{"id":626,"date":"2019-10-24T10:15:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T09:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/makingcarbscount.com\/?p=626"},"modified":"2020-02-04T20:09:01","modified_gmt":"2020-02-04T20:09:01","slug":"wheat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/makingcarbscount.com\/wheat\/","title":{"rendered":"Wheat"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n

For more than 7,000 years, mankind has cultivated and developed wheat for breads and cereals.\u202f It is estimated that today we consume more wheat, as a percentage of our daily diet, than any other food, and it plays a major part in diabetes blood glucose control.\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For those of us with diabetes, counting carbs is an important part of our daily routine. And as the opening statement would have it, we\u2019re grazing on wheat often more than once a day. Have toast at\u00a0brekkie, sarnies at lunchtime and a bowl of pasta or a pizza in the evening, and you\u2019ve\u00a0carbed-up on wheat all day long.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here we look at the history as well as the modern-day usage of this age-old grain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Wheat originated in the \u201ccradle of civilization\u201d in the Tigris and Euphrates river valley, near what is now Iraq. Six classes bring order to the thousands of varieties of wheat: Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft Red Winter, Durum, Hard White and Soft White.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ground grain, or wheat flour, was one of civilized man\u2019s first foods. Ancient methods of grinding can be traced to the Far East, Egypt and Rome. As early as 6,700 B.C., man ground grains with rocks. Water mills did not appear until 85 B.C. in Asia Minor. Windmills appeared between 1180 and 1190 A.D. in Syria, France and England.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Wheat flour remains a source of complex carbohydrates. Other than gluten flour, all types of wheat flour derive at least 80% of their calories from carbohydrates \u2013 so are referred to as \u2018high carb\u2019, however calories from fat are never more than 5%.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The products from baking with flour are determined by the wheat\u2019s characteristics, especially protein and gluten content.\u00a0The harder the wheat, the higher the protein content in the flour.\u00a0Soft, low protein\u00a0wheats\u00a0are used in cakes, pastries, cookies, crackers and Oriental noodles. Hard, high protein\u00a0wheats\u00a0are used in breads and quick breads. Durum wheat is almost exclusively used in pasta and egg noodles. All-purpose flour gives the best results for many kinds of products, including some yeast breads, quick breads, cakes, cookies, pastries and noodles. Bread flour has greater gluten strength and protein content and is milled primarily for commercial bakers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Whole grain products are made with the whole kernel of grain, retaining the bran (outer layer), which contains the largest amount of fibre.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When it comes to carb-counting, the good news is that most wheat-based foods are labelled, making\u00a0it easy to calculate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

WHAT ELSE IS WHEAT<\/strong>?<\/h6>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\"Baguettes\"\r\n
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Bulgur wheat:<\/strong>\u00a0A whole grain made from the kernel of the wheat plant that has a toasty, nutty flavour. It comes from the Middle East, where it was a typical component of the daily diet as far back as biblical times. Armenian immigrants brought bulgur wheat to the United States. Harvested from whole wheat, bulgur wheat has many nutritional properties, including containing manganese, which helps your brain function, carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar regulation. You can replace cooked white rice in your diet with cooked bulgur wheat to gain its nutritional benefits.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Bulgar wheat per 100g: 342 cals, 1.3g fat, 76g carbs, 12g protein, 18g fibre. Magnesium 41%, Vitamin B-6 15%.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Durham wheat:<\/strong>\u00a0Durum<\/em>\u00a0in Latin means \u2018hard\u2019, and the species is the hardest of all wheat, high protein content, it\u2019s strength makes it good for special uses and almost the sole grain used in most pastas,\u00a0semolinas\u00a0and couscous.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Durham wheat per 100g:<\/em> 339\u00a0cals, 70g carbs, 14g protein, 19% iron, Vitamin B-6\u00a020%, Magnesium 36%.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Couscous:<\/strong>\u00a0A\u00a0is yellow granules of semolina made from durum wheat, the ideal pasta wheat, which are precooked and then dried. The Portuguese introduced couscous to other parts of the world more than 400 years ago, although the grain has been around for nearly a thousand years.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Couscous per 100g:<\/em> 112\u00a0cals,\u00a0zero fat, 4g protein, 23g carbs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spelt:<\/strong>\u00a0A species of wheat, spelt was an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times; it now survives as a relic crop in Central Europe and northern Spain and has found a new market as a health food as many other people with allergies or intolerances to common wheat can tolerate spelt, though not most\u00a0coeliacs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spelt per 100g<\/em>: 338\u00a0cals, 2.5g fat, 70g carbs, 15g protein.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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News items and features like this appear in the\u00a0<\/strong>Desang Diabetes Magazine<\/a>, our free-to-receive digital journal (see below). We cover diabetes news, diabetes management equipment (diabetes \u2018kit\u2019 such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring equipment) and news about food suitable for a diabetic diet including a regular Making Carbs Count column. We just need your email address to subscribe you (it\u2019s free, and you can easily unsubscribe should you wish to).<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n