How to Cook Wheat Berries

Wheat berries are the unprocessed kernel complete with endosperm, bran and germ. All the nutrients that manufacturers remove from white bread are here, including fiber, folic acid, protein, B-complex vitamins and vitamin E. Wheat berries are versatile enough to eat at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Follow these directions to make them come out right every time.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup of wheat berries
• 3 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon of salt

1. Buy wheat berries at your local health food store. You might find them at a large grocery in the organic or bulk food section. You can also buy them online from Bob's Red Mill (see link in Resources).

2. Measure 1 cup and place in a strainer. Wash the wheat berries thoroughly under running water, even if they were packaged.

3. Place them in a medium saucepan and cover with about 2 inches of water. Cover and let them soak overnight.

4. Drain the water in the morning and rinse the wheat berries once more.

5. Add the 3 cups of water and salt to the wheat berries and bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until they split open and turn chewy.

6. Eat them in the morning instead of oatmeal. For a power breakfast, add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.

7. Make a healthy lunch salad with wheat berries, lentils, green onion, cumin and garlic vinaigrette dressing. Add celery or bell peppers for additional vitamins and antioxidants.

8. Substitute wheat berries for rice in a pilaf for dinner. Or add them to soups instead of barley.

Tips & Warnings

• Store wheat berries in a dark, dry, cool place in an airtight container.

• To make 1/2 cup of wheat berries, add 1-3/4 cups of water.

• If you bought presoaked wheat berries, you don't have to soak them overnight, so read the package carefully.

Resources

• Buy wheat berries online at Bob's Red Mill.