How to Pick Protein-Rich Grains

Meat is not the only, or even the best, way to eat the protein you need every day. It may have a lot of protein; but you're also eating the fat and cholesterol that comes along with that protein. Read on to learn about three protein-rich foods that have far less fat and no cholesterol.

Things You'll Need

• Adventurous appetite

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Try quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa"), a recently "rediscovered" food that has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years in the Andes Mountains in South America. Most consider quinoa to be a grain because it's used like it is one; but the quinoa plant has tall, leafy stalks with broad leaves that grow five to six feet tall. The seeds it produces are what you buy at the store and boil for 10 to 15 minutes after you have thoroughly rinsed off its bitter coating (called saponin). Quinoa has more protein and less carbohydrate than wheat, rye, rice or oats. It also a good source of magnesium and riboflavin, which is also called Vitamin B2, both of which will help you if you're prone to migraines.

• 2

  Try millet a cereal grain grass grown and eaten across Asia and Africa. Ancient Egypt used millet to make bread. Millet was a staple food for the Chinese before rice. Millet is a whole grain that can cook as fast as white rice in about 20 to 25 minutes. It looks like and has a similar texture to couscous when it's cooked. It's considered to be the most digestible grain and does not contain any gluten. Millet meal can be used to make puddings, breads, cakes and cookies. By itself it is bland. It can take on whatever flavor you add.

• 3

  Try amaranth--tan or light brown seeds with a long history in Mexico. You can boil the seeds for 20 minutes to make a cereal. Or, you can pop it as you would popcorn. When popped, it has a toasted, nutty taste. You can blend it with whole wheat flour (one part amaranth with three parts wheat) to make a complete protein bread. Because amaranth has very little gluten, it's best to mix it with another grain to make bread. Amaranth has one of the highest fiber contents of the grains high in protein.