Properties: Cereal products
Cereal products are possibly the most important food of humans. The diversity of these products is enormous. Wheat, barley, rye, corn, oats, millet, spelt can be largely recognized in their unprocessed form; the more they have been processed, the less obvious they become as ingredients in foods.
Whether pasta, muesli, bread & rolls, cereals and cereal products are omnipresent in our diet. Other cereal products include grits, starch, groats, semolina, bulgur, cracked wheat, porridge, and flakes.
The more of the grain is contained in the ground product, the more valuable nutrients can be found in the resulting food.
Origin: Cereal products
Corn is native to Latin America, most cereal varieties originate from Mesopotamia and rice was cultivated in China. All cereal types have achieved worldwide distribution.
Health: Cereal products
The nutrients from cereal products are an important component of nutrition. They provide carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins (especially B-vitamins), as well as minerals and trace elements such as zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus. The more of the grain that is used, the higher the content of vitamins and minerals. Whole grain cereals are also rich in dietary fiber. Whole grain products have a positive impact on health.
Season of Cereal products: Due to good shelf life and storage capability, cereal products are available year-round.
A possible solution is replacing some foods with cereal products. One can start at home in the morning. The daily roll can be replaced by whole grain bread or delicious muesli, even toast lovers can occasionally switch to a whole grain variant without much adjustment. Changing the diet with a focus on cereal products is not entirely uncomplicated for many people. Especially for those who have previously consumed fiber-poor foods, minor digestive issues may occur initially.
Cereal Products in the Diet Plan
This makes the transition rather unpleasant and complicates maintaining it. For this reason, cereal products should be gradually integrated into the diet plan to slowly acclimate the body to them. It is particularly important to ensure from the beginning that one uses truly wholesome cereal products. Variants such as crispy chocolate muesli or cereal bars for in-between meals are not suitable. Due to high sugar and fat additions to enhance taste, these products quickly become fattening rather than improving nutrition. Good and also wholesome cereal products like oat flakes, spelt, and unsweetened muesli can be obtained in any well-stocked supermarket.
In case of uncertainties - especially at the beginning of the transition - it is always advisable to seek advice from a health food store. In the meantime, there are also ready-made meals with a focus on cereal products. These are particularly practical for quick preparation at work or home (when time is pressing). Here one should definitely check the ingredient list. A diet based on cereal products makes little sense if the ingredients of the meal are of poor quality.
How many types of bread are there?
Bread has regional and seasonal variations, but broad classifications can be made: wheat breads, rye breads, wheat mixed breads, rye mixed breads, crispbreads, as well as more specialized breads like three-grain bread, four-grain bread, oatmeal bread, cornbread, buckwheat bread or raisin bread, spice bread or quark bread. Many bread types are creations of bakers and not every type is available in each bakery. There are approximately 300 types of bread and over 1,000 varieties of baked goods. Especially in Germany, more bread is consumed than in other European countries, which can probably be attributed to the wide selection and very good quality.
What all constitutes a baked product?
Classically, baked products include bread and rolls, but also pastries, alcoholic baked goods (especially alcohol-containing cakes or pastries with alcohol), long-lasting baked goods, puff pastry dishes.
What are long-lasting baked goods? These include cookies, gingerbread, pastries like florentines, wafers, salted snacks, zwieback, speculoos, crackers, and nibbles.
Diversity of Cereal Products
In addition to the mentioned products, cereals are used to produce grits, muesli, groats, cereal coffee, malt, and pasta. The diversity extends in the meal plan from breakfast to dinner. They are an important component of human nutrition.