Nation’s Restaurant News today interviewed Tina Freedman, regional prepared foods manager for the Whole Foods supermarket chain, about hot trends in foods. Freedman cited persimmons, pomegranates, fennel, saffron and – you guessed it – grains as her top choices. As the article reported,

“Freedman says customer demand for coarser grains also is rising, leading Whole Foods to prepare side dishes and salads made from kamut, wild rice, wheat berry, black rice, faro and millet. The trick to selling them is finding unique preparations.

‘We like to blend different grains to get a variety of textures, too,’ she says. The chain’s wheat berry Waldorf salad adds a complex chewy texture and valuable dietary fiber to the classic dish. Wheat berries also are added to a citrus salad to balance the tangy fruit components with the grain’s nutty flavor.”

Nuff said. They taste good. They sell well. Hail whole grains. (Cindy)