At the Wilkinson House Bistro and Inn we always offer two options on the menu and I, the most gracious of hostesses, allow the children to choose. The options are the following: eat or starve. Interestingly, I have never had anyone choose starve—funny how that works.
When transitioning your family to whole grains, however, it is important to be a little more sensitive. Not only are the flavors and textures different than what they are used to, but the amount of fiber will increase significantly creating digestion problems. Not because fiber is bad, but because the cook is usually uneducated about cooking with whole grains, and family digestive tracts are usually plugged with white flour paste and toxins. It is going to take some time to roto-rooter that stuff out of there.
Wholegrains take a little more work to digest because they include the germ and the bran. You will notice that you feel full more quickly. That's because you are more full with more nutrition. You are eating a whole food, not a partial food. Congratulations!
It is important to hydrate the grain when possible. Hydration is a process that is taught on this website. Whole grains cooked improperly can pull mositure from the stomach causing gas, bloating and poor digestion. You will be amazed at the difference properly hydrated doughs will make in the taste, texture and overall enjoyment as well as the digestion of the whole grain itself.
A smart way to transition both taste buds and tummies is to start with ratios of 2/1, or even 3/1 for more sensitive palates. Within a few months you will be able to slightly increase the amount of wheat flour in your recipes and before you know it, you can give your family whole wheat goodies and they won’t even raise an eyebrow. Trust me, what seems unlikely or even impossible now will eventually happen. You will feel good feeding your family a more healthy diet and you will be at peace knowing that you are keeping and using your food storage.
All of the whole grain bread recipes found on this website, with very few exceptions, can be made into transitional loaves simply by making the Biga (see terms to know) portion of the bread recipe out of white flour.
After a few months, don't be afraid to dive in and make a 100% whole wheat loaf of bread. Using the techniques that I share with you, you will be able to make a lightweight, soft, moist, flavorful loaf of bread with just basic food storage ingredients. . . I promise. . . but, you have to follow the techniques!!
Remember, the idea is to eat healthy and use your food storage.