentucky study also showed that eating a cup of cooked beans (15 grams of fiber) every day can lower cholesterol 10% in six weeks. Women over the age of 19 should try to consume 25 grams of fiber daily, while men of same age should get 38 grams.

5. BEANS Contain Antioxidants

Beans contain antioxidants that lower the risk of some cancers, particularly colorectal, according to studies. Of the top 20 antioxidants on the US Dept. of Agriculture’s list of antioxidant food sources, beans occupy spots number 1, 3, 4, and 7 with small red beans, red kidney, pinto, and black beans. Antioxidants protect against damage by free radicals and keep us looking younger.

6. BEANS offer Calcium, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Folate, and Alpha-Linolenic Acid

These nutrients that work together in key areas of the body to promote overall health. Beans have a unique compound that has been shown to keep normal cells from becoming cancerous and slow their growth. Hispanic women have half the risk of breast cancer as white women, and research credits that fact to the high content of beans in their diet.

“A carbohydrate overhaul is another way to help banish the blues. Cut back on sugar and other refined carbs. Sugar-rich foods (soda, candy,cookies,cake and fruit juice) and refined carbs (white-flour bread, bagels, and crackers) are digested and absorbed very quickly by your body. This leads to a short-lived blood-sugar high, followed by a tumble that may leave you irritable, tired, and shaky.

On the other hand, high-quality carbohydrates that are metabolized slowly result in stable blood-sugar levels and fewer mood swings. The best carbs are ones that contain lots of soluble fiber, such as oats, barley, lentils, beans and sweet potatoes.”

Add a variety of soup mixes from Frontier Soups to your weekly menu planning and bring on the good mood of Spring!

Source: Parade Magazine

Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants.

Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body.

Enjoy Dark Chocolate in Frontier Soups Ivory Coast Chai Chocolate Dessert Soup

Source: About.com

Other people may not have celiac disease, but may be allergic to wheat and must avoid all forms of wheat. A wheat-free diet is sometimes recommended for children with autism. It’s important to note that gluten-intolerant people CAN eat a wide variety of whole grains, including: Amaranth, Buckwheat, Corn, Millet, Montina, Quinoa, Rice, Sorghum, Teff and Wild Rice.

See Frontier Soups Gluten Free Soups

Source: The Whole Grains Council

Soak and Simmer

That’s the basic description for what we do to dried beans to rehydrate them and turn them into their miraculous little selves, ready for cooking. Some beans and all peas don’t even need the soaking step. So starting with pea soup as the easiest legume to cook, the peas go right into a pot with broth or a ham bone and water, cook for a couple hours and you have soup.

Nebraska Barnraising Green Split Pea Soup

For most other beans the method is The Texas Two-Step of Soak and Simmer!

Step One: Soaking – Choose the one that fits your timing the best

1. Basic Soaking: Place beans into a bowl and cover by two inches with fresh water. Let the beans stand at room temperature for minimum four hours.
2. Quick Soak: Bring beans to a rolling boil for ten minutes. Cover, turn off heat and allow to soak for two hours.
3. Overnight Soak: Place beans in large bowl covered by two inches of water. We recommend keeping the bowl at room temperature for an hour or two and then refrigerate soak from 12 to 18 hours until ready to cook, or the beans may stay at room temperature for up to 12 hours before proceeding with simmering.

Note: For all soaking methods, avoid “hard water.” Use bottled water, if your tap water is considered hard.

Step Two: Simmering of Beans in Water

The simmering, or precooking stage will take from a half hour for softer beans like the navy bean or cranberry bean; firmer beans like the black bean, red kidney or garbanzo bean will require 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Then, drain and proceed with your recipe.

To check beans for doneness gently push a bean against the side of the pot with the back of your spoon. If the beans start to give, they’re ready to add to recipe. Do not cook them so long that they become mushy. If the bean is still hard, cook a bit longer. Make sure the water stays at a slow boil.
Peas and lentils are super easy. They do not require presoaking to cook right, just put them right into your soup pot and let them cook along with the other ingredients. Lentils are done in about 30 to 45 minutes, peas take about 1-1/2 to 2 hours simmering over low heat.

Beans cook best with the soak and simmer method. Beans vary in cooking times, but presoaking guarantees successful recipes. Two of Frontier Soups’ top selling bean soups, Minnesota Heartland 11-Bean Soup and Dakota Territory Beef Barley Bean Soup do not require presoaking, the long, slow cooking time takes care of the soaking time needed.

Note: Water boils at a lower temperature in high altitudes. To compensate, use more water and double the simmering time or use a pressure cooker and increase cooking time by 50%. Be sure to have thoroughly soaked the beans.

A single half-cup serving of cooked dry beans counts as one, one-ounce serving of lean meat in the USDA Food Pyramid Meat and Beans group, and as a full serving of vegetables in the Vegetables group.

A half-cup serving of cooked dry beans provides about 25-30% of the Daily Value of dietary fiber. About 75% of the fiber is insoluble which may reduce the risk of colon cancer. The remaining 25% of the fiber is soluble fiber which may reduce blood cholesterol. Studies have confirmed that beans are effective hypochoesterolemic agents when added to the diet.

Consumption of beans produces a moderate increase in blood glucose and insulin levels which may be helpful in the metabolic control of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association include beans in the exchange system.

The slower release of glucose and the increased satiety from beans may also to enhance the effectiveness of weight-reducing diets.

Source: Idaho Bean Commission Nutritional Facts