Farro
Are carbs good or bad?
It depends!
If the carbs you're eating are mostly refined carbs like cookies, crackers, white bread & white pasta for example, and if your goals are to have a healthier diet or to lose weight, then carbs should be part of the list of foods you should avoid because those refined carbs have little nutrition and lots of calories.
But if the majority of carbs you're eating are whole foods like sweet potatoes, beans and whole grains, then you will find an incredible amount of nutrients in carbs, not to mention fiber which is so important for our health.
Have you tried farro? It's one of my favorite grains. Farro has a chewy texture and a nutty flavor, it's an excellent ingredient to add to soups, salads and bowls.
As most grains, you can find farro in different forms:
- Whole farro – contains the most fiber and retains all its nutrients.
- Semi-pearled farro – has part of the bran removed.
- Pearled farro – some pearled farro have no bran at all.
If you want the max amount of fiber and nutrition, then make sure to buy whole farro. While pearled farro does not contain as much fiber as whole farro and is less nutritious, I often make pearled farro when I don't have much time to wait because it cooks in just 20 minutes. Semi-pearled farro cooks in about 30 minutes and whole farro cooks in about 40 minutes. Soaking whole farro for a few hours reduces the cooking time.
Make sure to read the labels when you buy farro to know the type you're buying so you know how much time it needs to be cooked.
Regardless of the type, I love farro's texture and flavor, here are some meals I prepared using farro:
Farro, beans and vegetables bowls.
Farro in a chopped salad.
Farro, beans, roasted cauliflower, caramelized onions & avocado.
Farro, white beans, almond parmesan, greens & broiled figs.
Farro, almond milk, banana & berries. Farro can be used like this for snacks or for breakfast. Drizzle with maple syrup for a sweeter flavor.
In the video below I show how I cook pearled farro in 20 minutes. This is the super basic method, no seasoning, just plain farro to be used in bowls & salads, but you can add your favorite seasonings as well.
https://cinnamon.video/watch?v=531955099103135240
Cintia