Fast Cooking Whole Grains

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Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Here is a handy chart for fast cooking whole grains. Our criteria for "fast cooking" is 20 minutes or less.One more way to serve whole grains fast is to keep cooked whole grains in your freezer.

Cook and Freeze:

Some grains like steel cut oats, brown rice, farro, barley, and spelt take 40-60 minutes to cook. It is always better to cook these in a rice cooker so you don’t have to worry about them burning on the stove. Once they are cooked you can portion them into zip freezer bags in 2-3 cup portions. This way they are ready to defrost and reheat on a moment’s notice.

Check out the freezer section of your grocery store for frozen packages of brown rice, quinoa, and bulgur. These make excellent whole grain choices for busy nights when dinner has to go together fast!

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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