Grains or Seeds?

6.5 

Stocking a power pantry can be a challenge. There is plenty of great nutritional information available on the internet, but knowing what to trust, and better yet, what to follow, can be difficult. One ongoing debate is understanding the difference between grains and seeds, and how these affect our bodies nutritionally.

Grains are, technically, from some form of grass. So wheat, corn, barley, oats, rye, rice... all these are a form of 'grass' where there is no formal fruit beyond the head of grain itself. That head of grain will often have a starchy mass with it, which will serve as fuel for the growing plant in the future.

Seeds, on the other hand, are found in or with a formal fruit of some kind. The fuel for the seed to grow is in the mass surrounding the seed (think apple, tomato, pumpkin, berries, etc.) The seed does't have a starchy mass with the seed itself. Nuts are also a form of seed, that specifically come from trees.

Why the concern and distinction? Grains can create irritating gut sensitivities for some people because of the constituents in the grain (like gluten, germ, bran, etc.). Yes, there are nutritional benefits from the grain, but the irritation created turns out to be not worth the benefit.

Seeds tend to be less irritating to a majority of people, and are packed with nutritional benefits as well. We get protein, great minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium, beneficial Omega-3 oils, and more. Tree nuts are very beneficial as well, although some individuals can have allergic reactions to tree nuts, and need to avoid them.

What kinds of seeds can we enjoy and benefit from? Ancient pseudo-grains like quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, and teff (these are actually seeds). Healthful seeds like sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, and tree nuts like almonds, pecans, and walnuts.

So take a look at your pantry today, and think about reducing (or replacing altogether) the grains you have stocked, and instead focus on nutritionally valuable seeds and nuts.

By the Way

Refined grains (ie, wheat flour, white rice, and ALL the processed foods with corn ingredients like corn starch and corn sweeteners) can be detrimental to our health, if we don't control our portions. The best thing is to stock seeds and nuts instead.