Food and Beverage
Go Whole Grain for a Healthy Heart
Last Updated on July 23, 2024 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) Eating healthy is a priority for many Americans but knowing where to start and with what foods may be a little trickier. One way to level up the nutritional value of your meals is to better understand whole grains and why they are important for a heart-healthy diet.
As a key feature of heart-healthy diets, whole grains like sorghum, oatmeal and brown rice are rich sources of dietary fiber, may improve blood cholesterol levels and provide nutrients that help the body form new cells, regulate the thyroid and maintain a healthy immune system.
However, according to a survey by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association, U.S. adults are least knowledgeable about refined vs. whole grains compared to other foods like fruits, vegetables and proteins. Also, when asked to identify whole grains and refined grains, most adults incorrectly believe multi-grain bread is a whole grain and only 17% believe sorghum is an example of a whole grain when it is, in fact, a nutritious whole-grain option.
If you’re looking to try more whole grains, sorghum is a primary ingredient in these heart-healthy recipes for Pancakes with Blueberry Vanilla Sauce, Raspberry Streusel Muffins and Garden Vegetable Stir-Fried Sorghum. These flavorful dishes can be part of an overall healthy diet as recommended by the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good initiative, supported by the Sorghum Checkoff.
Find more heart-healthy meal ideas at Heart.org/healthyforgood.
Raspberry Streusel Muffins
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association and Sorghum Checkoff
Servings: 12 (1 muffin per serving)
Muffins:
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 1/2 cups whole grain sorghum flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup canola or corn oil
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed if frozen
Streusel:
- 2 tablespoons whole grain sorghum flour
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons uncooked quick-cooking rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons light tub margarine
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- To make muffins: Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In large bowl, stir sorghum flour, cinnamon and baking soda.
- In medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, egg whites, oil, lemon zest and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture until batter is just moistened and no flour is visible without overmixing. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Top each muffin with raspberries.
- To make streusel: In small bowl, stir sorghum flour, brown sugar, oats, pecans, margarine and cinnamon to reach texture of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over muffins, gently pushing into batter. Bake 16 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The USDA recommends cooking egg dishes to 160 F.
- Transfer pan to cooling rack. Let stand 5 minutes. Carefully transfer muffins to rack. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Garden Vegetable Stir-Fried Sorghum
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association and Sorghum Checkoff
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)
- 1 cup uncooked whole-grain sorghum
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon gingerroot, peeled and minced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets, chopped, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup snow peas, trimmed and halved
- 1/2 cup carrot strips, sliced into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup green onions, diagonally sliced
- Prepare sorghum using package directions, omitting salt. Once cooked, spread sorghum in even layer on rimmed baking sheet or 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Let stand 5-10 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until cool.
- In large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil, swirling to coat bottom. Cook garlic and gingerroot 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook broccoli, snow peas, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms and edamame 10-12 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring frequently.
- In small bowl, using fork, beat eggs and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium. Stir water chestnuts and sorghum into vegetable mixture. Push mixture to sides of skillet. Pour egg mixture into center of skillet. Using heatproof rubber scraper, stir 1-2 minutes, or until partially set.
- Stir vegetable mixture into partially cooked egg mixture. Cook 1 minute, or until eggs are cooked through and sorghum is heated through, stirring constantly. The USDA recommends cooking egg dishes to 160 F.
- Remove from heat. Stir in remaining soy sauce. Sprinkle with green onions.
Pancakes with Blueberry Vanilla Sauce
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association and Sorghum Checkoff
Servings: 4 (2 pancakes, 1/4 cup sauce and 2 tablespoons yogurt per serving)
Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pancakes:
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1/2 cup whole grain sorghum flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup fat-free milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon canola or corn oil
Topping:
- 1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- To make sauce: Put cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add water, stirring to dissolve. Stir in blueberries and sugar. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1-2 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cover to keep warm. Set aside.
- To make pancakes: In medium bowl, stir oats, sorghum flour, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.
- In small bowl, whisk milk, applesauce, egg and oil. Stir into flour mixture until batter is just moistened and no flour is visible without overmixing.
- Heat nonstick griddle over medium heat. Test temperature by sprinkling drops of water on griddle. Griddle is ready when water evaporates quickly.
- Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake on griddle. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until tiny bubbles appear on surface and bottoms are golden brown. Flip pancakes. Cook 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown on bottoms. The USDA recommends cooking egg dishes to 160 F.
- Transfer pancakes to plates. Spoon sauce over pancakes. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt.
SOURCE:
American Heart Association
Food and Beverage
ALDI Rolls Out Its First-Ever Line of Ready-Made Meals
ALDI is entering the ready-made meal market with seven fresh, refrigerated dishes priced under $15. The rollout begins in October, with nationwide availability expected by January 2027.
Busy shoppers looking for a quick dinner option will soon have something new waiting in the refrigerated section at ALDI.
ALDI is launching its first-ever collection of fresh, ready-made meals, introducing seven single-serve and family-size dishes designed to combine convenience, affordability and familiar comfort-food flavors.
The new meals begin rolling out at select ALDI stores in early October, with additional markets receiving them throughout the fall. ALDI expects the entire collection to be available nationwide by January 2027.
Seven New Meals — Ready to Heat and Eat
Unlike frozen dinners, ALDI says its new meals are delivered fresh and sold refrigerated in easy-to-heat trays.
The initial lineup includes five single-serve meals priced under $8:
- Beef Bolognese Spaghetti
- Beef Brisket with White Mac & Cheese
- Butter Chicken & Rice
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Two larger family-size meals will be available for under $15:
- Chicken and Bacon Mac n’ Cheese
- Meat Lovers Pizza Bake
ALDI says the recipes were developed around ingredients including chicken breast, smoked beef brisket, real cheeses and made-from-scratch sauces.
The single-serve meals contain between 30 and 46 grams of protein per serving, according to the company. Family-size offerings provide between 16 and 22 grams per serving.
Convenience Without the Restaurant Bill
The move puts ALDI more directly into the growing market for prepared refrigerated meals — an increasingly attractive option for consumers who want something more substantial than a frozen dinner but don’t necessarily have the time or desire to cook from scratch.
ALDI cited the 2026 International Food Information Council Food & Health Survey, which found that 61% of Americans consider convenience an important factor when purchasing food.
“Our shoppers are looking for meals that fit into busy lives without sacrificing quality or stretching their budgets,” Joan Kavanaugh, Vice President of National Buying for ALDI U.S., said in the company’s announcement.
ALDI supplier Kitchen Food Company said hundreds of recipes were tested while developing the new collection.
Dinner in Just a Few Minutes
Convenience is a major part of the concept.
Depending on the variety, ALDI’s single-serve meals require roughly 3½ to 4½ minutes in the microwave. The company instructs consumers to heat the meals until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The larger family meals can be prepared in a conventional oven at 350 degrees, with approximately 40 minutes of total cooking time.
Shoppers will find the meals in the refrigerated meals section near the front of participating ALDI stores.
More Meals Are Coming
The seven dishes are only the beginning.
ALDI says it plans to introduce additional ready-made meals through its rotating ALDI Finds selection every month during the next year. That could allow the retailer to experiment with additional recipes, flavors and seasonal offerings while expanding its presence in prepared foods.
The timing also makes the rollout noteworthy. With restaurant meals and takeout competing for household food dollars, prepared grocery-store meals occupy a middle ground: more convenient than cooking from scratch while potentially costing considerably less than feeding a family through restaurant delivery or takeout.
For ALDI shoppers, that means the familiar question of “What’s for dinner?” may soon have a few more answers — and they could be waiting just inside the front door.
Source: ALDI, September 22, 2026
Sources & Related Links
- ALDI — Official Announcement: ALDI Launches First-Ever Collection of Ready-Made Meals
- Original Press Release: ALDI Ready-Made Meals — PR Newswire
- Consumer Research: 2026 IFIC Food & Health Survey — Convenience Outranks Healthfulness
- More ALDI News: ALDI U.S. Newsroom
- More Food & Drink Coverage: STM Daily News Food & Drink
Hungry for More?
Looking for more easy dinner ideas, meal-planning inspiration, and affordable meals? Explore STM Daily News Food & Drink for the latest recipes, food news, restaurant stories, culinary trends and more.
A poached egg may look fancy, but it is surprisingly easy to prepare. With a tender egg white and warm, runny yolk, it makes a delicious addition to toast, salads, breakfast bowls or avocado toast.
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh egg
- Water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar, optional
- Salt and black pepper
- Toast or English muffin for serving, optional
Instructions
Fill a saucepan with about 2 to 3 inches of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Avoid a rolling boil, which can break the egg apart.
Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl. Add the vinegar to the water if desired—it helps the egg white hold its shape.
Gently slide the egg into the simmering water. Cook for about 3 minutes for a runny yolk, or 4 to 5 minutes for a firmer center.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place it briefly on a paper towel to absorb excess water. Season with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.
Quick Tip
Fresh, cold eggs usually produce the neatest poached eggs because their whites are thicker and stay closer to the yolk while cooking.
Simple, satisfying and ready in minutes, a poached egg is an easy way to make an everyday breakfast feel a little more special.
recipes
Fiber is Trending: Sorghum Makes it Simple
One whole grain quietly gaining recognition for its impressive nutritional profile and versatility in the kitchen is sorghum. This Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad makes it easy to add more fiber to your plate, pairing whole-grain sorghum with seasonal produce like kale, butternut squash and apples.
Fiber is Trending: Sorghum Makes it Simple
(Feature Impact) Protein has long dominated nutrition headlines. Now, dietitians encourage people to pay close attention to another important nutrient: fiber.
One whole grain quietly gaining recognition for its impressive nutritional profile and versatility in the kitchen is sorghum. It’s a naturally gluten-free whole grain that provides both fiber and protein, contains naturally occurring antioxidants and supplies essential nutrients including magnesium, iron and B vitamins.
One reason sorghum is attracting attention is its fiber content. Whole-grain sorghum contains a type of fiber called resistant starch, which research has shown can contribute to healthy body weight and improved insulin resistance.
Unlike many refined gluten-free products that are lower in fiber, sorghum delivers the benefits of a whole grain while remaining naturally gluten-free. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or simply want to enjoy a wider variety of whole grains, sorghum is an easy addition to your menu.
Another reason nutrition experts are taking a closer look at sorghum is its antioxidant content, specifically its health-promoting polyphenols.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is how easy sorghum is to cook with. Whole-grain sorghum offers a mild, slightly nutty flavor and pleasantly chewy texture, making it a delicious alternative for brown rice, quinoa or farro in grain bowls, soups and salads.
Pearled sorghum cooks faster, making it ideal for busy weeknights. Sorghum flour can replace wheat flour in pancakes, muffins and quick breads, while popped sorghum creates bite-sized crunchy kernels for a fun snack or topping for yogurt, soups and salads. For example, this Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad makes it easy to add more fiber to your plate, pairing whole-grain sorghum with seasonal produce like kale, butternut squash and apples.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean following the latest trend. Sometimes it simply means rediscovering nutritious foods that have stood the test of time. With its combination of fiber, protein, antioxidants and naturally gluten-free, whole-grain goodness, sorghum is an ancient grain worth adding to your pantry.
You can find dozens of recipes, cooking tips and meal ideas at SorghumCheckoff.com/recipes.
Easy Sorghum Swaps for Everyday Dishes
If you’re looking for ways to add more sorghum to your meals, these easy swaps make it simple to enjoy this versatile grain in recipes you already love.
- Replace rice. Use cooked whole-grain or pearled sorghum instead of white or brown rice in grain bowls, stir fries, burrito bowls and side dishes.
- Swap for pasta. Stir cooked sorghum into pasta salads or use it in place of small pasta shapes in soups for a hearty twist.
- Mix into salads. Add cooked sorghum to green salads, grain salads or vegetable salads for extra texture and whole-grain nutrition.
- Boost your breakfast. Stir cooked sorghum into oatmeal, yogurt parfaits or breakfast bowls then top with fruit, nuts or cinnamon.
- Bake with sorghum flour. Replace wheat flour in pancakes, muffins, cookies, waffles or quick breads with sorghum flour for a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad
Recipe courtesy of Sorghum Checkoff
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash, cubed
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling, divided
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sorghum syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cups kale, chopped
- 1 cup cooked whole-grain sorghum
- 1 small apple, diced
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss cubed butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and golden.
- In a jar or small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sorghum syrup, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper, to taste, until emulsified.
- Add chopped kale to a large bowl. Massage with a drizzle of olive oil 1-2 minutes until tender.
- Arrange precooked sorghum, roasted squash, apple, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion and feta cheese on top of kale.
- Drizzle with sorghum syrup dressing just before serving. Toss lightly to combine or serve dressing on the side.
SOURCE:
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