Oat Bran

One common use of oat bran is as an additive in baked goods like muffins, where it adds a very distinctive texture and rich, nutty flavor. It is also added to breakfast cereals or used alone as a cereal. Oat bran is also added to breads, increasing their fiber content, and many whole wheat or mixed grain breads may be dusted with oat bran before they are baked to create a flavorful topping. Enterprising cooks also add it to pancakes, scones, and even cookies

The high fiber content is very beneficial, and several studies have shown that regular consumption of oat bran may decrease cholesterol levels. Oat bran may also be a preventative for some forms of cancer, especially when integrated into a balanced, healthy diet with plenty of exercise. Groups like the American Heart Association even have oat bran recipes on their websites to encourage people to integrate this food into their diets.

Wheat Bran

Mummy likes this search engine. hehe. it often provides her with the information that she needs regarding ingredients. very informative. http://www.wisegeek.com/ Below are some facts taken from the site.

One cup of wheat bran contains 99% of the US recommended daily allowance (RDA) of fiber, nine grams of protein, and 34% of the RDA for iron. Wheat bran is also high in protein, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin B6, and is low in fat, with no cholesterol, and no sugar or sodium.

Uses:

It can be added to cereals like granola or to baked goods. Wheat bran muffins are a natural choice, but adding wheat bran to pancakes, biscuits, waffles, or even cookies is a great way to bulk up the nutritional value of a food. Some people even take wheat bran in powdered form as a way of getting their needed dietary fiber each day. A small amount of wheat bran can be added to smoothies, especially when it is finely powdered.

Wheat bran has a sweet taste, but not all find it appealing. It’s also important to start slow when adding wheat bran to foods. A little too much can easily translate to diarrhea.

Blackstrap molasses

Recently mummy wanted to bake me some muffins n in the recipe, it calls for blackstrap molasses in which mummy researched(she is a research freak! anything that she gives me she wanna do a research bout them n then conclude if she should let me try them) bout it and realised its wonders! Thus she bought 2 bottles of the above blackstrap molasses online from an organic store where she always buy my rolled oats, flour, bran, germ from. hehe. she is such a good customer for that shop!

Blackstrap molasses is a good source of Iron n Calcium. Not only is it a great source of iron and calcium, but it's also a source of potassium, magnesium, copper, and manganese.
Only 2 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses would provide 13.3% of the daily value for iron and 11.8% daily value for calcium.

**Mummy read some sites mentioning that this helps in turning grey hair black again due to perhaps the copper... oh well.. anyone interested to try it n feedback?? hehe.

Uses:
Can be added almost into anything that u would like to sweeten! Eg milk, cereals, coffee, tea, yogurt, baking cookies, pancakes, muffins etc etc. If you dun find the taste too overwhelming, it can also be added to simply hot water!

Wheat Germ

Mummy bought me a packet of Toasted Wheat germ today. it is said that wheat germ is very nutritious~

Nutritional Value of Adding Wheat Germ to Baby Food
1 and 2/3 tablespoons of wheat germ contains the adult RDA of:

4 grams of protein
6% Iron
20% Vitamin E
20% Folic Acid and
10% Thiamin to name just a few


Add Wheat Germ in Baby Food Recipes:

Sprinkle wheat germ on fruits
Blend it in with cream cheese over toast
Add it to yogurt with fruit
Add to homemade cookies
Add it into cereals
Use it to coat slippery finger foods such as bananas, peaches and pears

The ways to add wheat germ to baby food recipes are endless.

More about wheat germ's goodness:

Wheat germ is very high in protein. It contains around 28 percent protein and has more protein than can be found in most meat products. The amount of nutrients that are contained within wheat germ seems endless. It contains more potassium and iron than any other food source. Also found in great quantities are riboflavin, calcium, zinc magnesium and vitamins A, B1 and B3. Vitamins B1 and 3 are very important to maintain energy levels and maintain healthy muscles, organs, hair and skin.

Another important vitamin found in wheat germ is vitamin E. Vitamin E is a very important antioxidant. It is helpful in preventing the body's aging process and also to prevent heart disease. Vitamin E also helps to prevent blood clots and is needed to strengthen the body’s immune system.

Wheat germ has been found to be very beneficial in order to keep the body in tip top condition. It is used by athletes in their diet to improve cardiovascular function and improve endurance levels. Body builders will also add wheat germ to their diets in order to bulk up and maintain the nutritional levels they need to perform.

You can buy wheat germ from all good health stores and many supermarkets will carry it as well. It can either be purchased in toasted or fresh form. There are also many food products that already contain wheat germ. A number of cereals are made with it, as well as bread and flour.
If you make your own bread or cakes you can easily add wheat germ when baking by using it instead of a small amount of flour. You will find that it has a sweet, almost nutty flavor that is not too overpowering. It can also be added to meat dishes, eggs, vegetables and even yogurt.

**Note that too much wheat germ might cause diarrhea.

Raw Wheat Germ

Of course raw wheat germ is much more healthy compared to toasted ones but it is harder to find in stores and it goes rancid easily. Mummy buys online which delivers to us in those keep chilled containers n immediately she transfer it into the fridge though its not yet opened. For toasted wheat germ, once opened, it needs to be refrigerated but before that, its ok to leave in rm temp n of cos, toasted wheat germ taste better since there is this nutty taste hehe