Tastefully Tuesday - Wheat Germ, Not Just a Food Booster

According to Dr. Oz, “Wheat germ is the most vitamin and mineral rich part of the wheat kernel.” The embryo of the wheat plant, this tiny particle provides the entire plant with all the nourishment it needs.

It takes about 50 pounds of wheat to get just a pound of wheat germ. However as wheat is refined into flour, the germ is removed to prevent the flour from going rancid as quickly. (Could this be why it now takes bread so much longer to mold than it did just a decade ago?)

Benefits of Wheat Germ

That’s why going with a whole-wheat diet doesn’t provide you with the health benefits that you’d think. Wheat germ is so much more beneficial! Here are some of the things it has that are good for you:

• B vitamins – important for brain and heart health
• Fiber – balances sugars, controls cholesterol, and detoxes the intestines
• Omega 3s – healthy fats that naturally lower cholesterol, inflammation, and anxiety
• Minerals – necessary to repair the body after an accident or illness

Wheat Germ at Any Time of Day

Adding wheat germ to your food is easy. At breakfast add it to pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or a protein shake. During lunch try some wheat germ in a salad of lentils and bay leaves, a dish of pasta with basil pesto, or some baked parmesan chicken fingers and sweet potato fries.

Snack on fruit muffins, key lime pie, or pumpkin cookies with an extra helping of wheat germ. And for dinner try adding wheat germ to homemade pizza, spinach frittata, or vegetarian chili (as well as the accompanying buttermilk cornbread).

Wheat Germ – Not Just for Food Recipes

Everything that goes on your skin or scalp soaks into your hair. Here are some alternate uses for wheat germ that have nothing to do with human consumption.

Hair Treatment – Mix up 2 eggs, 1 avocado, and 2 tablespoons of wheat germ oil. Process the egg until it’s almost frothy enough for meringue before adding the other two ingredients. Apply to your scalp and work outward. Cover hair with a plastic cap and don’t touch it for 30 minutes. Finally rinse out using cool water and a mild shampoo. Also safe for dogs!

Sunscreen – The sun is a great source of vitamin D but too much will have you at risk for skin cancers. Mix together 1 ounce each of beeswax (for waterproofing), raspberry seed oil (SPF 30-50), Shea butter (protects skin and has an SPF of 6-10), carrot seed oil (SPF 30), and wheat germ oil (SPF 20 and also super nourishing for skin). Heat in a double boiler until everything melts together. Cool and then add 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil, 1/3 ounce of zinc oxide powder, and 30 drops of essential oils. Pour until an empty push-up deodorant container and you have roll-on sunscreen that isn’t filled with cancer-causing chemicals.

Dog Treats – Who wants to feed their dog products they wouldn’t eat themselves? Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of wheat germ, 1/4 cup of brewer’s yeast, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and 1/2 cup of fresh chicken or beef stock. Roll out dough to about 1/2” thickness and cut cookies with a bone-shaped (or any other shaped!) cookie cutter. Bake for 20 minutes and turn off oven, leaving biscuits to stand in oven to dry, for about 2 hours. Store treats in an airtight container at room temperature.

The Best Way to Mix Ingredients

I used to stand at my kitchen counter with a hand mixer, trying to count off two minutes in my head. Because who can hear the microwave timer over the noisy mixer, right? Or worse I’d use the microwave timer but then have to stir by hand, taking time to switch arms when one grew tired.

But then I got the Hamilton Beach mixer, pictured above. It has 12 speeds, is quiet, and best of all my recipes turn out better when they are mixed according to the instructions. At half the price of a KitchenAid or Cuisinart, the money spent was a true investment, not only in kitchen appliances but also in my family’s health.

Click the picture of the mixer above to check it out at Amazon, where 74 people’s reviews give it an average of 4 out of 5 stars. As one happy purchaser shared, “This thing is amazing. The mixer looks and performs like a pro!” And I for one am inclined to agree.

Don’t wait for time to holiday cooking to make the choice to upgrade your mixer – order yours now!