Wheat porridge: health benefits and harms

Wheat porridge is one of the main dishes in the diet of many people. A couple of centuries ago, this porridge was an integral part of the dining table in every family, because it was famous for its useful properties. It is even mentioned in the Bible as a staple food.

What wheat porridge is made of

Wheat porridge is a cooked wheat groats. It is made from durum wheat, the grains of which are pre-cleaned and ground. They are also cleaned of their own shells and embryos.

Wheat groats can be finely, medium or coarse. Depending on the size, it is divided into “Artek” (the smallest) and “Poltava” (grinding is indicated by numbers).

Croup has a characteristic wheat color (yellow, brownish) - from light shades to dark. The grains vary in size. The aroma is light, pleasant, with unobtrusive nutty notes.

What is the difference between wheat porridge and millet

Although wheat and millet porridge have similar names, they are two completely different products. The first, as already mentioned, is made from wheat. And for the second raw material is polished millet.

What does spelled porridge mean?

Speltovaya, it’s spelled - it’s wild wheat, non-hybrid. Spelled is characterized by a brittle stem and grain in the film, which does not completely grind during threshing. Outwardly, it looks like a spikelet of field grass. Such wheat, never subjected to selection, is considered the most useful.

Spelled is characterized by low gluten content. It does not cause drowsiness, unlike regular wheat. It also does not accumulate harmful substances in itself and is resistant to radioactive radiation.

Such wheat has been known since the time of Ancient Rus. Now it and its products can be found on the shelves of proper and healthy nutrition stores. But it is found infrequently and costs significantly more than products from ordinary wheat. And the thing is that spelled does not respond to fertilizing and fertilizing. Chemical treatment is ineffective, it is capricious in the choice of soil, and its cultivation because of this is simply unprofitable.

Composition and calorie content

Wheat porridge refers to foods very rich in fiber. It is known to be very useful for the gastrointestinal tract. The product also contains many vitamins (group B, PP, A, C, E) and trace elements (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, etc.).

In 100 g of porridge, cooked simply on water without adding sugar, salt, oil and other things, about 90 kcal.

What is useful wheat porridge

Useful properties of wheat porridge:

• establishes the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
• promotes the elimination of toxins and free radicals from the body;
• regulates fat metabolism in cells;
• strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• improves the functioning of the nervous system;
• favorably affects the body's immune system;
• strengthens hair and improves skin condition;
• lowers blood sugar;
• strengthens bones;
• energizes muscles, relieves pain and feelings of fatigue, keeps them in good shape;
• improves eyesight;
• after taking antibiotics and other “hard” drugs, removes their residues from the body;
• regulates blood pressure;
• improves blood coagulation.

For women

Wheat porridge improves the condition of hair and skin, which is necessary for every woman. It strengthens bones, which is also important for postmenopausal women.

The high content of vitamin E in wheat porridge ensures the normal functioning of the reproductive system of women. It plays an important role in regulating the hormonal background. Treatment of a single gynecological disease is not complete without the appointment of vitamin E.

For men

But for men, this porridge should be in the diet strictly in moderation. Its useful properties in relation to the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, circulatory, etc. are similar. But with prolonged use of wheat porridge in large quantities, potency may be impaired.

During pregnancy

The introduction of wheat porridge into a woman’s diet during pregnancy will have a beneficial effect on both the expectant mother and the baby’s emerging body.

The benefits of wheat cereal for pregnant women are as follows:

1. “Female” vitamin E ensures the normal course of pregnancy, supports hormonal levels.
2. Vitamins of group B “monitor” the normal and coordinated work of all systems in the mother’s body.
3. Fiber saves a woman from constipation, which pregnant women often suffer from.
4. The product helps to relax the muscles, including the legs and back.
5. Croup gives the body a large amount of nutrients and minerals necessary for the healthy development of the fetus.

When breastfeeding

Wheat porridge is a very useful product, so it definitely needs to be introduced into the diet of a nursing woman. But the content of gluten in it can cause allergic reactions, so do this carefully.

You need to try to eat porridge, starting from 2-3 months of a child’s life, 1-2 tablespoons in the morning and then carefully monitor the baby. If allergic manifestations have not occurred and his health has not worsened, then you can gradually bring the daily porridge rate to 100 g. It is recommended to use it every other day for breakfast.

Up to six months, porridge should be cooked only in water, excluding the possible allergic reaction of the baby to milk. From six months you can try to cook porridge in water with milk 1: 1.

For children

Due to its benefits, wheat porridge is also necessary in the diet of children: it strengthens the nervous system and bones, improves eyesight, and serves as a good prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

But a childish tender organism can not always cope with the same as an adult. For example, protein and gluten begin to fully break down only after reaching a certain age. Allergies can occur: laryngeal edema, rash, fever. Therefore, porridge is given to the child under strict control, when he already knows how to chew on his own, and after consulting a pediatrician.

If there are problems with the digestive system, then the dish should be completely eliminated.

Is it possible to eat wheat porridge when losing weight

Obviously, wheat and its products are very nutritious and healthy. But can it contribute to weight loss, having a considerable calorie content? Definitely, yes, and here's why:

1. The work of the gastrointestinal tract is being established, digestion is returning to normal, which helps to get rid of extra pounds.
2. Fiber removes toxins, radicals and toxins from the body.
3. Eating wheat porridge lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, which greatly improves circulation. And this means that all tissues are saturated with oxygen, which activates all metabolic processes at the cellular level.
4. Metabolism and lipolysis are significantly accelerated, fats are burned, carbohydrates are instantly converted to energy, without remaining in the form of fat deposits in unnecessary places.
5. A long feeling of fullness eliminates hunger and breakdowns after it.
6. The product promotes sports, because it energizes and increases endurance.

Wheat porridge in medicine

With diabetes

In diabetes mellitus, as in any serious illness, a special diet is indicated, and wheat porridge is its integral component. The fact is that it lowers the level of glucose in the blood and, having a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestines, does not allow sugar to turn into fat. This dish also helps to remove excess cholesterol. Doctors recommend that diabetics consume wheat porridge twice a day.

With pancreatitis

Porridge is the basis of diet in people with a diseased pancreas. Wheat is also a permitted cereal, but it is necessary to eat it only during the period of remission and in a strictly limited quantity.

Wheat porridge contains many complex carbohydrates that overload the pancreas. Wheat starch provokes the production of insulin, which turns it into glucose. And increased insulin production prevents the gland from repairing its tissues. Crushed grains even after heat treatment remain too hard for the inflamed organ mucosa.

For these reasons, it is forbidden to eat wheat porridge during the period of acute or exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis. In a state of remission, eating porridge is allowed only once a week. You need to check the reaction of the body, starting with a portion of 50 g.

With gastritis

Wheat porridge removes toxins, improves fat metabolism in cells and strengthens the immune system, while being very sparing for the delicate walls of the stomach, even when they are inflamed. Therefore, such porridge is clearly indicated for use in gastritis.

But this does not apply to gastritis, accompanied by low acidity. In this case, it is prohibited, as it can affect the acidity in the stomach.

For the intestines

Wheat porridge is useful for the health and normal functioning of the intestine, because the pectins contained in it neutralize harmful substances and prevent the process of decay, promote healing of the inflamed and damaged mucous membrane. It removes toxins and toxins, which prevents the development of dysbiosis. But with a penchant for flatulence, it is worth abandoning it.

For constipation

Wheat porridge normalizes fat metabolism at the cellular level, favorably affects the functioning of the intestines, as mentioned above, prevents constipation. A high fiber content in wheat improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, including activating intestinal motility.

With gout

In patients with gout, the diet is strictly controlled, including the use of cereals. They are strictly divided into permitted and not. After all, the cause of gout often lies in excessive food intake, and its treatment depends on the normalization of metabolism.

All cereals contain slow carbohydrates that break down for a long time, so the feeling of fullness persists for a long time. This is a very important factor in gout. Only legumes, which do not include wheat, are prohibited. Therefore, it can and should be included in the diet for patients with gout.

With colitis

With colitis, wheat porridge will be very useful, because it normalizes the work and intestinal microflora. It soothes the inflamed mucosa of the diseased intestines and normalizes stool. But with colitis accompanied by bloating, it is better to refrain from using it.

With hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoid treatment will only make sense after stool is normalized. Constipation provokes tension of the sphincter and blood veins in it, they are filled with blood and swell. Fecal matter with constipation puts pressure on the intestinal wall and impairs blood circulation there. All this leads to a worsening of the condition and the transition of hemorrhoids to a chronic form. Diarrhea, on the other hand, irritates an inflamed area and promotes the active reproduction of bacteria. Liquid stool leads to inflammation and drying of the hemorrhoids, in the future because of this, cracks can form there.

Therefore, with hemorrhoids, first of all, it is necessary to regulate nutrition, starting from what kind of stool the patient has. And, in addition to other products that normalize stool, wheat porridge is also necessarily introduced into the diet, because it contributes to this and favorably affects the work of the intestines.

With cholecystitis

Wheat porridge is allowed and even recommended for people with cholecystitis, because the dish replenishes the body with vitamins and minerals, improves metabolism and strengthens the immune system.

With cholecystitis, you need to cook porridge with liquid, mucous membranes. You can start and end the day with a portion of wheat porridge. But you need to eat it only warm, because with inflammation of the gallbladder, cold and hot dishes are forbidden. Naturally, you need to eat it without sauces, fries, spices.

Wheat porridge, like other foods, can only be consumed during remission. During an exacerbation of cholecystitis, the patient is shown hunger, and then only oatmeal.

Harm and contraindications

Like any food product, wheat porridge is useful only for moderate consumption and has a number of contraindications:

1. People with a serious illness called celiac disease are generally banned from gluten. And that means - and any cereals, including wheat.
2. Wheat porridge is able to change the acidity in the stomach, for this reason it is not recommended to use it for gastritis with low acidity.
3. Not shown for eating porridge and flatulence.
4. In the postoperative period (after operations on the organs of the abdominal cavity) it is better not to use it either. Coarse cereal will be too heavy for digestion during the recovery period.
5. For gastric and duodenal ulcers, porridge is not recommended due to coarse grinding and high fiber content.
6. Allergies are also a serious contraindication.

The fact that wheat porridge is very useful and rich in vitamins and minerals does not mean that it can be eaten all the time and in unlimited quantities. Excessive consumption of any, even the most useful product causes harm to the body. The diet should be balanced and include meat, vegetables, fish, etc.

How to choose wheat groats

1. When choosing wheat groats, it is necessary to pay attention, first of all, to its color: it should be uniform (yellow, light brown). There should be no unhealed grains, whole grains, different mints in the croup. The grains should not be wrinkled.
2. Clumped lumps indicate that food moth has started in the croup.
3. When purchasing packaged cereals, special attention should be paid to the integrity of the packaging and to the production date. Better to take the cereal fresher. Her maximum “age” is 10 months, then she begins to be bitter and loses part of her useful properties.
4. The larger the grinding, the more useful wheat porridge will be.

How to cook wheat porridge: recipes

On the water

In cooking wheat porridge on the water there is nothing special and complicated. You need to follow simple recommendations to make the porridge crisp and tasty:

1. For 1 cup of cereal, take 2 cups of water, a half-teaspoon of salt and 50 g of butter.
2. Manually sort out the cereals and clean them of specks and stones, then rinse thoroughly with cold water to clean them of fine debris and dust.
3. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then add salt and cereal. The pan is best taken with a thick bottom.
4. Constantly stirring, bring the cereal to a boil, then reduce the heat to the weakest and remove the foam. Cover and leave for 20 minutes - until there is no water left. Stir no more than 4 times (every 5 minutes) so that the porridge does not burn and does not stick to the bottom.
5. At the end of cooking, add butter to the porridge and cover again. Then let it cool and insist for about half an hour.

In milk

Wheat porridge in milk is softer and sweeter than in water. The recipes for its preparation are also simple and affordable. For instance:

1. For 1 cup of wheat cereal, take 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
2. Sort out rinses and rinse.
3. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, add salt and sugar, cereal. Bring back to a boil with constant stirring.
4. When it boils again, remove the foam, reduce the heat to a minimum and cook the grits until the water is completely absorbed under the lid, that is, about 20 minutes. In general, the first steps are the same as when cooking ordinary wheat porridge in the water.
5. Then pour milk into the porridge and increase the heat to maximum again, bring to a boil.
6. Put the fire back on for at least 15 minutes and cook like that, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove the porridge from the heat and insist under the lid for 10-15 minutes. Milk should not completely boil: wheat porridge on it is boiled liquid.

With pumpkin

Pumpkin is a very useful product, it is added to various cereals, soups, salads, pastries. Wheat porridge was no exception:

1. Wash the pumpkin, peel, remove the seeds, then cut into small cubes. Pumpkins need to take 300 g per 1 cup of cereal.
2. Pour milk into the pan and add pumpkin, salt and sugar. Sugar can not be added at all, since pumpkin gives sweetness to the dish, salt - to taste.
3. Bring milk with pumpkin to a boil over medium heat.
4. Add washed cereal. For 1 cup of cereal, take 4 cups of milk, as when cooking ordinary wheat porridge.
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and insist 10 minutes. Add oil.

With meat

Wheat porridge with meat is very useful and nutritious and will become a favorite dish of all family members. It is prepared very simply:

1. 500 g of chicken fillet cut into large cubes.
2. Fry chopped meat in hot vegetable oil until golden brown.
3. Wash 2 medium-sized carrots, peel and grind. Add to filet, stir-fry.
4. Pour a glass of wheat groats into a pan for meat with carrots.
5. Pour 3 cups of water there. The water level should be 1.5 cm above the food.
6. Add various spices as desired: bay leaf, pepper, garlic, etc.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the fire to a minimum.
8. Keep under cover on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
9. Remove from heat, let it brew.

In a slow cooker

To cook wheat porridge in a slow cooker, you need to take 1 cup of wheat cereal, 3 cups of water, salt to taste and a little butter (50-60 g). The cooking algorithm is as follows:

1. Pour the washed groats into the multicooker bowl.
2. Then pour warm water there, so that the slow cooker does not waste time heating the water and the porridge cooks faster.
3. Add salt.
4. Close the lid of the multicooker and install the Krupa program for 20 minutes.
5. When the water boils, remove the foam.
6. 5 minutes before the end of cooking add butter.
7. If after 20 minutes the porridge seems to be solid, then you can add another 10 minutes in the "Heating" mode.

How to cook wheat porridge cutlets

From wheat porridge you can make wonderful delicious cutlets. There are many recipes, various additives can be used. The most popular: mushrooms, minced meat and vegetables.

Wheat cutlets with mushrooms

1. Boil porridge in the usual way on water, it is better to thicken. Cool.
2. Fry mushrooms with onions, you can add carrots.
3. Add mushrooms with onions and carrots to porridge, add 1 tablespoon of starch there.
4. Fry over high heat, previously dipping each cutlet in flour.
5. For a beautiful color, add paprika or turmeric to flour.

There are no clear proportions of mushrooms or onions - everything is to your taste. The main rule is not too much so that cutlets are easily formed and do not fall apart. You can add one carrot instead of onion or just take only mushrooms, etc.

Wheat cutlets with minced meat

1. For 4 tablespoons of wheat porridge, you need to take 200 g of minced meat and 2 eggs. Mix everything thoroughly.
2. Add spices to taste.
3. Form cutlets, bread in flour and fry on both sides over high heat.

Vegetarian Wheat Cutlets

1. Mix wheat porridge with finely chopped onions, garlic and herbs.
2. Add spices to taste: pepper, turmeric, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. You can also add cabbage stewed in tomato, it will add juicy cutlets.
3. Roll the vegetable cutlets in flour and fry in a hot pan, as usual.

Is it possible to eat wheat porridge at night and on an empty stomach

Wheat porridge can be eaten in the morning on an empty stomach. Nutritionists generally recommend cereals as the perfect breakfast.

Porridge in the morning for a long time maintains a feeling of satiety, does not overload the digestive tract, gives the body a sufficient amount of useful vitamins and minerals, a charge of energy, accustoms to a proper diet, without causing a desire to “interrupt” the appetite before dinner.

Just before going to bed, doctors do not recommend eating anything, so that the body rests fully during the night, and does not digest food. The last evening meal should be at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. This should be a small portion of easily digestible foods. Porridge is one of these products, so it is great for an evening meal. Wheat porridge is no exception, so you can safely dine with it.

Is it possible to give animals wheat porridge

Dogs can be given cereals with a high glycemic index, that is, those that will be quickly digested. Wheat porridge is one of these, so it can be used in the nutrition of dogs. But this means its preparation with meat, butter, vegetables, that is, a complete balanced diet. It is impossible to feed the dog with one porridge.

Due to its high starch content, it is more recommended for active dogs.

When feeding cats, it is better to avoid wheat porridge. If the choice is between cheap low-quality feed and porridge, then, of course, porridge is better. But if it is possible to properly and fully feed the animal, then the "wheat" must be excluded. Its benefits are obvious in the rich content of useful substances, but there are more disadvantages for the cat's body: it is poorly digested due to its viscosity and a large amount of gluten, it causes flatulence, cramping, bloating, and pain in the intestines.

Interesting facts about wheat

1. In ancient Egypt, wheat was considered one of the most valuable wealth. The bulls threshed it with their hooves.
2. The Roman Empire was also called the wheat empire, because there wheat played an extremely important role in agriculture.
3. In Russia, wheat crops were called "abundance".
4. In the Ecuadorian capital Quito, the museum houses a clay pot in which America’s first wheat bush was grown.
5. The Slavs considered wheat grains a symbol of happiness and wealth. They gave a bag of wheat grains for the wedding and birth of children.
6. The largest wheat producer is China.
7. The largest importer of wheat is the USA.
8. The largest exporter is the European Union.
9. Starch produced from wheat is used in medicine, added to ointments, powders and used in special starch bandages.
10. Wheat is the most common cereal in the world.
11. There are many varieties of wheat, but the most popular and common are hard and soft. No other cereal in the world has so many species.
12. Wheat is one of the very first domesticated cereals.
13. Quarts and bushels are used to measure wheat. In one quart, 27.2 kg, and in one bushel 217.7 kg.
14. The Swiss Museum has the oldest piece of wheat bread - it is about 6,000 years old.
15. In the Holy Scriptures, the promised land is called the land of wheat or a hot spot (a place where cereals grow).
16. The expression “vicious place” in modern life has an ironic meaning, meaning not a heavenly well-fed place, but a place where something bad happens, where drunkenness and debauchery reign.
17. The birthplace of wheat is considered Armenia.
18. Wild wheat crumbles immediately after ripening and does not stay on spikelets at all. Therefore, ancient people collected her immature.
19. The sown area of ​​wheat exceeds the sown area of ​​any other agricultural crop.
20. About 90% of all cultivated wheat goes to livestock feed.
21. Wheat germ extract is a powerful immunomodulator and anti-burn agent.
22. In 1904, wheat grains were discovered, whose age is more than 5,000 years.
23. Van Gogh on his canvases more than 10 times depicted a wheat field.
24. Wheat is mentioned in a famous Jewish parable. While the worker was sleeping, the enemy planted a weed among the rows of wheat - tares. The worker waited for ripening and only then separated the wheat from the weed grass. This parable is interpreted as follows: wheat are good people, tares are sinners, the enemy is Satan, the harvest is the Last Judgment, and workers are the reapers of God. Hence the expression “to separate the grain from the chaff,” denoting the separation of the bad from the good.
25. Of all cereals, it is wheat that is best absorbed by the human body.
26. To increase the nutritional value of wheat grains, they are soaked and germinated.
27. Malt is produced from wheat grain, which serves as the basis for alcoholic beverages.
28. The length of all the hairs on one spikelet of wheat exceeds tens of thousands of kilometers.
29. In ancient times, states were formed where wheat was especially productive - in river valleys. There, wheat could grow up to four meters high and ancient people harvested a hundredfold harvest, and thirtyfold was considered a failure. By the way, now even a five-fold harvest is considered a great success.