The composition, nutritional value and caloric content of pearl barley

Pearl barley, or as it is popularly known, barley is ground barley.Barley is cleaned of hard peel in a special way and get the kernel of a small size of white or light gray in color with a thin longitudinal line. The cooking process gives pearl barley a delicate nutty flavor. The advantage of the cereal in the preparation is the ability to remain elastic even after long cooking and not lose its beneficial properties. Unfortunately, barley porridge is not very popular these days, especially among men.

The fact is that pearl barley has a low price. Therefore, it is often served as the main dish in the army, which creates persistent associations. Young children also do not favor pearl barley porridge due to its special consistency: the porridge does not boil soft, the grains even after long cooking require thorough chewing. Nevertheless, the use of barley is difficult to overestimate. In Russia, she was even considered the "queen of all porridges."

Barley porridge contains vitamins of groups A and B, necessary for harmonious growth, maintaining visual acuity, skin elasticity, and metabolic processes. This cereal contains most of the elements of the chemical table, so necessary for modern man:

• potassiumresponsible for the cardiovascular and nervous systems;
• calcium, providing growth and development of the musculoskeletal system;
• fluorineforming tooth enamel;
• phosphorus, responsible for the formation of muscle tissue;
• iron, necessary for the organism as a whole, since this element is involved in the saturation of cells with oxygen;
• copperwhich takes part in the formation of blood cells (erythrocytes);
• iodinewhose deficiency leads to malfunction of the thyroid gland;
• manganesenecessary for brain function and harmonious functioning of the nervous system;
• chromiumresponsible for blood sugar levels;
• seleniumenhancing immunity;
• zinc, the deficiency of which leads to diseases caused by various kinds of infections.

BZHU pearl barley per 100 grams of finished product:

• proteins - 3.2 g;
• fats - 0.4 g;
• carbohydrates - 23 g

As you can see, barley is rich in complex carbohydrates. This means that breakfast from such a porridge with fruit pieces will provide the body with a charge of energy for the whole day.

The calorie content of barley porridge is difficult to calculate, because there are many ways to make it. Approximate energy value is as follows: one hundred grams of dry cereal contains more than 320 kilocalories. Porridge cooked with water contains about 110 kcal per 100 grams of the dish, 150 kcal with milk, and 180 kcal with the addition of butter. From this we can conclude that pearl barley is not too caloric, which means that it can be included in a diet for weight loss. Dishes from this cereal are quite satisfying, for a long time they quench the feeling of hunger.

Future mothers often wonder if there is gluten in pearl barley. The answer to this question is positive. Gluten is a vegetable protein that makes cereals viscous, sticky when cooked. Barley contains a large amount of gluten. It contains many important amino acids for the body, such as lysine, threonine, methionine. However, this protein can adversely affect the development of the baby. Therefore, pregnant women are not recommended to abuse dishes from this cereal. Among the disadvantages of the use of such dishes should also highlight the formation of gas.

The glycemic index (GI) is an indicator that must be taken into account for people with diabetes. The amount of carbohydrates contained in cereals affects the blood sugar level.As noted earlier, barley is rich in carbohydrates. Consequently, the higher their level in the finished dish, the higher the level of sugar.

Unfortunately, diabetes is incurable, so people with such a diagnosis should always follow a strict diet. But this does not mean that the use of barley porridge should be excluded from the diet. Its useful trace elements and nutrients are necessary for each person, just their amount for a diabetic should be rationed. Among all cereals, pearl barley is the safest and most useful. Provided that it is cooked in water, without oil and fruit, its GI is equal to 25.

Cellulose contained in pearl barley, stimulates metabolic processes in the body, thereby achieving a systematic weight loss. Barley-based diets belong to the category of mono-diet, but the diet can be very diverse.

Adherents of a healthy diet often include barley and its “sister” barley cereals in the list of products. Milk barley porridge with butter and slices of green apples, berries or dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes) would be an excellent solution for breakfast.

In addition to porridge cooked on water or milk, you can cook fragrant vegetable soup, pickle, pearl barley risotto, pilaf, chicken and corn salad from barley. Pre-roasting gives a particularly rich flavor to the grains. This cereal goes well with mushrooms, meat, and also perfectly cooked in a slow cooker.

The effect of losing weight is achieved, subject to certain recipes.

• Before cooking the grain, it is necessary to soak overnight in 1 liter of water.
• There are about three glasses of liquid per 200 g of dry product (the croup swells up strongly during cooking).
• Boil the porridge should be on low heat for at least 40 minutes.
• Once cooked, porridge should be brewed with the lid closed in heat for at least 30 minutes.
• The addition of various ingredients and spices makes the taste of the dish even richer and richer, so do not be afraid to experiment.

Good appetite!

For information on the composition, nutritional value and calorie content of pearl barley, see the following video.