Barley, the benefits and harms of porridge for the human body. About the benefits and harms of pearl barley for our body

This cereal is traditionally one of the cheapest. Partly for this reason, porridge made from it is often found on the menu of many government institutions: kindergartens, schools, hospitals, army units. The very dubious glory of pearl barley as a government dish has unfairly supplanted another, much more noble one, which has a lot of amazing properties.

After all, its calorie content is minimal, but its value for the body is very high! It's time to separate the wheat from the chaff and find out what the benefits and harms of such an inconspicuous-looking barley, but which significantly improves health, are.

Pearl barley is the result of processing barley grain. It is polished several times, removing the flower film and the shell protecting the grain. At the same time, pearl barley loses some properties, but it boils much faster and is better absorbed by the body.

This cereal does not take root in every modern kitchen - which is a pity. It retains many of the qualities of barley, whose health benefits are undeniable. It is very nutritious (it is no coincidence that it was barley porridge that supported the gladiators of Ancient Rome before battles), but its calorie content certainly cannot be called high. For weight loss - the very first product!

It would be hard to call the vitamin and mineral composition poor. Vitamins of group B, as well as A, E, D, PP, K, were found in pearl barley in almost complete composition. And there are a lot of macro- and microelements. 100 g of cereal, essential for the heart, contains 280 mg of potassium, and 221 mg of phosphorus.

Therefore, it must be included in the diet of those for whom, for example, seafood is contraindicated. There is a lot of zinc in the cereal: 2.13 mg per 100 g of pearl barley. So it turns out that pearl barley porridge prepared for breakfast provides a quarter of the body’s daily need for this microelement. Other components of the cereal include selenium, copper, iron, as well as two dozen amino acids, eight of which are essential.

Studying the benefits

Two or three servings of pearl barley porridge per week is enough to nourish the body with a lot of useful substances and equip it in the fight against many ailments. The benefits of such a breakfast or dinner are very noticeable.

Judge for yourself:

selenium, a powerful antioxidant, helps fight the growth of cancer cells;
lysine has an antiviral effect and is involved in the production of collagen, protecting our skin from the effects of time and negative external factors;
phosphorus increases mental activity and participates in metabolic processes;
fiber is the most valuable component of pearl barley. Its benefit is that it, like a sponge, absorbs toxins and waste and gently removes them from the body, which has a beneficial effect on liver function;
hordecin contained in grains has an antifungal and antibacterial effect;
dietary fiber reduces the level of dangerous cholesterol in the blood and gently cleanses blood vessels;
silicic acid destroys stones, sand and slag formations in the kidneys, urinary and gall bladder and removes them from the body, to which they cause undoubted harm;
Beta-glucan helps maintain blood sugar levels, making barley one of the foods especially recommended for diabetes. Its effect is also beneficial because the calorie content of pearl barley is minimal;
E, the famous vitamin of youth, improves the condition of the skin, nails, hair, and heals the body. Sprouted pearl barley is especially rich in it;
Vitamin A protects eye health;
Vitamin D is part of bone tissue, maintains the strength of the skeleton, strengthens teeth, nails and bones.

Assessing the harm

A plate of pearl barley for breakfast or dinner, of course, will not cause any noticeable harm. And its calorie content is such that you shouldn’t be afraid of your figure.

increased stomach acidity is a sure signal that you should not include pearl barley in your diet;
ardent love for it can cause constipation, so for people suffering from poor intestinal function, porridge is more likely to cause harm than benefit;
Gluten, a component of many grains, can be a strong allergen for some people. Therefore, before including pearl barley dishes on the menu, you should make sure that the body will not react to it;
pearl barley can cause intestinal upset in an expectant mother;

Everything is good in moderation! Two or three servings of pearl barley dishes are more than enough for it to be beneficial and not cause serious harm to the body.

Cooking the right pearl barley porridge

Skillfully prepared pearl barley is soft, with a delicate nutty flavor. Recipes for dishes from it can be found in any cookbook. Pearl barley is good in the much-loved solyanka, in cabbage rolls, and as a side dish with spicy vegetable or meat sauce. Sprouted pearl barley is great in salads. But lush and appetizing pearl barley porridge is incomparable to anything. It is tasty and nutritious, and the benefits from it are great, and the harm is practically not noticeable, and the calorie content is low, and it is suitable for weight loss.

Cooking porridge to perfection seems like a simple matter at first glance. And to be fair, there are so many housewives with their own culinary tricks.

Some people prefer classic recipes for how to prepare it: pour a glass of cereal washed in several waters with three glasses of water, bring to a boil, and leave to simmer for 6–7 minutes. Then the porridge is washed again under running water, poured with two glasses of water and cooked over low heat for about half an hour.

Manipulations with water can be kept to a minimum: pour three glasses of water into a glass of pearl barley and let it rise on its own for 50–60 minutes over low heat. Do not forget to stir the contents of the saucepan periodically so that the porridge turns out crumbly and does not burn to the bottom.

It is well known and, perhaps, one of the fastest ways to treat your loved ones to porridge in the heat of the day. To do this, add five glasses of water to a glass of cereal, let it boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes. Afterwards, drain the water, add a piece of butter and, wrapping it up, let the porridge simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

However, no matter how you decide to prepare this healthy and amazingly tasty dish, it is important to remember a few rules. Firstly, this cereal takes a very long time to boil, so it is best to soak it in water in advance - several hours, ideally all night. Oil in pearl barley is a must.

Moreover, if your menu includes sweet porridge with sugar and fruit, it’s better to add a piece of butter. Would you like a pearl barley side dish with meat or vegetables for dinner? Pour in a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. The calorie content of the porridge will increase slightly, but the value will also increase.

Learning to choose cereals

This difficult matter has its own subtleties.

Remember that:

high-quality cereals - delicate golden brown hue. And no black spots!
The grains should not stick together: grain stuck together in a lump is a sure sign of improper storage and failure to comply with all required rules. There is no way to eat it: it only causes harm, not any benefit;
You should always pay attention to the production date of pearl barley and the indicated expiration date stamped on the packaging. Typically, cereals are not stored for long, only a few months;
If you buy cereal by weight, sniff it: there should be no sourness or rancidity in the aroma! This is evidence that they are trying to sell you a stale product.

Each pearl grain contains great benefits, inherent in it by nature itself. It would be unwise to ignore her gifts!

Greetings, readers! Today, it is rare that any family can boast that they often prepare dishes from pearl barley. Many people consider pearl barley tasteless, and men who served in the army often call it “shrapnel” or “tarpaulin porridge” due to the fact that army cooks rarely boiled the porridge until fully cooked, and since the cereal was cheap, they fed it often. Pearl barley is one of the most affordable, but at the same time undeservedly ignored by housewives these days.

Many people simply have no idea what benefits for the body are hidden in this simple and inexpensive cereal.

First, let's allow ourselves a little history.

The word “pearl pearl” began to be used to call barley groats in Rus' because of its similarity to freshwater pearls, which were called “pearls.” And to get the cereal, the outer shell was peeled off the barley grains.
The first mention of the fact that barley grains can be eaten is more than four and a half thousand years old. In ancient Egypt, barley was often used in brewing.

Some people call this porridge “peasant rice,” although in ancient times pearl barley was considered a food worthy only of noble people. It was this porridge that was one of the favorite dishes of Peter I. Of course, porridge was prepared for him differently than for soldiers in the army, but we will tell you later how to prepare pearl barley porridge so that it would be impossible to drag the eaters away by the ears.
And now a little about the properties of this cereal, as well as what benefits it can have and when its use can be harmful.

Useful properties of pearl barley

First of all, the benefit of pearl barley is that it is a strong antioxidant. That is, the substances contained in cereals have the inherent ability to stop cascades of free radical oxidation reactions. Pearl barley contains several times more selenium than rice grain. In addition, pearl barley contains B vitamins, vegetable protein and a complex of minerals.

Pearl barley protein consists of several amino acids, including essential ones. That is, those that are not synthesized by the body. They can come exclusively from outside, along with food. And from them the body synthesizes its own necessary amino acids. In particular, the benefit of this cereal is that it is rich in lysine, an amino acid that has a beneficial effect on the body’s defenses. In addition, lysine takes an active part in the production of collagen, due to which the formation of wrinkles slows down and the skin maintains its youthful appearance.

Lysine is required for growth and normal repair of damaged tissue and keeps the lenses of the eyes healthy. The level of this amino acid in pearl barley is sufficient to ensure the prevention of diseases of many organs.

Barley is rich in vitamins A, B, PP, E and rightfully occupies one of the first places in terms of phosphorus content, on which the absorption of calcium and the regulation of brain activity depend. In addition to vitamins and phosphorus, pearl barley contains a whole range of microelements necessary for the body, such as chromium, strontium, manganese, zinc, molybdenum, nickel, bromine and cobalt.

This cereal also contains enough fiber, which removes waste and toxins from the body and contains substances that prevent the formation of fatty deposits.

A decoction of pearl barley can be used in the diet of patients who have inflammatory processes in the stomach. Its benefits are especially noticeable for the speedy recovery of patients after abdominal operations. Moreover, the benefits of such pearl barley broth will be the same regardless of whether it is prepared with water or milk.

The undoubted benefit of barley lies in the polysaccharides it contains. Thus, b-glucan, contained in this cereal in significant quantities, has a cholesterol-lowering effect. Therefore, regular consumption of pearl barley can remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream, which harms blood vessels, and over time completely normalize its level.

100 grams of pearl barley porridge contains about 1.2 mcg of pure retinol (provitamin A), which is necessary to maintain the level of functioning of the body's immune system. This substance helps to increase the protective functions of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, preventing the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into them.

Silicic acid, also contained in large quantities in pearl barley, prevents the deposition of toxins in the body and the formation of diarrhea, as well as the gall and urinary bladders. And although silicic acid does not have a strong effect, the introduction of pearl barley porridge into the diet can have a beneficial effect on the condition of patients diagnosed with stones in these organs.

The high protein and fiber content will be useful for those who want to lose weight.

Now I regularly include this wonderful cereal in my diet. Here is one of my recipes

Recipe for making delicious pearl barley porridge with milk

The first stage of preparation takes 10-12 hours. Are you scared? In vain. In order to rinse the cereal and fill it with cold water, you will need at most 5 minutes. It is most convenient to do this at night, before bed. Then in the morning you can simply drain the pearl barley, throwing it in a colander - and it will be ready for cooking.

An important point: 1 two-hundred-gram glass of pearl barley should be soaked in 1 liter of water.

The second stage begins with heating the milk. We will need 2 liters of it.

Remembering the required amount of products is quite simple:

1 glass of cereal;
1 liter of water for soaking;
2 liters of milk for cooking.

The milk must be heated to 40 degrees, then put the cereal into it and continue to cook over an open fire until it boils. You will need to boil the porridge for another 5 minutes after the milk boils in it.
Then the pan with porridge must be moved into a large pan with water and continue cooking in a water bath. A water bath is needed to prevent the milk from running away and the porridge from burning. In addition, this way there will be no need to stand over it. The porridge should be cooked in a water bath for 6 hours.
For a long time? In time, yes. If you start preparing porridge in the evening, you can serve it on the table only by lunch the next day. But the result is worth it. Each barley grain will double in size during cooking and acquire a noble fawn hue. And the porridge itself will have the aroma and taste of baked milk and will literally melt in your mouth. It would never even occur to anyone to call it “shrapnel.”

And now for those who consider this cooking method inapplicable due to the fact that it takes a lot of time, we will tell you how much time you will actually spend on it:

rinse the cereal and fill it with water - 5 minutes;
pour milk into the pan and heat for 7-10 minutes;
drain the cereal and place in milk - 1 minute;
bring to a boil and simmer for another 10 minutes, during which we prepare a large saucepan for a water bath;
move the pan with porridge to a water bath - 5 seconds;
Once every half hour, go to the stove and check the water level in the water bath, if necessary, add it - 1 minute every half hour.

Moreover, the latter can be done not even by you, but by a retired father or a schoolchild son who is at home.

The rest of the time, the porridge does not require your participation at all; it prepares itself perfectly. It is soaked, soaked in milk and puffed in a water bath. And if you have a multicooker in your arsenal, the time for directly cooking the porridge is reduced to about an hour.

How do you prepare barley, write in the comments, I’ll be interested!

Contraindications and harm

Thus, pearl barley is not recommended for people with high stomach acidity or those prone to flatulence. The high content of gluten in cereals is to blame for this.
In addition, eating pearl barley can also be harmful during pregnancy. If gluten does not harm the baby in the womb, then in the expectant mother, whose body is actively restructuring, pearl barley can cause intestinal disorders.
Pearl barley can also be harmful to small children. Still, this cereal is difficult to digest, so it is recommended to introduce it into the diet of children over three years of age.
For the same reason, it is not recommended to use it too often. In large quantities, it can harm digestive processes.
Also, in rare cases, this cereal can cause harm to people with hypersensitivity to certain allergens.
And now - the promised recipe for making pearl barley porridge. This cooking method takes quite a long time, although it requires very little actual effort and attention.

The benefits and harms of pearl barley are not the subject of heated debate. Most of us have a lukewarm attitude towards this product, to put it mildly, and view it more as part of a dietary diet. But few people know how much valuable value is actually hidden in this cereal.

Types of pearl barley

Whole - the grains are peeled from the shells, after which they are sifted to remove debris and packaged. This cereal is ideal for adding to first and second courses, fillings, and porridge.

Crushed - finely ground pearl barley does not undergo grinding. Cereals represent a whole list of useful elements. More often, porridges are prepared on its basis with the addition of fruits or pieces of meat (an alternative to pilaf).

Good nutrition is the key to beauty and health. In order to maintain a radiant appearance: strong bones and teeth, shiny hair, toned skin and a cheerful spirit, you need to consume a huge amount of useful elements every day.

Pearl barley is a complete product containing many substances necessary for the female body.

It satisfies part of the need for B vitamins, which are needed for normal hematopoiesis and regular renewal of epidermal cells.

The condition of the skin, digestive organs and nervous system depends on the timely intake of nicotinic acid into the body. Just 100 grams of pearl barley provides this need by 18%.

Pearl barley contains the necessary phosphorus, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and chromium. Minerals strengthen bones and teeth. Their presence ensures the normal functioning of the nervous system and heart. Microelements are responsible for the functioning of the reproductive system, the production of sex hormones and normal fat metabolism.

Pearl barley contains most of the essential fatty acids. It is a complete source of nutrition, so it often serves as the basis for a mono-diet. On a diet of pearl barley, the body is least likely to experience a deficiency of any substances.

Regular consumption of pearl barley promotes cleansing. Among grains, pearl barley is the leader in fiber content. Plant fibers not only remove all excess from the intestines, but also create favorable conditions for the development of beneficial bacteria.

In folk medicine, barley infusion is used as a medicine against breast lumps. A decoction of the cereal itself is considered a strong milk extractor. It is useful to drink it after childbirth to establish lactation.

Benefits and harms during pregnancy

What are the benefits of pearl barley for pregnant women? Pregnant women can use it as a vitamin supplement.

Despite the not very pleasant taste, pearl barley is one of the richest in terms of microelements and amino acids. It contains all the microelements, vitamins and fatty acids necessary for the normal development of the fetus.

Concerns about including pearl barley in the menu can only be associated with its high content of vegetable protein - gluten.

True intolerance to this substance occurs in no more than 1% of the world's population. If a pregnant woman is not one of these people, then barley dishes will not pose any danger to her.

Attitudes towards gluten in the world at the moment are not clear. Some scientists believe that consuming this plant protein increases the likelihood of developing joint and heart diseases in the future. Others, on the contrary, note that when gluten is excluded from the diet, immunity decreases and the balance of intestinal flora is disrupted.

Pearl barley is an ideal product for weight loss. It contains a minimum of fat and easily digestible sugars.

The breakdown of one polysaccharide molecule requires more energy than will be released after its decomposition.

The pearl barley diet promotes fast and effective weight loss. Its advantage is that it does not deprive the body of basic beneficial elements. On a pearl barley diet, you can easily get rid of several kilograms without sacrificing the beauty of your skin or strong bones.

Pearl barley diet

There are two ways to lose weight using pearl barley. The first one is quite difficult. This is a mono diet. It must be observed for 5-7 days. There is only pearl barley porridge without salt, butter, sugar or any seasonings.

Boiled cereals should be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the evening it is soaked in cold water. In the morning, drain, add water again and cook for half an hour.

Boiled pearl barley replaces the entire diet. In addition to it, you can drink weak green tea and clean water.

The drinking regime must be observed. Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Liquid, together with fiber, cleanses the intestines of accumulated waste products. Helps remove toxins and normalize metabolism.

It is not easy to maintain such a diet. But the effort spent will definitely pay off with good results. With the help of a mono-diet, you can correct your figure, get rid of the belly and “ears” on the hips, say goodbye to swelling and tighten the shape of your face.

A less strict diet allows the menu to include unsweetened fruits, lean meat and fish (chicken, beef, cod), low-fat dairy products, vegetables, nuts, and eggs. Meat and other ingredients should be boiled, baked or steamed, without the use of oil or salt. Allows you to season food with spices and balsamic vinegar.

You can drink water and green tea. Be sure to consume at least 2 liters of fluid per day.

Fruits such as apples, grapefruits, and kiwis are allowed. You should avoid the more sugary ones: strawberries, peaches and melon. It is necessary to completely eliminate salt, sugar and any confectionery products. You can eat a small piece of dark chocolate once a day.

A menu on the pearl barley diet may look like this:

breakfast – low-fat cottage cheese and a handful of prunes;
afternoon snack – banana and 5 walnuts;
lunch – pearl barley porridge, 100 grams of steamed fish, vegetable salad: cabbage, cucumber, carrots;
dinner - pearl barley porridge with an apple and a glass of low-fat kefir.

You can achieve the maximum effect on a pearl barley diet in 7-10 days. However, nutritionists do not see anything reprehensible in following it longer.

Fasting day on pearl barley

A fasting day is the mildest version of the diet. It was invented just to instantly get rid of everything unnecessary and quickly cleanse the body. Give him a short break so that he can start working full-time again.

Fasting days on pearl barley are arranged no more than 1-2 times a month. At this time, they eat only boiled cereals without spices, salt and oil. Food should only satisfy hunger. Don't go overboard with the quantity. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to drink pearl barley broth.

A glass of cereal is filled with 1.5 liters of boiling water. This mixture is infused over low heat for 20 minutes. The decoction is filtered and consumed throughout the day as the main drink.

The value of any food grain lies in the fact that, regardless of the method of preparation, it retains the maximum benefit. Despite the long heat treatment, pearl barley does not lose its basic properties. No matter how much it is cooked, most of the valuable elements will still remain in the cereal.

It is better to soak pearl barley in cold water overnight and cook it in the morning. To avoid losing some of the substances along with the broth, the cereal can be baked. To do this, you need to fill it with water in a ratio of 1:3 and place it directly in a heat-resistant pan in the oven.

At 160˚C the porridge will simmer for about an hour and a half. It will turn out very crumbly. It can be served as an excellent side dish with lean stewed meats and fresh vegetables.

Contraindications

There are no strict contraindications to eating pearl barley dishes. In rare cases, this product may cause allergies. Worldwide, only one person in a hundred suffers from gluten intolerance. These people are forced to adhere to a special diet and refuse grains containing contraindicated protein.

Barley stimulates digestion by irritating the chemoreceptors of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it should not be abused by people suffering from high stomach acidity. Also, due to the high fiber content, against the background of problems with intestinal motility, pearl barley porridge can cause gas formation and constipation.

Barley groats are definitely needed by the female body. Cereals preserve youth and beauty. They keep the reproductive system in good shape. Slow carbohydrates and fiber cleanse the body and help shape your figure.

The best pearl barley dishes

In ancient times, “pearls” were the name given to barley grains that, when polished, resemble miniature pearls. People gave the highest rating not only to the brilliant appearance of the grains, but also to the unique nutritional qualities of the cereal crop.

Dishes made from pearl barley made up hearty and rich soups; both simple food and wonderful holiday dishes were prepared from barley.

First courses of pearl barley

Adding barley grains to first courses not only gives the food an exquisite aroma, but also thickens the food to the desired consistency. Achieving this effect is possible with proper heat treatment of the cereal.

Product List:

bulb;
beef - 500 g;
pickled cucumbers - 5 pcs.;
meat broth - 2.5 l;
tomato puree - 30 g;
potatoes - 5 pcs.;
brine - 200 ml;
pearl barley - 100 g;
onion feather - a small bunch;
salt, spices.

Cooking method:

For a tasty pickle, firstly, you need a strong broth. To do this, place the beef in a saucepan and pour in 2 liters of water. After active boiling begins, strain the liquid and return the piece of meat to the broth. Add part of the carrots, a small onion with peel, a few sprigs of herbs, peppercorns and a laurel leaf. Cook over low heat for up to two hours.
Secondly, the cereal must be soaked in advance (overnight). Perlovka with meat harmonizes perfectly in first courses only if the grains are ready to receive the flavor bouquet of the meat component.
We remove all the products from the broth, add the cereal and a little salt. Please note that the soup contains brine.
Cut the onions and carrots into cubes, divide the potatoes into large pieces. Finely chop the cucumbers, place them in the pan, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
At the end of the process, pour in the brine, add tomato puree, season the first dish with salt, pepper, spices, and chopped onion.

Turn off the heat, serve the pickle with barley and pickled cucumbers hot with sour cream.

Mushroom soup

The result of the unusual combination of barley grains and spore organisms was not only the wonderful aroma of the combined ingredients, but also the nutritional value of the prepared dish.

Required Products:

dried mushrooms - 500 g;
onion - 1 pc.;
pearl barley - 100 g;
carrot;
vegetable oil;
potatoes - 5 pcs.;
salt, herbs, spices.

Cooking:

Wash the dried mushrooms thoroughly and pour boiling water over them so that they open and swell.
It is advisable to pre-soak the cereals, then boil them in a separate bowl. The correct ratio of grain and liquid is 1:2. We observe this condition for better preparation of cereals.
Fill the pan with meat broth (2 l) or filtered water. Pour the liquid from the bowl with mushrooms, place the product in a container, and cook for up to half an hour.
Finely chop the onion and carrots, cut the potato tubers into cubes, and lower the vegetables into the soup. Season the food with salt and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat.
When supplementing food with spices and spices, we do it in small quantities so as not to overwhelm the taste and aroma of the main components of the dish. At the end of the process we add greens.

Vegetarian barley cutlets

Pleasant to the taste, tender and very fluffy lean products are a worthy replacement for meat food.

Products for the dish:

potatoes - 3 pcs.;
pearl barley - 230 g;
garlic cloves - 2 pcs.;
baking soda - 6 g;
salt, pepper, oregano, paprika.

Cooking healthy cutlets:

Boil the grains until soft, rinse thoroughly with running water.
Grind the peeled raw potatoes with garlic in a blender or meat grinder, squeeze well, and place in a bowl. If the mass is too liquid, add a little starch or corn flour.
Combine pearl barley with potato mixture, season with salt, pepper and oregano. For splendor, add soda. The beautiful yellow color of the finished products will be ensured by adding a pinch of paprika.
Knead the resulting mass, form cutlets, fry in hot oil until golden brown.

List of products:

sweet pepper, onion, tomato - 1 pc.;
dry pearl barley - 250 g;
vegetable oil - 50 g;
salt, herbs.

Cooking technology:

Fill the clean cereal with water, add salt, boil until ready, and place in a colander.
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry finely chopped vegetables. Add the tomato divided into slices along with chopped herbs. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the prepared cereal and mix the food well.

Barley with vegetables looks so appetizing that we immediately serve the dish on the table.

Unusual pilaf with chicken

Ingredients:

onion - 3 pcs.;
poultry meat - 500 g;
carrots - 2 pcs.;
vegetable oil;
pearl barley - 500 g;
salt, spices, herbs.

Step-by-step preparation:

Boil the grains until half cooked.
Separate the meat and fat from the poultry and heat the oil in a cauldron. Place chicken pieces in a container and fry over low heat, stirring occasionally after a pink crust forms.
We clean the vegetables, finely chop them, and continue heat treatment of the products.
After 5 minutes, add the cereal, chopped garlic, salt and spices. Next, pour in 250 ml of water, mix, and cook covered for 30 minutes.

Barley pilaf with chicken acquired interesting flavor notes.

Cereals with meat in a slow cooker

Kitchen appliances present their own pleasant surprises. It’s worth loading the processor once so that pearl barley dishes in the multicooker begin to appear on our table more often.

Required Products:

pork - 300 g;
sweet pepper, onion, carrot;
pearl barley - 250 g;
oil (sunflower or olive) - 50 g;
salt, herbs, spices.

Cooking process:

Peel the vegetables and finely chop them into cubes. Pour oil into the bowl of the unit, lay out the vegetables. Select the “Frying” mode and set the cooking time to 20 minutes. All that remains is to click on “Start”.
Divide the pork into small pieces, add to the vegetables in the middle of the current cycle, not forgetting to mix everything with a wooden spatula.
At the end of the specified program, add well-washed pearl barley, pour in 1.5 liters of water, season the food with salt, herbs and spices. Continue cooking for 1 hour in the “Rice/Grains” mode. After 30 minutes, stir the food again, at the same time checking that there is enough liquid.

In a word " pearl"in the old days they called pearls. Accordingly, pearl barley obtained from barley is a “pearl” cereal: expensive not in price, but in nutritional value and taste. And in appearance, polished grains slightly resemble untreated pearls due to a light pearlescent coating.

Pearl barley has been known to mankind since ancient times; it has been used as food for more than 20 thousand years ago, and from about the 10th millennium BC. began to be cultivated. Barley quickly became a “domestic” crop, as it is not afraid of temperature changes, is undemanding to the soil, and almost always produces a rich harvest.

People learned to cook porridge, main courses, and soups from pearl barley. Cereals were used for commodity exchange, and sometimes their quantity served as a measure of the family's wealth.

ABOUT benefits of pearl barley Pythagoras also wrote for the human body: according to him, the product improves memory, stimulates intelligence, and energizes. It is not for nothing that gladiators were fed pearl barley before the fight in the arena to increase their endurance. In Rus', cereals were called “royal” and were served not only on weekdays, but also on special occasions.

Barley was a staple food for soldiers and hospital patients, as it helps restore strength. Since that time, pearl barley porridge received the unflattering name “ shrapnel“- the dish, cooked in haste and water by field kitchen cooks, caused digestive problems.

Nutritionists assure that pearl barley is considered tasteless only by those who do not know how to cook it. The taste of the right porridge is delicate, with caramel notes, and the consistency is delicate. And it’s difficult to overestimate the beneficial qualities of the dish.

Nutritional value of the product

Pearl barley is high in calories - 320 Cal/100 g. Barley cooked in water has an energy value of 106 Kcal/100 g, a glycemic index of 20-30 units. These indicators will increase with the addition of milk, sugar, honey, and fruit.

Barley grains have a rich chemical composition, which includes many substances beneficial to the human body:

Vitamins A, B, E, RR. Necessary for the normal functioning of the circulatory system, proper breakdown and absorption of substances, maintenance and prevention of nervous disorders;
Microelements. They participate in the functioning of all body systems, support vascular health (potassium, magnesium, sodium), water-salt balance and oxygen metabolism (nickel, molybdenum, zinc), stimulate muscle and mental activity. These components are necessary to maintain reproductive health, normal hormonal levels and blood composition;
Acids Omega-3, Omega-6, oleic, linoleic. Preserve youthful skin, normalize heart function, increase the body's resistance to viruses;
Starch. Reduces the level of harmful substances, removes excess fluid, relieves inflammation of the digestive tract, reduces stomach acidity;
Tryptophan. An amino acid necessary for the production of serotonin, the “hormone”;
. An element without which normal activity of the thyroid gland is impossible. Iodine deficiency leads to hormonal disorders.

Regular consumption of pearl barley will provide a boost of energy, good health, high performance and concentration. In addition, cereal has antioxidant properties, helping to preserve beauty and youth for many years.

What are the benefits of pearl barley?

On sale you can find three types of pearl barley: whole polished pearl barley, deeply processed Dutch barley, finely crushed barley. Dishes prepared from them will differ in taste, and the maximum benefit will come from ordinary, lightly processed pearl barley.

For children

A child's body needs vitamins and microelements for the proper formation of the skeleton and tissue growth, and pearl barley is a rich source of many essential substances. Vitamin E deficiency is especially common during growing up, and eating pearl barley porridge will help to avoid it.

Many children attend sports clubs and various hobby groups at the same time. Barley will quickly restore strength and support the nervous system, which is especially important for teenagers. For kids suffering from allergic reactions of various kinds, barley groats will help reduce the severity of unpleasant symptoms.

Important! Regular pearl barley can be included in the menu for children over 3 years of age, as it is difficult to digest. For children, there are porridges made from specially processed barley groats on sale.

For adults

Women value pearl barley for its ability to maintain beauty: strengthen hair and nails, give elasticity to the skin and maintain a healthy complexion. Men know that this product helps build muscle mass, increase stamina and sexual performance.

With a tiring work schedule and the impossibility of regular nutrition, the use of pearl barley serves to prevent the development of other gastrointestinal diseases. The product supports brain activity, the functioning of the endocrine system, removes toxins, and is indicated for cholelithiasis and diabetes, inflammation and tumors.

Even the water in which pearl barley is soaked acquires beneficial properties: it contains hordecin, a powerful antibiotic with an antifungal effect. Traditional medicine uses barley-based decoctions to treat colds, and also as an antispasmodic and diuretic.

For pregnant women

The body of expectant mothers is subjected to a real test of strength, and for the full development of the fetus, useful substances and microelements are needed. Therefore, dishes made from pearl barley are very useful for pregnant women. The main thing is to observe the measure so that there are no digestive problems.

The phosphorus contained in pearl barley is necessary for normalizing the metabolic processes of the fetus, participates in the process of hematopoiesis and nutrient transport, calcium strengthens the skeleton, tocopherol is responsible for oxygen metabolism. Niacin helps pregnant women cope with mood swings. The diuretic properties of pearl barley are useful in later stages, when there is fluid retention in the tissues.

Pearl barley, also called pearl barley, is one of the cheapest and most popular cereal products. The product is made from barley grains. During production, the grain is polished, the top rough shell is removed, leaving an oval-shaped core. Barley is a cultivated herbaceous plant of the Poaceae family, which has a wide distribution area. The cereal grows in the territory from North Africa to Tibet.

Earlier pearl barley belonged to expensive food, since it was difficult to process its grains. Only wealthy people could afford dishes made from pearl barley. Today, thanks to its low cost, appetizing and nutritious porridge is available to anyone. Pearl barley got its name because its polished grains look like pearls. And in the old days, pearls were called pearls.

Types of cereals

Depending on the shape and size of the grains, there are 3 types of cereals.

One-piece. The grains retain their natural shape, only the shell is peeled.
Dutch. A rare type of cereal in our country. The grains are not only peeled, but also processed until they become spherical.
Crushed. The barley is not polished, but is finely ground. The richest cereal option in nutrients.

Chemical composition and nutritional value of pearl barley

Barley grains are partially ground, so they retain a sufficient amount of useful compounds.

The pearl barley contains:

retinol (A);
tocopherol (E);
calciferol (D);
B vitamins;
amino acids;
fiber;
lipids;
proteins;
mineral elements (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium);
trace elements (zinc, iron, selenium).

Raw pearl barley has a calorie content of 320 kcal per 100 grams. One hundred grams of boiled cereal contains 100 kcal. The glycemic index of pearl barley is no more than 20 units, which is less than in other cereal products.

The good nutritional value and low calorie content of barley allow this product to be included in many dietary menus.

How is barley useful for the human body?

The most important substance in barley grains is lysine. This amino acid accelerates the healing of skin damage and activates cellular regeneration. Therefore, pearl barley porridge is recommended for patients who have undergone injuries and surgical procedures.

Substances found in cereals have a variety of positive effects on the human body.

Fiber, which grains are rich in, is extremely important for the proper functioning of the digestive tract. It cleanses the body of toxins and decay products remaining after digestion of food.
Pearl barley porridge has a mucous consistency, so it is beneficial for peptic ulcers and other inflammatory pathologies of the stomach. Cereal mucus also coats the walls of the throat, eliminating coughs and eliminating infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
The cereal is rich in minerals. It is especially rich in phosphorus, an element that increases brain performance. The grain also contains a lot of selenium, a microelement that has a pronounced antioxidant effect.
Lysine is necessary for the synthesis of collagen fibers. And collagen maintains the beauty of hair, youth and healthy skin.
The energy value of the product is high, but the calorie content is low. Porridge satisfies well, relieves hunger for a long time, but does not cause weight gain.
Barley differs from other grains in that it contains protein in high concentration. And protein elements are necessary for building muscle fibers. Therefore, people leading an active life and athletes cannot do without pearl barley porridge in their diet.

For diabetes

Cereal dishes must be present in the diet of diabetics. Barley porridge regularly included in the menu normalizes the concentration of glucose in the blood. Moreover, the likelihood of sugar fluctuations is significantly reduced. The product also saturates the diabetic’s body with fiber, enzymes and other necessary substances.

For pancreatitis

Patients suffering from pancreatitis are forced to adhere to a special diet. It is recommended to include pearl barley in the menu. Porridge has an enveloping, antibiotic, soothing and restorative effect. For pancreatitis, it is advisable to make milk porridge; the grain is soaked before cooking.

For gastritis

Porridges are extremely useful for inflammatory diseases of the digestive organs. The main thing is not to let the cereal become too boiled.

For gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice, it is recommended pearl barley broth. Thanks to its enveloping effect, it perfectly reduces the symptoms of the disease. To prepare a decoction, you need to pour 100 grams of cereal with a liter of warm water, leave for 5 hours, then cook for 20 minutes. The boiled product is infused for half an hour, filtered, and taken a quarter glass 3 times a day before meals.

Barley for constipation

The fiber contained in cereals ensures the normal functioning of the intestinal tract. Fiber fibers are not digested, but they bring great benefits to the intestines: they normalize microflora and remove harmful accumulations.

With regular consumption of porridge, the intestines actively get rid of feces. As a result, stool normalizes and constipation is eliminated. Thanks to this effect, pearl barley is one of the means to prevent colon cancer.

Benefits for the female body

Few women believe, but pearl barley helps get rid of extra pounds.

Cereal dishes are carbohydrate foods. But carbohydrates in cereals are slow, they perfectly saturate the body, provide a lot of energy, but do not cause weight gain.

According to scientific research, it is beneficial to consume pearl barley for women entering menopause. Older women who regularly include pearl barley porridge in their menu reduce the risk of breast cancer by half. This is due to the fact that cereal contains a lot of selenium, a strong antioxidant that destroys malignant cells.

Barley during pregnancy

Cereal porridges are very healthy during pregnancy. They saturate the mother’s body with useful compounds that help survive the difficult period of gestation and ensure the full development of the embryo.

Pearl barley porridge consumed during pregnancy:
eliminates constipation, common in expectant mothers;
speeds up metabolism;
saturates the body with iron, which is important for the synthesis of blood cells and the prevention of anemia;
provides the embryonic body with vitamins and mineral elements;
maintains the normal nervous system of the mother;
eliminates stagnant processes in the maternal body;
prevents obesity in the expectant mother.

Barley during breastfeeding

Mothers should not eat pearl barley porridge during the first months of breastfeeding. It is advisable to return the product to the diet no earlier than 4 months after birth. It is better for mothers to eat hot porridge, it is digested faster.

Many mothers are interested in the age at which a child can eat pearl barley. Some nutritionists warn that porridge contains gluten, a protein substance that can cause allergies in a baby. Other experts say that pearl barley is healthy and safe for babies. But the main thing that mothers need to remember is that pearl barley porridge is a difficult product to digest and should not be given to a child under 3 years of age.

To feed a baby from one year old, yachka - ground pearl barley - is used. It boils better and is easily absorbed by the child’s body. To prevent allergies, children should be given liquid pearl barley, prepared in water, not milk. If the baby has an allergic reaction after eating, then porridge is excluded from the diet.

How is it useful for men?

The male body needs much more energy than the female body. To remain active and resilient, men are recommended to consume pearl barley.

Complex carbohydrates contained in cereals give a feeling of fullness for a long time, and proteins are involved in building muscle tissue.

But you shouldn’t include porridge in your menu every day, since if consumed frequently, pearl barley can reduce male libido.

Barley for weight loss

The answer to the question, is it possible to lose weight while sitting on barley, is positive. Porridge is easily digestible, suitable for fasting days, tones the body, and normalizes digestion. The pearl barley diet is optimal for weight loss.

You can quickly lose weight through a barley mono-diet. With this method of eating, you need to consume one serving of porridge daily to replenish the norm of proteins and carbohydrates. Vegetable dishes and lean fish are included with the porridge as sources of vitamins and microelements.

Barley is eaten for breakfast and can also be eaten for lunch. But you should not eat more than 3 servings per day, otherwise the functioning of the digestive tract may be disrupted. When on a pearl barley mono-diet, you should drink enough water.

Useful properties of pearl barley porridge

In the human body, barley porridge has a variety of positive effects:

Enveloping;
soothing;
antibiotic;
antiviral;
diuretic.

Diabetes;
hepatitis;
infectious diseases of various nature;
pathologies of the liver and kidneys;
arthritis;
prostatitis;
oncological diseases.

In order for pearl barley to bring maximum benefit to the body, you need to know how to cook it. Dry barley grain is hard and tough; it takes at least 2 hours to cook. To make the porridge cook faster, it is recommended to soak the cereal in water for several hours before cooking to swell.

The water in which the grain was soaked is drained. Pour no more than 3 glasses of water into the swollen cereal. But if the grain was not soaked, then take 6 glasses of water. If a dairy dish is being made, then milk is added to the pan in the middle of cooking. The porridge is salted and seasoned with oil at the end of cooking.

Possible harm of pearl barley

When consuming pearl barley porridge, the following contraindications should be taken into account:

frequent constipation;
high stomach acidity;
children under 3 years of age;
individual intolerance to the product.

In order for men to maintain normal libido, they should include porridge in the menu no more than 3 times a week.