Soak It!
This tip is not a specific recipe or introducing a new food. Today I want to talk about soaking grains before cooking. There are quite a few benefits to planning ahead and soaking grains like brown rice, oats, wheat berries, and millet. In general, I like to try and soak oats overnight, brown rice for at least 4 hours (8+ hours is best), and any other grains for 12+ hours. It is also a good idea to soak any dried beans and lentils that you cook as well. This may seem like a chore, but it's actually quite easy. If you read on, you just might be convinced that it is worth the planning!
Reason #1: Minerals
It has become fairly common knowledge that the human body needs certain amounts of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Grains and lentils, unfortunately, have a substance called phytic acid. This substance has a troublesome habbit of binding to the minerals in the grains you eat and not letting them get absorbed into your body. In more simple terms, it is stealing the good stuff! Thankfully, soaking grains for a long enough period of time helps to lower this effect by up to 50%. If you want more zinc for skin health, calcium for bone and tooth health, and iron then you better start soaking your grains before you eat them. (Hint: Everyone wants more of these!) If you are a person like me who has trouble with cavities and tooth health, then I urge you to consider this point. You only get one set of adult teeth. However, just to note, if you can get your hands on germinated grains then you will be happy to know that you do not need to soak your grains. The germination process reduces this mineral stealing effect by even more than soaking, approximately 75%.
Reason #2: Convenience
It might seem like it's more work to soak grains ahead of time, but its often more convenient. Yes you do have to remember to put them in water overnight, but the next day it will cook up faster than it's unsoaked counterparts. It will take you far less time to throw the grain in a pot with water ahead of time and cook it later than to wait for something like steel cut oats to cook for over 30 minutes in the morning.
Reason #3: Taste and Texture
Soaking gives a much better taste and texture to the grains you eat. This is especially true for brown rice in my experience. I have spent two years living in South Korea and I wouldn't have been able to eat chewy, heavy tasting brown rice all this time. Soaking makes the fiberous exterior of whole grains much more palatable.
Next time you have oats for breakfast, cook up a wheatberry salad, or want an asian meal with brown rice, please think ahead and SOAK IT!
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