What’s The Deal Wednesdays – WHEAT GERM

I feel like Wheat Germ used to be a hot topic in nutrition a while ago, but I haven’t heard too much about it lately. But there must have been a reason for all the hype, right? So today I decided to take a closer look at WHEAT GERM!

What is it?: Wheat Germ, or any cereal germ for that matter, is the part of the seed that’s responsible for the development and growth of the new plant sprout; aka the embryo.

What’s the Deal?: Along with the bran, the germ is the most nutrient rich part of the grain. What makes it so great? It’s a highly concentrated source of B vitamins like folate, thiamin and B6 and minerals like zinc, magnesium and manganese. It has a high oil content and therefore a high amount of vitamin E.  And one serving (115g) of wheat germ contains 60 percent of your daily dietary fiber requirements!

Where to use Wheat Germ?: So, wheat germ sounds pretty good, right? Well, don’t go all crazy now eating pounds of wheat germ…. because wheat is actually best consumed in it’s entirety. Aka “the WHOLE GRAIN”. So, what we should really be looking at here is the wheatberry, which is the entire wheat kernel; the bran, germ, and endosperm(the starchy part). 

Wheatberries have all the nutritional benefits of the germ AND the bran, in their most unprocessed form.  But definitely don’t shy away from wheat germ if you feel that you are not getting enough whole grains in your diet or you just like white bread and pasta. And even if you like your whole grains, I don’t think there is anything wrong with adding some wheat germ to your oats, baked goods or smoothies. However, you should try to eat the whole grain if you can.
As for the wheatberries, if you get your hands on them, wheatberries are yummy stirred into oats and also delicious as a salad, like this one from Ina Garten.

Do you like to eat whole grain products (bread, pasta, grains) or do you prefer the refined “white” products?

I admit, sometimes there’s really nothing quite like a big bowl of white pasta. But only once in a while. When I do eat grains, I tend to eat them in their whole grain form. This includes whole grain or sprouted whole grain breads and wraps, whole grain pasta (like brown rice pasta) and lots of whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, oats and wheatberries

Research From:
The Encyclopedia of Seeds – Science, Technology and Uses
Mayo Clinic
WH Foods
Livestrong
Wikipedia