Whole Grain Goodness Challenge feedback thread - chance to win supermarket gift cards! NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

Here's what WholeGrainGoodness.com, a not-for-profit campaign aiming to inspire people to eat more whole grain, say about the challenge:

“Most of us know it’s important to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg every day. But did you know high fibre foods are also an important part of a healthy, balanced diet? The dietary recommendation for adults is that we should aim for at least 30g of fibre a day; but currently only manage, on average, about 18g. Whole grains are a great source of fibre and so public health advice is to base our meals on starchy carbohydrate foods, and to choose whole grain varieties where possible.

So try something different for your new year's diet resolutions this year – take part in our whole grain challenge, involve your family too if you can, and add your feedback here to be entered into a prize draw."

Here's what's involved:
~ Official testers (those already selected by MNHQ) who add a comment here between Monday 6 February and Sunday 26 February can win a £250 supermarket voucher

~ Non-official testers (open to all UK MNers) who add a comment here between Monday 6 February and Sunday 26 February can win a £150 supermarket voucher

• The challenge is to include whole grains / whole grain foods in at least ONE meal or snack per day for two weeks and tell us what you think by adding your feedback here. Involve your family too if you can.

According to Wholegraingoodness.com:

"There’s so much variety available to choose from, such as wholemeal breads, flours, rolled oats, whole grain breakfast cereals, rye crackers. Even popcorn is a whole grain food! Perhaps try going half-and-half, like mixing white with wholemeal flour in baking, wild rice with white rice or brown pasta with white pasta. If you already eat lots of whole grain, feel free to take part in the challenge too, as we’d like to know what you think also, to help us inspire others to eat more delicious and nutritious whole grains.

"If you have any questions about whole grains go to WholeGrainGoodness.com and check out the Guide to Whole Grain pages and the FAQs, or use the Contact Us form. To help you get cooking with whole grains, try these delicious Recipes created by professional home economists and dietitians, designed to show that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring – it can be surprisingly good!"

Please add your feedback below on the following:
~ Let us know what you think of whole grains / whole grain foods and if you knew about the benefits already or not.

~ Have you tried out any WholeGrainGoodness.com recipes? How did you and your family find them?

~ Please add any other comments, photos, recipes, tips or ideas you have too – we'd love to hear from you at various stages of the challenge.

Thanks
MNHQ

Closing date: Sunday 26 February. Winners will be selected at random from all posting a comment: one ‘official’ tester and one ‘non-official’ tester – prizes as above.

Please note: posts on this thread may be reproduced by Whole Grain Goodness (AHDB).

~ Let us know what you think of whole grains / whole grain foods and if you knew about the benefits already or not. - Know that its better to eat wholegrain, although like others have heard that its better for children not to have too much.

~ Have you tried out any WholeGrainGoodness.com recipes? How did you and your family find them? I've not tried recipies yet but will see if I can find some that kids will eat..

~ Please add any other comments, photos, recipes, tips or ideas you have too – we'd love to hear from you at various stages of the challenge. I'm planning on making yoghurt dough pizza with wholemeal flour instead of usual white flour

non-tester. We eat a lot of wholegrains including oats (porridge most mornings, in homemade bread, flapjacks, crumble toppings etc).

Oats are great added to anything with a rice sauce to thicken it - spag bol, chilli etc - oats are very filling though so smaller portions may be needed. Great for bulking out bolognase or cottage pie etc, very economical.

I make all our bread, in a breadmaker, and it is usually 50% white 50% wholemeal flour. We eat wholewheat pasta - garofalo is the best but a little pricey. Red carmargue and black rice are a bit special, and brown basmati rice is great too.

Bulgar wheat is great - just pour boiling water onto it and leave it to absorb the water - lovely in salads and as a substitute for rice or pasta. Spelt flour is really nice in bread, and can be used in cakes and pastry etc.

Made the tealoaf recipe today. Absolutelying delicious!

I am enjoying this challenge although reading the website has made me realise I already eat a lot of wholegrain as I have porridge regularly and the breakfast cereals I like have wholegrain in them e.g. granola. Tonight I adapted one of the recipes on the website. Instead of breadcrumbs, I used oats to make a topping with parsley and mustard for salmon. My daughter and I really liked it.

Official tester:

We started our challenge with making wholemeal American pancakes. We don't use wholemeal so it was interesting to see how they turned out and they weren't bad! We've stocked up on whole grain rice and pasta for the next few days and I might even pop some popcorn for a snack further down the line!

When I first started eating more whole grains it wasn't easy to find items without going to wholefood stores which were never located on the high street. Now so much is available along with receipes meaning now spoilt for choice. The children don't like it as much even though they were brought up eating whole grains so I find mixing things like rice with white and pasta with white helps them to eat it. It's far tastier so I don't understand it.

This is a great idea! Think I need to look at my shopping list and see what I can do.

Going well so far.... On Monday, me and DS had some breakfast doughnuts I already had in the freezer (Jamie Oliver recipe), which are made with wholemeal flour. With added fruit and yoghurt, yum!

Yesterday, we were out for lunch so settled on a sandwich made with wholemeal bread. We do love white bread but usually opt for wholemeal at home, for health reasons.

This morning, me, OH and DS have all had our wholegrain already. DS had oats, yoghurt and cooked apple. He absolutely loves breakfast, which usually involves either oats or Weetabix.

Then I made smoothies for me and OH using Weetabix, based on one of the recipes on the website. Had to sneak the Weetabix in though as OH is not a fan! Was yummy!

Official tester - Week 1

We went shopping for a few bits to make some swaps this week.

Monday - have wholegrain granola instead of usual breakfast
Tuesday - Brown rice with chicken curry for tea
Wednesday - swap Sunbites for usual after-school snack
Thursday - Wholegrain spelt pasta with tomato sauce and sausages for tea
Friday - Wholegrain ryvita with cheese spread for lunch
Saturday - Wholewheat spaghetti bolognaise
Sunday - Swap Jordans wholewheat cereal with yoghurt for usual white toast and jam

Monday's breakfast was lovely and very filling. It's so easy to just stick with what you usually have in a morning because it's rushed. I felt organised and smug having a nice healthy start to the day.

Will post more as the week goes on :)

Day 3;
We're really enjoying the seedy sourdough toast at breakfast time, chewy and delicious.

The kedgeree made with brown basmati rice last night was not a success. I like to cook the onion, ginger, chilli and spices first, then add the rice and liquid and cook together. Although I did measure the water as per the pack I ended up with a rather sloppy mix. If I cooked it more, the rice would disintegrate, drain it and I would lose the lovely spicy liquid.

In the end I drained it and reduced the liquid which was very time consuming. I don't think that basmati rice lends itself well to cooking in this way, but we don't enjoy other types of brown rice. If I do it again I'll cook the rice separately but this wouldn't give us the result that we like.

I'm wondering if there is any type of risotto rice which is wholegrain? I've never seen one, and we do enjoy risottos.

I've never found wholehtain risotto and tbh I'm not sure it would work. The stock needs to be absorbed into the grains slowly and in stages. I would imagine the extra layers in wholegrain rice would mean that wouldn't happen.

Day 2
I've started both days with porridge or müsli, but I usually do that anyway...
Took inspiration from the wholegrain website and I cooked a batch of quinoa for lunch yesterday. 15 minutes in some stick, I've got enough for today too and i can just throw some salad or nuts or something in it- really good and very versatile!
I'm always looking for easy after-school snacks, so I made the ginger flapjack yesterday; they went down well with 3/4 of us! Today's bake was the fat-free tea loaf which I think is delicious. A simple change, to use wholegrain flour instead of white.

Tonight's toad in the hole will have wholegrain flour in the batter, and we're all winners!

I'm really enjoying the challenge this far...

Of course, I cooked the quinoa in stock not stick... 🙄

Roast chicken dinner tonight, I am going to try making giant Yorkshire puddings with wholegrain flour.
Wish me luck!
pizzas were good yesterday but needed more salt in the dough for adult tastes.

Non tester

We have brown rice, pasta & bread as well as wholemeal pitta bread & bagels.
We have wholegrain cereal too so I think we do ok.
Will be interesting to have a look at some different recipes though.

I'm till really enjoying this challenge. This morning I started my day with porridge with sweet freedom chocolate coconut syrup (14 cals for 1 tsp) and strawberries on top.

Then I've made a big batch of tuna, veg and bean soup which I'll have again tonight with brown rice to make more of a casserol.

Feeling like I've got more energy!

Day 3. Just about managed to start my day with porridge, although it did make me a bit late as the cooking time plus cooling plus eating time was a lot longer than my usual slice of toast. Porridge made with water used to be my staple breakfast but I got out of the habit. I treated myself to porridge with milk this morning, which was lovely but maybe a bit much for me! Also, I made it in the microwave and it kept nearly boiling over... I don't think this can realistically be my weekday breakfast!

For lunch, I had wholemeal egg mayo sandwiches, which we lovely. I was a bit dubious that they wouldn't taste lovely like white bread, but actually they were fine.

For tea, the kids had a quick meal of wholemeal wrap/sandwich as we've got to go out. They haven't commented on the switch from white, so I don't think they mind the difference as they haven't noticed! DH and I will have a chilli we made at the weekend (and froze) with some brown rice. I am looking forward to trying the rice!

You can make a risotto with batley or spelt which is very nice and whilegrain

Made an adaptation of Jamie Oliver's Sicilian squash and chickpea stew last night and served it with black rice - tastes fantastic and looks gorgeous!

I prefer whole grain rice for taste but there are times when only white will do for me (pilau rice with Indian, for instance).

Mini toad in the holes using wholemeal flour. Went down a treat! 😋😋

Tonight I tried a new recipe that I have been meaning to make for a while, braised chicken in spring onion and oyster sauce. Instead of serving it with our usual white basmati rice, I used brown rice, which I like but husband and daughter have complained about in the past. Tonight they said they liked it! So a success!!

I've made a barley risotto before and will make it again this week I think. It's a simple recipe from a book called "Grains as Mains" which my husband bought me ages ago. I'd recommend the book if anyone is interested in recipes using some of the more unusual whole grains such as amaranth, spelt, farro, buckwheat, freekeh, teff etc.Some very interesting recipes in there though I admit I haven't tried many of them yet!

Mince and rosemary wholemeal scones for us tonight. Very nice scones used 50% whole 50% white flour- the family didn't even notice the change! Success!

Fei- I bought that book today! I'd never even heard of teff! It's in the works for £4 if anyone is thinking about it :)

Made a seeded , cranberry wholemeal loaf today , I often bake bread , usually white with a bit of granary , as I always thought whole meal on its own wouldn't rise very well
Well it does !
Looking forward to my toast tomorrow
( the recipe is on the Tesco whole meal bread flour bag , though I didn't add the honey )