Transitioning to Whole Wheat

100% whole wheat is packed with fabulous nutrients, and freshly ground whole wheat ensures those nutrients, but if you are trying to eat healthier and want to incorporate whole wheat into your diet, there are a few things you should know.

Start with Hard White Wheat:
I recommend starting with hard white wheat due to its mild flavor. Hard red wheat's flavor is robust and may be unpleasing if you are used to traditional white bread.

Switch Over Slowly:
If you are used to white all-purpose flour, drastically switching to 100% whole wheat may not be the best choice for your body. It's not a race to prove to people that you have converted over from processed foods to unrefined, whole grains. Take it slowly and in the end, your body will thank you.

Drastically switching to whole wheat may give you upsetting symptoms including:

Diarrhea
Constipation
Upset Stomach
Bloating
Excessive Gas

It takes some time for your body to adjust to the whole grains and unprocessed foods you are putting into it. Just as a baby takes gradual steps when being introduced to food, so should you take gradual steps when introducing your body to less refined, healthier options.

When using recipes that call for flour, I would recommend starting off with 1/3 whole wheat flour and 2/3 unbleached all purpose flour. When you feel that your body is handling it well, increase the amount of whole wheat to 2/3 and decrease the unbleached flour to 1/3. Eventually you will be able to use 100% whole wheat. If you just can't adjust to 100% whole wheat because of the flavor difference, then find a ratio of whole wheat and unbleached flour that you can handle. In the end, it is still a healthier choice from the typical bleached all-purpose flour.

A Wheat Grinder Isn't Necessary:
The typical person doesn't necessarily have a wheat grinder in their kitchen, especially if you are new to using whole grains or whole wheat. Many stores sell 100% whole wheat flour. I've seen them in 25 or 50 lb bags once or twice, but typically the whole wheat comes in 5 lb bags. Just read the bag thoroughly to know whether you are buying red wheat or white wheat.

Cook the wheat berries / kernels whole. There are many recipes out there that incorporate whole wheat berries or cracked wheat. If you are "adjusting" your body to wheat and come across a savory recipe that calls for wheat berries, you can replace a portion of the wheat berries with brown rice.