Oat Groats & Wheat Berries

Do you know the difference between wheat berries and oat groats? I found this mysterious jar of what had to be either uncooked oat groats or wheat berries and I could not tell the difference…So I decided to cook it up, 1 cup unknown grain to 2 cups water. After about 30 minutes, I topped the grains with some fresh berries and ate my somewhat firm whole grain breakfast. Still, had no idea what I was eating. This blog entry is inspired by my confusion in my own kitchen…

A Groat is a minimally processed grain, meaning the outer husk or hull is removed. Because a groat is minimally processed and therefore the grain is for the most part intact, a groat is packed with good stuff! There are many types of groats: oat, buckwheat, corn, barley, wheat, rice, etc. Oat groats have a reputation of being one of the more nutrient packed kinds of groats. Steel cut oats or Irish Oatmeal are groats that have been cut into a couple of pieces but not rolled or flattened. Rolled Oats are groats that have been steamed and flattened but not cut into pieces. Quick-cooking oats are groats that have been cut into small pieces and then steamed and rolled. Moving further along the processing continuum, you have instant oats which require all of the processing techniques mentioned plus replacing much of the natural nutritional content of the groat with artificial flavoring and sugar.

Given the definition of groat, what are wheat berries then? Wheat berries are unprocessed kernels of the wheat plant and from all I can discern, they are the equivalent to the oat groat but in the wheat plant and instead calling them groats, they are labeled berries. Here’s a little Wheat Anatomy 101-- the wheat kernel consists of three main parts: Bran, Germ and Endosperm. Wheat Bran is not all that nutrient rich beyond the fiber. Wheat Germ is where it’s at; packed with all sorts of awesome, good stuff! The Endosperm is the largest part of the kernel and is what most flours are made with and is where the protein, gluten, is most dense.

Moving Forward:

Eat as close to the whole grain as possible. If you are new to groats, they add a nutritious, hearty and grounding layer to most soups. Additionally, a warm bowl of oat groats, steel cut oats or rolled oats can be a wonderful way to begin the day especially as the weather gets chillier.

Try a few wheat berry salad recipes and create a hearty and satisfying main dish or side dish. You may also include a little wheat bran or wheat germ or both into your baked goodies and even add a sprinkle or two in a smoothie to up the fiber and nutrient content. I won’t begin to get into the topic of gluten right now but many people are finding health benefits from limiting or eliminating wheat gluten from their diets.

Have fun in the kitchen!