Meet This Grain: Wheat Berries
Wheat berries are a true whole grain! You may not recognize the name, but without these kernels, there would be no flour. Wheat berries are loaded with nutrients and are as easy as rice to prepare — perfect for a meal any time of year.
What are wheat berries?
Wheat berries are whole wheat kernels. They look like thick, short grains — similar to brown rice. Industrious folks grind them into whole wheat flour for baking; you may not have the time to regularly grind your own flour, but it’s a fun thing to try at least once.
When boiled, cooked wheat berries have a chewy bite and subtle nutty, earthy flavor. They’re sturdy enough to handle bold salad dressings and still delicate enough to taste delicious with some milk, honey and cinnamon.
If you like sprouts on salads and sandwiches, add a little water to wheat berries and you can grow your own wheat sprouts.
Why are wheat berries “Healthy Eats”?
Since the wheat kernel is left intact, virtually none of the nutrients are stripped away. A cup of cooked wheat berries has about 300 calories and is packed with fiber, protein and iron. Tasty sprouts are loaded with vitamin E, a cell-protecting antioxidant, and magnesium, which is good for healthy bones and muscles.
What do you do with wheat berries?
Look for wheat berries at a health food store or in the natural foods section of your local supermarket.
Prepare wheat berries in salted boiling water — just like other grains. Add cooked wheat berries to soups or even chili. Serve hot as a side dish with hearty mushrooms or cold for a satisfying salad full of flavor and whole grain goodness. Wheat berries have nutty flavor so they’re great with fresh vegetables and dried fruit such as cherries or cranberries.
Where can I buy them?
I would like to no where to purchase wheat berries.
Like Dana mentioned, look for them at your local health food store or in the supermarket’s natural foods section. Bob’s Red Mill is one brand you might find. You might want to call ahead to check if your store carries them and, if not, request that they order some.
Where can I buy them. I live in Houston, Texas 77002
I like it and would like to order it. Thanks!
Wheat berries seem to contain 151 calories for one-half cup. Correct? Irish soda bread calls for a couple of cups…health is important, and grains important, but aren’t the calories rather high? Please advise.
You can get wheat berries at Whole Foods and if you go to there salad case they have some salads already made up and they also have them on their buffet.
Hi Maria – wheat berries provide good quality calories because of all the nutrients packed into them, but you are right, you don’t want to over do it. Check the servings on the bread recipe – if it makes a lot of bread, those couple of cups may not make each slice high in calories.
I eat these like oatmeal or farina- with skim milk and brown sugar!
I have been eating wheatberries for years…but I used to be able to purchase them as a kinda popped nut….like a corn nut and have not seen them sold that way in years….I loved them, especially in salads. Can you tell me where to buy them this way or how to make them myself. I soak my wheatberries now and eat them raw in salads, it is so good and nutritionally I know great…but I miss the lite crunchy popped ones. Are they baked after being soaked? I have no idea where to start to prepare them…I would be so grateful to know.
Thank You! Connie
Try cooked whole wheat kernals with a handful of chopped walnuts and a bit of sugar. yum!
I finally found them in the organic food section at HyVee. How much dry do I boil for 1-1/2 cups of cooked wheatberries?
Where can I buy hard white, hard red and soft wheat in the Houston Texas area?
you can order them on-line, I do at Messa Organics, their rice is fablious also, they are in the Chico, CA area.
I like to get mine at Whole Foods (I don't know if they are nation wide? I know they are plentiful out here in the west) when I need them quick. If you can wait to have them shipped, buy them online. There are tons to choose from. I recently got some from doctorgrandmas.com. They weren't the cheapest but they were the biggest I've ever gotten anywhere else. Or Amazon.com they have a good selection too.
Just google wheat berries…..you can buy them from Amazon.com among other places.
My country (the rich one, or this morning from Europe, if I use a wish to buy below), multiple products, whole foods, and most recently, you this is http://tinyurl.com/grainsandorganicberries007 , COM positive instead chose a much lower price that you received from, yes, this ideal, google.com is.
All the recipies I have seen call for cooked Wheat berry. Can you use them raw in Muesli? If so, does anyone have a recipe?
I boiled a batch of wheatberries yesterday and stuck them in the fridge overnight.
Today, I stir fried some kale, mushrooms, green onions, dried cranberries and tofu with a dash of curry, some splashes of Bragg's aminos & a little bit of apple juice. I put some of the cold wheatberries into a bowl and topped them them with the stiry fry.
Excellent 10 minute meal!
go to your local health food store
So where do the wheat berries fall on the glycemic index?
I've found wheat berries at Georgia's (used to be called Sandy's) Market on I -10 and Dairy Ashford, near Kinko's. Just .99 cents for a 10oz bag
I've seen it fall any where between 30-45 on the GI depending on the type of wheat.
I found wheat berries in the bulk section of Whole Foods. I made chili last night and it turned out delicious! Great comfort food for the cold weather.
you can make them yourself by soaking 12-36 hours drain and then baking in your oven at 350 until the are crunchy. while still wet you can add salt or taco seasoning mix or ranch mix or other seasonings.
You can also fry them in oil and they pop. Eat them that way hot, with some salt, or add to your salads from there!