The agricultural industry has its own laws that allow the production of certain types of cereals, of which hostesses prepare all kinds of cereals. Barley grits are known to be produced from barley, which is grown in the fields. More precisely, on the basis of its grains.
The popularity of such a cultivated plant is justified by its unpretentiousness, which greatly simplifies the task of caring for it. It does not require special conditions for full growth and aging. Barley has many of the most beneficial substances that are necessary for the human body.
What cereal make barley grits
Specialized enterprises in the processing of barley receive barley and pearl barley, as well as flour. The first is characterized by easy digestibility of the gastrointestinal tract and, therefore, it is allowed even if different diets are observed. It is impossible to get barley groats from any other cereal except for this species.
On the basis of barley cereals prepare many delicious dishes, of which the most popular is porridge. Thanks to modern processing technology, cereals receive the highest quality product suitable for making the most delicious and nutritious cereals.
Chemical composition, caloric content
Barley grits receive from their “ancestor” barley a variety of useful trace elements and substances that are of particular value to the health of modern man. 
The content of the following elements in it should be noted:
- vitamins of various groups that are good for people (B, PP);
- iron;
- calcium;
- sodium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- choline;
- cellulose;
- lecithin;
- amino acids;
- linoleic acid.
Despite its low cost, barley groats have many beneficial properties and are highly desirable for inclusion in the diet of every person who cares about their own health. It does not add a large number of extra pounds, but at the same time is very nutritious and useful. Make it a way of crushing the seeds of barley, while they do not undergo the procedure of grinding.
Most often, large and small grains are mixed, therefore packages are sold in which particles of various sizes are detected. However, this does not affect the quality of the prepared dishes. In the process of cooking, the croup softens and becomes especially palatable, with proper preparation.
As for the energy value, such croup perfectly saturates and completely replaces many other products. In 100 grams of ready-made porridge about 314 kilocalories. This allows not to neglect it at the same time during the diets, but also not to feel hungry.
It is known that 100 grams of such cereals contain more than 10 grams of protein, 66 grams of carbohydrates and the smallest amount of fat is only 1.3 grams.
Use of barley grain, harm and contraindications
Barley groats, like barley in general, are not contraindicated in many diseases and diets.
It contains a large number of various nutrients, trace elements that support the normal state of bones, teeth and internal organs.
Cooked porridge on the basis of barley cereal has a pleasant taste, it is quite soft and nutritious. It is also very useful in the following conditions:
- diseases of the stomach and intestines;
- endocrine disruption;
- liver diseases (hepatitis, hepatosis);
- diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Known and such useful properties of barley porridge:
- removal of toxic substances from the body;
- reducing the level of harmful cholesterol, which is able to form plaques on the walls of blood vessels;
- normalization of the normal ratio of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract;
- improving immunity;
- normalization of intestinal motility (due to fiber).
People who include barley grits in their diet, suffer less from various stomach or intestinal disorders, and also have strong immunity. And vice versa - neglect of this product leads to weakness, fatigue, accumulation of cholesterol and toxins in the body, which leads to serious health problems.
In practice, it has been proven that a person who regularly eats barley porridge has a better memory and high performance. Low fat content allows you to not be afraid of gaining excess weight with regular use of such a product.
In the most ancient times, barley kernels cured many ailments, including diseases of the mammary glands. When they discovered a property similar to a natural antibiotic in barley, they started to treat infectious diseases, as well as fungal lesions of the skin.
Coarse fiber allows to remove harmful toxins and slags from the intestines, improves peristalsis, which positively affects the state of health and well-being.
Unlike many other cereals, cooked from barley does not contribute to the increase in sugar, which allows diabetics not to deny themselves such a delicacy. This food is not contraindicated for people suffering from obesity.
Known and enveloping property against the intestine. For those who suffer from fluid retention, this porridge will be the most preferred due to its diuretic properties. In addition, it is an excellent anti-allergen, softening the negative property of any substances that have irritating effects against allergies.
People suffering from arthritis can eat plenty of such porridge and gradually get rid of the disease. An important point for those who do not want to get old for a long time and seeks to preserve the skin's attractiveness is the presence of substances in the barley that stimulate the production of collagen, which guarantees long skin youth.
Since porridge prepared from such cereals has a high protein content, it can be considered very useful for immunity, since immune cells are formed on the basis of proteins derived from food.
There are no special contraindications for the use of barley porridge. But it is important to know that with an excessive amount of such food there may be a set of several kilograms of weight. However, if you cook porridge several times a week, you can perfectly improve your health without harming the body in any way.
Rules for selecting cereals on store shelves and home storage
Barley grits, from which you can make a very healthy porridge, should be of good quality. In order not to encounter an unusable product, it is important to be able to choose it properly in the process of purchasing in stores. Some points will help to avoid misunderstandings and buy exactly what is required for the preparation of healthy porridge:
- First of all, you need to look at the date of manufacture to avoid buying old cereals, which can conceal some "secrets" in the form of spoiled insects;
- Packages with poor quality, damaged grains should be avoided;
- The bags should not be debris, black dots or bugs;
- Good croup does not produce an unpleasant smell;
- You need to choose the packaging, which indicates the date of manufacture, GOST, expiration date, composition and other useful information.
If the package of cereals does not indicate any shelf life, production, or composition, it is better to set it aside and not to purchase. You should not risk your health by buying low-quality products.
Storage rules allow you to extend the life of the product, that is, the time during which its quality is not compromised. Therefore, it is important that barley grits be transferred to the most suitable room.
First of all, it is important that it was not damp. Also adverse effect on such a product hit by direct sunlight.
Care should be taken to ensure that in such a room there were no various smells, so that the croup would not absorb them. The optimal shelf life is one year and 4 months. Otherwise, insects may start there and the quality will drop significantly.
How to cook delicious barley grits
Cook porridge from barley cereals is quite easy. But at the same time there are a number of rules that allow you to cook a particularly tasty and healthy dish:
- Groats must be pre-rinsed in cold water;
- There should be twice as much water as the yachts themselves, otherwise the porridge will turn out too viscous, it will burn or not be able to cook it at all properly;
- For cooking, they usually use low or medium heat and cook until the moment when the porridge is fully cooked;
- At the end of cooking it is better to withstand another 12 minutes, while the lid should be closed.
Ingredients that will be required for cooking:
- barley grits - 0.5 kg;
- drinking water - 1 liter;
- salt - to taste;
- Butter - for filling the finished porridge.
Cooking time: 30 minutes. Calorie content: 100 g of finished porridge - 320 kilocalories.
The process of creating dishes:
- Water is boiled, grain is poured into it, I wait when it boils and put out the middle fire;
- Cook for about half an hour until the porridge is fully cooked;
- Filled with oil.
Other cooking methods
Cook porridge can be different methods, depending on the availability of a particular technique. Specialists in this case give the following tips:
- In the oven, it is better to boil the porridge in special clay pots (to do this, pour the porridge into hot water, add salt, sugar, milk, butter and put in the oven for complete thickening and readiness);
- For the manufacture of porridge in a slow cooker, you need to prepare all the ingredients, set the cooking mode and expect readiness;
- To steam porridge in a thermos, you need to boil it beforehand, the waiting time is about 40 minutes or more;
- In a double boiler, you can boil the porridge with additional products, putting them in a container with the cereal and wait about 45 minutes.
Porridge will be tastier if you use an additional variety of vegetables or fruits, for example, cabbage, carrots, onions. Often this dish is prepared with milk, which increases its taste.
Interesting facts about barley groats
It is known that on the basis of barley they produce not only barley grits, but also well-known barley coffee, which is very good for health and effective as an additional remedy for many ailments. Barley first appeared in Asia, gradually becoming widespread throughout the world.
It is also known that people engaged in the production of barley cereals in the most ancient times, because, according to eyewitnesses, recorded in paper archives, Peter the Great was an ardent supporter of porridge prepared on its basis. Modern advanced production technology has significantly improved the quality of the product.
And in addition - another recipe for cereal with barley meat.
