Despite the gorgeous warm weather here yesterday there’s no doubt that winter’s on its way. You can still have warm hearty meals and be healthy.

Barley is a great whole grain to include in your diet. It works well in soups, stews, salads, even in frittatas or as an alternative to oatmeal or rice. Many recipes call for pearled barley. The pearling process removes the outer bran and hull (the hull is removed from all barley before it can be eaten but removal of the bran reduces the nutrient content and means that it’s no longer a whole grain). Unfortunately for those with celiac disease or a gluten allergy, barley does contain gluten.

One serving of whole grain barley (20 grams before cooking) provides 3.5 grams of fibre, 71 calories, 2.5 g of protein, and 27  mg of magnesium. In comparison, a serving of pearled barley (23 grams dry – don’t ask me why the database doesn’t use the same measure for both regular and pearled barley!) contains 3.7 grams of fibre, 84 calories, 2.36 g protein, and 19 g of magnesium.

Here’s a link to the barley recipe I’m making for lunch today: Barley and Kale Salad with Golden Beets and Feta.