Whole Grains Month is winding down to an end. With less than 24 hours left to enter our Instagram Contest, you need some whole grains, and you need them stat. Luckily, there are a number of quick cooking whole grains that will allow you to #sharewholegrains in no time. 

Try a Quick-Cooking Whole Grain

Bulgur: According to acclaimed cookbook author Maria Speck, bulgur is “the perfect ancient fast food—it transforms slow-cooking whole wheat into a quick everyday staple.” To prepare, simply bring 1 cup of bulgur and 2 cups of water or broth to a boil, then simmer for just 10-12 minutes. With finer grinds of bulgur, simply pour 1 ½ cups of boiling water over a cup of bulgur, cover, and wait about 20 minutes. A bit smaller than rice, bulgur works well in warm sides and pilafs, or chilled salads, like tabbouleh.

Quinoa: Quinoa is a great substitute for rice in most stir fries, curries, pilafs, and side dishes, as this versatile grain can take on any number of flavors. To cook quinoa, simply bring 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water or broth to a boil, then simmer for just 12-15 minutes. Quicker cooking than white rice, and with a rock star nutritional profile, quinoa is definitely a weeknight winner.

Whole Grain Pasta: Times vary by shape, but whole grain pasta usually cooks up in 8-12 minutes. Toss with jarred pasta sauce or halved cherry tomatoes and olive oil, and top with a generous sprinkle of parmiggiano reggiano cheese. You can also use these nutritious noodles to make gooey mac and cheese, or a seasonal pasta salad.

Oats: Oats rarely have their bran and germ removed during processing, so rolled oats, quick oats, and even instant oats are all whole grains. Spice up a drab breakfast routine with fun oatmeal combinations, like apples, peanut butter, and cinnamon, or blueberries, coconut, and almonds. Or, for a super quick dessert porridge, stir in cocoa powder and honey.

Whole Grain Choices Made Easy

In addition to the culinary marvels listed above, amaranth, buckwheat, and teff cook up in just 20 minutes, and cornmeal, millet, and sorghum can sometimes be made in under 30 minutes. Even when working with some of the more leisurely whole grains, there are tips and tricks that can speed up the process. In the July/August issue of Cook’s Illustrated, Andrea Geary recommends cooking brown rice in a large pot of boiling water, then draining it, like pasta. In their test kitchen, this method took the cook time from 60 minutes to 35 minutes. Regardless of your time at the stove, many of these foods reheat beautifully, so you can also cook a big batch of whole grains, and then enjoy them throughout the week.

Outside of the kitchen, there are a number of products and strategies to help you get whole grains on the table quickly. At the grocery store, look for fully cooked frozen whole grains in the freezer aisle (like these from Gretchen’s Grains), or parboiled brown rice in the grain aisle (like these from Minute). Granola bars and popcorn also make for quick and easy snacks, while a platter with an assortment of whole grain crackers, cheese, and grapes doubles as either an afterschool snack, or a cocktail hors d’oeuvre. 

With a little bit of creativity, you can get many of these great grains on the table in half the time it takes to bake potatoes. Just be sure to put that time saved to good use—snap a picture and let us see how you #sharewholegrains with your friends and family. The contest ends tonight! (Kelly)