Cereals are grains from cultivated grasses that are important sources of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The three main parts of cereal grains are the bran, endosperm, and germ. Cereals provide carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Processing cereals into flour and other products affects their nutritional value. Common cereal products include breads, pastas, breakfast cereals, and more made from wheat, rice, maize, oats, rye, and barley.
Cereals are grains from cultivated grasses that are important sources of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The three main parts of cereal grains are the bran, endosperm, and germ. Cereals provide carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Processing cereals into flour and other products affects their nutritional value. Common cereal products include breads, pastas, breakfast cereals, and more made from wheat, rice, maize, oats, rye, and barley.
Cereals are grains from cultivated grasses that are important sources of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The three main parts of cereal grains are the bran, endosperm, and germ. Cereals provide carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Processing cereals into flour and other products affects their nutritional value. Common cereal products include breads, pastas, breakfast cereals, and more made from wheat, rice, maize, oats, rye, and barley.
Cereals Wheat Rice Maize Oats Rye Barley Structure of Cereal Grain Bran layer 14%: fibre, vitamin B, calcium, iron. Endosperm 84%: Starch, protein, vitamin B. Germ 2%: protein, fat, vitamins B & E, iron. Average Composition of Wheat
Protein Fat Carb. Vitamins Minerals Water
12% 2% 72% 1% 1% 12% B&E Calcium Iron Nutritive / Food Value
Protein, LBV, (gluten in wheat and rye).
Fat, polyunsaturated, essential fatty acids. Carbohydrate, starch mostly, the rest is fibre. Vitamin B especially B1, B2, niacin, also Vitamin E. Minerals: Calcium Iron, Phosphorus. Low in water therefore they keep well. Dietetic Value Important energy food because of starch. Whole grains good for fibre. Wholegrains good source vitamin B calcium, iron. Unsaturated fat ok in low cholesterol diets. Cheap & versatile. Coeliacs must avoid wheat, oats, barley, rye because of gluten. Phytates in cereals inhibit calcium & iron absorption. Polished rice lacks Vitamin B and maize lacks tryptophan so deficiency diseases can occur where they are the staple food. Effects of Heat on Cereals Starch grains swell, burst, absorb liquid (e.g. risotto). Dry heat: grains swell burst and absorb fat (e.g. pastry). Cellulose gets soft. Starch becomes digestible. Protein coagulates (e.g. sets dough in oven). Dextrinisation and caramelisation causes surface browning on bread and cakes etc… Loss of some vitamin B. Buying and Storing Cereals Buying Storing Sealed package Seal in storage container Date stamp when opened Cool dry dark press Use by best before date Wholegrains go off faster because of fat present Types of Wheat: most flour is made from a mixture of wheats
Spring wheat Winter wheat
Sown in March, Sown in autumn, harvested in harvested late September. summer. Grown in climates with cold winters, hot Grown in temperate summers. climates (Irl). Fast growing. Slow growing. High gluten content. Low gluten content. Flour Milling Cleaning: sieved and washed Conditioning: correct moisture content Blending: grist made Break rolling (wholemeal flour made) Sifting and purifying: bran and germ separated from rough endosperm (semolina) Reducing: rough endosperm ground into powder Air classifying: to lighten Addition of additives: calcium, vitamin B, bleach, improvers Packaging Types of Flour Flour Type Extraction Description/Use Rate Stoneground 100% Ground between stones Wholegrain 100% Non of the grain removed Wheaten / brown 85% A lot of bran removed White /plain/ 75% All bran and germ removed cream Self-raising <75% White flour and raising agent Strong flour <75% Higher % gluten Gluten free Gluten removed for coeliacs High-ratio < 50% Soft fine flour, for confectioners Effects of Processing Whole grain flour has more protein than white. White has no fibre. White flour has no fat therefore keeps for longer. White flour is fortified with calcium and Vitamin B. The more processing, the softer the texture. Bleaching agents are used to whiten colour. Elasticity of the gluten is increased by adding improvers. White flour rises better than wholegrain. Cereal Products Cereal Products Wheat Flour, semolina (couscous), pasta, weetabix and other breakfast cereals. Rice Ground rice, rice flour, rice wine, rice cakes, Rice Krispies, rice paper. Maize/corn Corn on cob, sweetcorn, maize meal, corn flour, corn oil, popcorn, cornflakes. Oats Oatmeal, pinhead oats, rolled oats for porridge and muesli, oatmeal biscuits. Rye Rye bread, crispbread, whiskey.
Barley Pearl barley, barley water, whiskey.
Pasta Rough endosperm (semolina) of durum wheat + water + salt + oil + egg + colouring(spinach, tomato, squid ink, wholemeal). Made in many shapes. Sold fresh or dried. Breakfast Cereals Wide variety made from different grains. Flaked, shredded, puffed. Other ingredients added; dried fruit, honey, nuts, cocoa sugar, salt. Often fortified with vitamins and minerals. Nutritive value depends on ingredients and the milk used. Porridge, muesli, high bran cereals are good. Rice Less protein, fat and minerals than other cereals. Usually used with bran removed (polished). Many varieties. Varieties of Rice Short grain (Carolina, pearl, pudding) used in milk pudding. Medium grain (Italian, arborio), used in risotto. Long grain (Patna, Basmati), used with curry and other dishes Brown, only some bran removed, nutritious, used like long grain but takes 45 minutes. to cook. Cereal Grains Wheat Rice Maize Oats Rye Barley