Cream of Wheat is a very popular food in the United States that is eaten in the breakfast porridge. It is enriched with a smooth texture of a hot cereal known as farina, which is found from wheat that has been milled to form fine consistency.
What you might know is that Cream of Wheat is a healthy breakfast for all ages and everyone would likely enjoy it. It is a combination of both smooth and thick texture with a creamy taste that is often combined with milk or water. It is topped with a variety of sweet or savory ingredients.
Fun Facts
Cream of Wheat was developed in the year 1893 after a flour ill was on the verge of bankruptcy. In a last attempt to save their business, they developed a new product, a breakfast porridge called farina. Cream of Wheat was first produced in Grand Forks North Dakota and later on, in 1897, the company moves its operations to Minneapolis. Cream of Wheat was a Nabisco brand made by Kraft Foods. But in the year 2007, B&G Foods acquired the brand and all the rights to market Cream of Wheat.
Cream of Wheat is a very well-known product in the United States and is considered a household staple since 1893. Until the present, American families still enjoy their breakfast with it, along with its energizing nutrients. Throughout the years, people have come up with a variety of simple recipes that can be made with Cream of Wheat.
Nutritional Facts
Cream of Wheat is low in calories but is rich in important nutrients that your body needs. Just one cup of cooked Cream of Wheat provides approximately:
- Calories: 133
- Protein: 4 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Carbs: 28 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Iron: 58% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Niacin: 39% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 38% of the DV
- Thiamine: 37% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 33% of the DV
- Folate: 33% of the DV
- Selenium: 13% of the DV
- Calcium: 11% of the DV
- Copper: 11% of the DV
Cooking Tips
Recipe/ Ingredients:
1 Serving – You need a 1 ¼ cups of water or milk. Three tbsp. of Cream of Wheat. Salt 1/8 tsp.
2 Servings – You need 2 cups of water or milk. 1/3 cup of Cream of Wheat. Salt ¼ tsp.
3 Servings – You need 4 cups of water or milk. ¾ cup of Cream of Wheat. Salt ½ tsp.
If you want to try preparing Cream of Wheat at home you need to follow these important tips.
First, you need hot water.
Next, when making it in a pot on the top of the stove, you must carefully pour the Cream of Wheat into the boiling water in a very steady, slow stream, and stirring all the while. You must keep on stirring until it thickened enough to serve. Preparing will only take about 2 minutes.
If you are cooking it in a microwave, just mix all the ingredients first. Zap it for a minute, and stir it continuously. Zap for up to another 2 minutes, stir every half a minute. Wait for it, and it is good for breakfast.
You can try adding some variety of sweets or savory ingredients to have a more delicious breakfast. Sweet additions that you can try are syrups, sugars, and spices: canned pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves, or maple syrup. You can also try adding some fruits such as berries, bananas, plums, apples, mangoes, tangerines, or raisins. Savory additions starting from nuts: almonds, peanut, walnuts, pecans, or almond butter. Cheese such as cheddar, brie, blue cheese, Monterey jack, feta, or goat cheese. Meats such as sausage, bacon, or ham.
Pros
Here’s how a serving of Cream of Wheat is healthy and good for the Body!
Cream of Wheat has Calcium
Cream of wheat is a very nutritious food that anyone can eat for their breakfast. It has calcium carbonate. For one serving of Cream of Wheat, you can get 235 milligrams of calcium. If you add a cup of nonfat milk then it adds 316 milligrams of calcium for a total of 551 milligrams, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. You need calcium to improve your bone density and helps with your muscle contraction.
Cream of Wheat has Iron
Iron is an important mineral that each one of us must need for oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell production. Cream of wheat is enriched with ferric phosphate which is a source of iron. A serving of Cream of Wheat has a natural content of 11 milligrams of iron.
Cream of Wheat has Carbohydrate and Protein
Cream of Wheat is a good source of natural whole-wheat carbohydrate. For one serving of Cream of Wheat, you can get 24.15 grams of carbohydrate. The Cream of Wheat is also rich in proteins, vitamins, and other minerals. It provides 3.83 grams of protein in just one serving, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database.
Cream of Wheat has B vitamins
A serving of Cream of Wheat is it enriched with niacinamide, thiamine or vitamin B-1, riboflavin or vitamin B-2, and folic acid. You need B Vitamins that converts carbohydrates in your body into glucose so that it fuels your body. Each bowl of Cream of Wheat offers 60 micrograms of B-vitamins.
Healthy Additions
With the fruits you add to a serving of a Cream of Wheat, you can also gain many more vitamins and minerals. You can include a seasonal fresh fruit or a fresh-squeezed orange juice for a healthy breakfast.
Cons
Although a serving of Cream of Wheat offers a lot of benefits, it has also a few downsides.
Cream of Wheat Contains Gluten
Cream of Wheat comes from farina which is made from milled wheat. For this reason, it contains gluten, a group of proteins found in cereal grains.
People who have celiac disease or sensitivity might experience adverse side effects of gluten-containing foods. If you have celiac disease, it might trigger an immune response causing digestive problems like constipation, stomach pain, and even diarrhea. If you have a celiac sensitivity, you might often experience symptoms like nausea, fatigue, bloating, and brain fog.
Cream of Wheat is high in Sodium
Sodium intake should be limited to around 2,300 mg daily, but Cream of Wheat is relatively high in sodium. High salt intake is bad for your body as it can cause problems such as bone loss due to the increase of the excretion of calcium through the urine.
Therefore, you must consider a moderate intake of Cream of Wheat
Conclusion
Cream of Wheat is a great source for nutritional benefits, such as vitamin B and minerals like iron. The best thing? It’s delicious as a morning meal!
However, it is risky for individuals who have problems with gluten and high-sodium intake. Overall, the general population has voted Cream of Wheat as 5 stars out of 5.
