Whole Grains - Fast and Healthy Recipe Ideas {Cookiehead and Alvarado Street Bakery Giveaway}

These Anzac Cookies are full of Whole Grain Goodness..

September is Whole Grains Month and we're kicking it off with some simple, fast ways to incorporate healthy whole grains into our everyday diet. If you've never tried whole grains or if you're just starting out, adding more whole grains to your meals might seem intimidating.  But once you start keeping an eye out for whole grain alternatives to your favorite foods, it becomes easier.

Going cold turkey and just launching straight into whole grains doesn't work for most people. However, for my family, I've found that gradual changes from processed grains to whole grains has worked best. 
Here are a some fast and healthy food ideas to help incorporate more whole grains into your diet:

Why not try this beautiful Pineapple Yogurt, Berry & Coconut Breakfast Parfait by Jennifer of Savoring the Thyme instead of a bowl of processed sugary cereal for breakfast.

This Pineapple Yogurt, Berry & Coconut Breakfast Parfait is made with Whole Grain Granola

Make transitioning to whole grains fun by making sandwiches with half white and half wheat bread.  Aren't these Tuna Checkerboard Sandwiches by Alison of Ingredients, Inc. cute? 

These Tuna Checkboard Sandwiches are Fun and Healthier.

If you're craving something crunchy, why not try a crusty whole grain bagel topped with crunchy sunflower or other nut butter. Over the years, my kids have learned to appreciate the heartiness and crustiness of whole grain bread.

A Crusty Sprouted Whole Wheat Bagel with Crunchy Sunflower Butter

Buy multi-grain pancake and muffin mixes that list "whole (name of grain)" - such as whole wheat flour - near the top of the ingredient list.

These pancakes were made with King Arthur Flour's Multi-Grain Pancake Mix.

Try whole grain pasta made with quinoa and corn, or brown rice in place of white pasta made with refined wheat. Soba noodles also make a nice introduction to whole grain pasta (most are a blend of buckwheat flour and wheat flour). Choose colorful, flavorful sauces such as Basil Garlic Scape Pesto or a sauce made with Tuna, Plum Tomatoes and Olives, which pair nicely with whole grain pastas.

Garlic Scape Pesto with Whole Grain Pasta

Gradually substitute whole grain flours in muffin and quick bread recipes. One of the easiest ways to start incorporating whole grain flour is to try whole white flour or brown rice flour. Whole white flour is made from white wheat kernels, which is milder in flavor and lighter in color than its heartier, darker sibling, red wheat. Nutritionally, they are considered to be the same. I've made Pumpkin Spice Donuts and Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins from whole grain gluten-free flours with fabulous results.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Donuts made with Brown Rice Flour

Gluten-Free Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins made with King Arthur Flour's whole grain flour mixes.

Although I'm not a proponent of sneaking healthy foods into my kids' diet, I confess that there have been times when I haven't fully disclosed the ingredients to my children at first. However, once they've tried the healthier alternatives, I admit to my sneakiness. Now that my kids are older, they are aware of what the healthier choices are. Although they may not always choose the healthier options outside of the home, my hope is that once they fly the coup, that they will make their own healthy choices.

And now for the Giveaway! Today, I have giveaways from Cookiehead and Alvarado Street Bakery to help make it easier for you to pack healthier whole grain food in your lunch bag. 

Giveaway Details: This Giveaway is now closed (congratulations Joanne and Amie!)
(1) Cookiehead is providing one of their Five Family Pack Clamshells, full of their whole grain cookies, including Dark Chocolate Chunk, Cranberry Walnut, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies, plus a box of their Sprouted Grain Mini Brownies, perfect for healthy snacking.
(2) Alvarado Street Bakery has 5 coupons for free organic and sprouted grain bread. Choose among their sprouted breads, bagels, tortillas, pizza bread and more. 

There will be Two Winners. The first winner will receive the cookie and brownie package from Cookiehead, and the second winner will receive 5 coupons for free Alvarado Street Bakery products of your choice. 

How To Enter:
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us easy ways you've added whole grains to your diet, or how you plan on adding more whole grains to your daily diet. The deadline for entering this giveaway is 9/16/11, 12 midnight EST. Two winners will be chosen using random.org and will have 4 days to respond or a new winner will be selected (please be sure to include your email address in your comment). For U.S. residents only.

You can earn additional entries by doing any of the following. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each additional entry so I know you did it:

1. Tweet this giveaway, being sure to include my Twitter handle (@JeanettesHealth).
2. Stumble this post and follow me @JeanettesHealth on Stumbleupon
3. Stumble your favorite Whole Grains Post on my blog 
4. Sign up for my Email or RSS Feeds
5. Follow @JeanettesHealth on Twitter

Disclosure: Cookiehead and Alvarado Street Bakery offered these giveaways as part of Whole Grains Month, to help encourage all of us to add more whole grains to our daily diet :)