Grains & Beans Side Starters

I am not sure how many kids naturally like beans and grains, but my about half of my kids liked them, while the other half didn't. As they grew however, and were exposed to it often, most of them grew to like them. I think the key is to just keep serving them occasionally and exposing beans and grains to them. Grains and beans are good for us, and allow us to bring bulk to the table for less cost than meats or veggies. I try to serve one serving of whole grains or beans in each dinner meal so that, if nothing else, I can expose my kids and save money.

The down side to the goal of having these with each meal is that generally beans and grains take ALOT longer to cook. If I didn't cook them ahead in large batches and freeze them in small portions, they would often be forgotten or too late to deal with.

At this time, I haven't typed up my often used recipes, but these are some that I would like to try soon for you to get good ideas from.


Cooking Beans Guide Reference
Beans

• Slow Cooker Black Beans
• Slow Cooker Refried Beans
• The Best Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Grain cooking Guide Reference
Barley

• Simple Almond Barley Pilaf
• Slow Cooker Veggie Barley Risotto
• Barley Mushroom Risotto
• Asian Barley Bowl

Quinoa

• Quinoa Fried (rice)
• Creamy Parmesan Garlic Quinoa
• Mexican Quinoa
• Cilantro Lime Quinoa
• Tandoori Quinoa

Wheat Berries

• Balsamic Wheat Berry Salad
• Asian Wheat Berry Salad

Buckwheat

• Buckwheat Kasha