28. Bulgur
Bulgur is a whole grain wheat popular in traditional Middle Eastern dishes. It’s a cereal grain that’s easy to prepare and also comes with great health benefits. Bulgar, or bulgur wheat as it’s also known, is made from dried crack wheat or, most commonly, from durum wheat. It tends to be available in shops either parboiled or partially cooked, so that it can be prepared easily at home.
When it’s fully cooked, it has a similar texture to cooked quinoa or couscous. It’s also considered a whole grain in that the entire wheat kernel – including the germ, endosperm and bran – are eaten.
Bulgur is a minimally processed grain which means that it retains the majority of its nutrition. It’s high in vitamins, minerals, and fibre while being lower in calories compared to other grains. Bulgur is also high in the minerals manganese, magnesium and iron.
Since it’s a high fibre, whole grain, it’s beneficial for controlling blood glucose (sugar) levels. For this reason, it’s beneficial for weight loss since it helps to control hunger levels which are closely related to the highs and lows of blood sugar levels.
Bulgur wheat can also help to promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria and also aids in digestion while being able to fight constipation. An overall healthy gut will help to improve our digestion, which will help to control abdominal bloating, helping to flatten the stomach.
You’ll find bulgur in fine, medium and coarse grains and will take between 5-20 minutes to cook depending on the coarseness. It’s like cooking rice in that you need it to absorb water and for every one part bulgur you will need two parts water.
