Tofu. The very word instills disgust in the mouths of many omnivores, and even in some who abstain from meat products. And with good reason! Since the 1960s, the idea of “tofu” has been used in U.S. media to conjure up images of gross, weird, vegetarian and vegan food – in the collective psyche, it’s almost a four-letter word, one that’s practically synonymous with vegetarianism itself.
Arugula is also known as “rocket” and is originally a Eurasian cruciferous plant related to cauliflower, kale, and mustard. It grows wild in Asia and the Mediterranean basin and takes its name from the Latin term “eurca,” meaning caterpillar, because of the plant’s hairy stems.
Wheat berries are the true whole wheat. They are the complete grain that contains the bran, germ and endosperm. They can be grown into wheat grass, ground into flour or used as side dishes and in salads. They are rich in nutrients, making wheat berries a superfood that benefits the entire body. Wheat berries have several varieties; the Hard Red Spring and Hard Red Winter have a brown tint and are high in protein.
Farro is an ancient food of the people who lived in the Mediterranean basin. It fed the Roman army, was a biblical food, and is the national dish of Lebanon. Not only was it a staple but it was also a cure for many maladies. Farro was found to have first been cultivated in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East 10,000 years ago. Its initial use was as the main ingredient in bread. It is also known as emmer and by the 20th century was replaced with durum wheat.
Buckwheat was first cultivated in Japan in approximately 5000 B.C.E. The plant then found its way to China and Siberia in about 1000 B.C.E. It migrated to Europe through Turkey and Russia between the 14th and 15th centuries and arrived in America with the Dutch in the 17th century. The name was derived from the Dutch word “bockweit” which means “beech wheat" as the fruit looked like beechnuts.
Black rice has been known as the Forbidden Rice in China for millennia because it was only served to the Emperors. Research done by Judith A. Carney reveals that the grain was imported to the Carolinas in the United States with the slaves who established it as a crop.
Red rice is a whole grain that gets it color from compounds called anthocyanins that are found in red vegetables like red cabbage and red onions.. It is found in the outer layer of the grain, known as bran, and is closely related to bioflavonoids. Red rice is also an effective antioxidant. It has been considered an exotic grain, especially in the United States, and is grown in several regions throughout the world.
Millet is a prehistoric grain native to western Asia. By approximately 3000 B.C.E. the grain had found its way to China where it became one of the five sacred grains. Of the many varieties of the genus the common millet arrived in Europe about 200 B.C.E. where it got its name, which meant “cereal” in Old English.
Although oats look unassuming, this popular staple grain is actually incredibly nutritious. Not only are they packed with fiber, but they're high in vitamins and minerals and give you that full feeling that can lower cholesterol and aid with weight loss. Yup, oats are pretty much where it's at, and if you have a creative streak, oatmeal is an especially great canvas for adding any add ins you can think of (fruit, nuts, coconut, even chocolate!).
At 40, many of us have a million things on our plate. Our kids are still young and demanding, our parents are still around and need some help, our jobs still take a big chunk out of us – and there are so many niggling issues our body keeps bringing to the table, including difficulty in losing weight.
The 40 Checklist