Written By: Upneet Pansare | Updated : September 4, 2018 2:38 PM IST
Start growing wheatgrass today! © Shutterstock
Wheatgrass is, simply put, one of the cheapest and healthiest foods to have that will ward off a number of diseases and conditions. It is the fresh sprouts of wheat that can very easily be cultivated at home. Wheatgrass is known for its various health benefits because of the presence of chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins and enzymes in it. It is commonly used by people aiming for weight loss because it is known to suppress hunger and stimulate metabolism. According to a study published in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, it also helps in reducing menstrual cramps and PMS symptoms because wheatgrass is a storehouse of minerals like calcium and magnesium and vitamin B6. Since wheatgrass is rich in fibre, it also helps in controlling diabetes. The fibre helps in keeping you full for a long time, which prevents the fluctuation of blood glucose level. This is how you can include wheatgrass in your daily diet:
To make wheatgrass juice, just whisk a few leaves in a blender with a little water. Strain the juice and drink.
Clean and wash the leaves thoroughly. Eat it raw. You won't be able to eat the leaves entirely because there's too much fibre. Just chew, drink the juice and discard the rest.
Dry it under the sun till it becomes crispy and then crush it into powder. You can add this wheatgrass powder to different recipes.
Make a smoothie of 1 cup chopped spinach, half a chopped banana, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 inch ginger and chopped almonds. Add wheatgrass powder to this.
Add 1 tsp of wheatgrass powder to your soups. Add this while the soup is almost cooked. Season accordingly so the taste of wheatgrass doesn't come across very strong.
Add wheatgrass powder to your favourite parathas. Add the powder when you're making the paratha dough. Taste the dough a little to check if the wheatgrass powder has blended well into the dough.
Add about 1 tsp of wheatgrass or 1 tbsp wheatgrass juice to your cereal. This will up the nutritive value of your cereals.
