I can remember when my mother started sneaking wheat germ into anything she thought she could get away with, hoping her children would not notice. She would put it in spaghetti sauce, apple sauce and homemade breads. She had read about how good whole grains were for you and how they could potentially help in the fight against cancer (which she had already been diagnosed with). This was 40 years ago when the majority of products used processed grains.

The Whole Grains Council has published research showing that eating whole grains reduces stroke by 36 percent, type 2 diabetes by 30 percent, heart disease by 28 percent and also helps with weight maintenance. The best part is that it is so easy to replace typical items consumed in your diet with whole grains. The easiest way is to eliminate white bread products and replace them with 100 percent whole grains. For example, use whole wheat, rye or oat bread for your breakfast or lunch. You need three to six servings (½ cup = typical serving) of whole grains daily, and there are lots of options. Consider working things like barley, buckwheat, oats, quinoa, brown or wild rice, rye and wheat (like bulgur) into your diet.

One simple change is to use 100 percent whole grain bread for sandwiches. Having an end of summer cookout? Try wheat hamburger and hotdog buns. For breakfast, try buckwheat pancakes or a bowl of oatmeal. Try using wild or brown rice for dinner and transform the leftovers into a great salad the next day. It does take a bit longer to cook wild or brown rice, but the health benefits are worth it. A good tip for transitioning to whole grains is to mix your white flour with wheat or your regular pancake mix with buckwheat.

Whole grains will help you feel fuller longer. I even use half whole wheat flour and half white flour in our homemade breads at the restaurant. This month’s recipe for wild rice and apples would be a great lunch or accompaniment with dinner.

Wild Rice & Apple Salad

½ cup of cooked wild rice

1 green apple, diced

⅓ cup roasted pumpkin seeds

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine first four ingredients and place in bowl. Whisk oil and juice together and toss in salad and serve.

Morris, owner of Rhett’s Restaurant, Personal Chef & Catering in Southern Pines, can be reached at (910) 695-3663.