Barley: benefits and harms, properties, calorie content. How to steam pearl barley?

Pearl barley is peeled barley grains. Cereals contain many vitamins, minerals, and plant fibers. Significantly improves the functioning of various organs and systems, helps to lose weight comfortably and without stress for the body.

To get rid of extra pounds using pearl barley, you need to learn how to prepare and use it correctly. A diet based on cereals will help you lose 4 kg of weight. And tasty, interesting and low-calorie recipes for barley dishes for weight loss will help you completely change your eating style, make your body slim, and improve your health.

Will pearl barley help when you are losing weight?

Nutritionists advise including pearl barley in the diet of those who want to lose weight, and here’s why:

1. Cereals have a rich vitamin and mineral composition, and useful substances are necessary for stable and successful weight loss.
2. The glycemic index of properly prepared porridge does not exceed 30 units.
3. Cereal contains a lot of fiber, which enhances intestinal motility and normalizes bowel movements.
4. Dietary fiber accelerates the cleansing of the body from waste and toxins, which improves the functioning of the entire body and reduces weight faster.
5. Fiber absorbs excess water from tissues, removes it out, then body weight decreases and swelling disappears.
6. Pearl barley activates metabolism and reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.
7. Has a mild diuretic and laxative effect.

After proper cooking, the calorie content of the cereal is reduced almost threefold. Thanks to the large amount of protein, it quickly satisfies hunger and protects muscles from destruction. Healthy fats and oleic acid accelerate the breakdown of excess fats. And thanks to lysine (an amino acid), collagen is produced faster, which increases skin elasticity.

According to nutritionists, pearl barley is one of the best cereals for weight loss.

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Can the product be considered dietary or not?

To lose weight, you need to choose the right product. Grain processing should be minimal, so buy pearl barley, and not its variants: Dutch, barley. Use pearl barley, which is rich in fiber and other nutrients, in dietary recipes.

There should be no debris or grain fragments inside the package.

Attention! Store pearl barley in a glass container that closes tightly. This will help protect it from moisture and insects.

The nutritional value of the dry product is 320 kcal per 100 g. This amount of cereal contains 10 g of protein and up to 50 g of complex carbohydrates. Proteins provide quick satiety, so a person will not be able to eat a lot of porridge. Carbohydrates break down for a long time, charge you with energy, and promote fat burning.

To lose weight, you need to know how to cook pearl barley. There are different recipes, but we are talking about cooking methods:

1. With soaking. Soak the cereal overnight, and in the morning, drain the water and fill it with new water in a ratio of 1:3. In 20-30 minutes it will be ready.
2. The no-soak recipe requires more time. Fill the porridge with water (1:5), put on low heat and cook for 60-90 minutes.

You can eat barley while losing weight if you use a minimum amount of salt, avoid sugar, butter, fatty, fried foods. Eat porridge with steamed, boiled or baked (without oil) vegetables, fish, lean meat, and fruits.

Pearl barley porridge with vegetables

Ingredients:

• 0.5 heads of cabbage;
• 100 g dry pearl barley;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 2 carrots;
• 1 onion;
• salt;
• greenery;
• a little vegetable oil.

Preparation:

1. Pre-soak pearl barley and cook in salted water for half an hour.
2. Finely chop the vegetables and simmer in a small amount of water until half cooked.
3. Add boiled cereal to vegetables, add vegetable oil, salt, sprinkle with herbs.
4. Simmer the dish until done.

Benefits and harms

Barley is good for the whole body:

1. B vitamins strengthen the heart and blood vessels, prevent thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and have an antioxidant effect.
2. Minerals (potassium, phosphorus, fluorine, zinc, iron, etc.) improve the functioning of many organs.
3. Slowly increases blood sugar levels, so a person feels full for a long time. This property of pearl barley is beneficial for diabetics.
4. Normalizes intestinal microflora.
5. Dietary fiber binds and removes bad cholesterol from the blood.
6. Improves digestion, prevents constipation and hemorrhoids.
7. Tocopherol and selenium strengthen cell membranes and normalize thyroid function.
8. Fiber cleanses toxins and improves liver functionality.
9. Strengthens the immune system.
10. Helps remove excess fluid.
11. Restores strength after intense training or hard work.
12. Neutralizes the effects of free radicals, accelerates cell regeneration, and increases skin elasticity.

The benefits of pearl barley for weight loss are high, so include recipes for its basics in your diet.

In some cases, pearl barley can be harmful:

1. Digestive disorders.
2. Rehabilitation after surgery or serious illness.
3. Predisposition to constipation.
4. Celiac enteropathy (damage to the villi of the small intestine by gluten).

People with high acidity of gastric juice should not get carried away with pearl barley porridge.

Attention! If you experience weakness, nausea, flatulence, or problems with stool, it is better to abandon pearl barley in favor of another product.

Options for dietary recipes with cereals

There are many recipes for barley-based dishes that can be added to the menu when losing weight. To preserve the beneficial properties of the product, you need to prepare it correctly:

1. Cook on the stove with soaking.
2. In a slow cooker - from 60 to 90 minutes.
3. In the oven – an hour at 180-200 degrees.

Pearl barley makes a delicious and nutritious breakfast, lunch or dinner. With this ingredient as a base, you can prepare aromatic soups (vegetable or meat), original main courses and even desserts.

Classic porridge

Not everyone can prepare crumbly pearl barley with a delicate taste in water. This dish is suitable for fasting days and long-term diets.

Recipe:

1. Pour 1 liter of water into a glass of cereal.
2. In the morning, drain the liquid, rinse the cereal, pour it into the multicooker bowl, and add 3 glasses of fresh water. Set the “Extinguishing” mode for 40-60 minutes.
3. Add salt to the finished porridge, season with a small amount of olive oil, cover with a lid, wrap and leave for another 40 minutes.

The consistency of the grains will remain elastic, but they will become tender and softer than usual.

Pumpkin-barley soup

This aromatic light soup will be a real salvation when losing weight; it will quickly satisfy your hunger and will not spoil your figure.

Cooking steps:

1. Boil 300 g of pearl barley until tender.
2. Chop 1 onion, 200 g pumpkin, simmer for 15-20 minutes in a mixture of 1 tbsp. l. olive oil and 2 tbsp. l. water.
3. Separately, boil 2 liters of water, add cereal, pumpkin, onion, and some spices.
4. After 5-10 minutes, remove from the stove.

This is a very simple recipe that even novice cooks can handle.

Serve the dish with chopped herbs and croutons.

Rassolnik

This recipe also does not contain potatoes, as they contain a lot of starch. If you wish, you can add 1-2 vegetables, but then it is better to reduce the amount of cereals and carrots.

Prepare tomato soup according to this plan:

1. Boil 200 g of pearl barley.
2. Simmer chopped onions and carrots in a frying pan for 5-7 minutes, then add 2-3 tbsp. l. tomato, simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the frying pan, add a little salt, sugar and spices to the tomato.
3. Add pearl barley, tomato dressing, diced pickled cucumbers to 1.5 liters of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan and sprinkle the soup with dill or parsley.

Creamy soup with pumpkin and chicken

This version of pearl barley soup is preferred by meat eaters. It turns out to be more high-calorie than the previous ones, but still a dietary dish.

Recipe:

1. Bring 750 ml of vegetable broth to a boil, add 100 g of chopped pumpkin, chopped onion, a clove of garlic, and a sprig of celery.
2. When the vegetables are ready, remove them and blend with a blender. Add 70 g of boiled chicken breast, 8 tbsp. l. boiled pearl barley. Add 250 ml of broth, cook for another 5 minutes after boiling.
3. Add beaten raw egg, salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with chopped green onions.

Risotto with vegetables

You can supplement your diet with this bright, aromatic, satisfying second course.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Chop 2 tomatoes, 1 paprika, grind the carrots, finely chop the onion and parsley.
2. Sauté the onion with 2 melted cloves of garlic.
3. After 3-5 minutes, add water, a little oil, throw in the carrots.
4. After 5 minutes, add 8 tbsp. l. boiled porridge, pour 500 ml of water or broth. When the contents of the pan boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has completely evaporated.

Season with olive oil. This simple recipe will help satisfy your hunger while losing weight.

Pearl vinaigrette

A salad with vegetables and cereals will quickly satisfy your hunger and satisfy your taste needs.

Cooking instructions:

1. Separately boil 200 cereals, 200 g beets and 1 carrot.
2. Chop beets, 2 pickled cucumbers, carrots, and onions.
3. Add ready-made barley, 100 g of sauerkraut, 100 g of canned green peas, chopped herbs to the vegetables.
4. Season the salad with 2-3 tbsp. l. olive oils

Such a simple recipe will be a real salvation for people who don’t have a lot of time to cook.

Porridge with vegetables and meat

When you combine pearl barley with meat, weight loss will not stop; the main thing is to use low-fat varieties.

Recipe:

1. Cut 500 g of chicken breast or turkey into small pieces, onions, and grate the carrots.
2. Simmer meat, vegetables and 200 g of overnight-soaked cereal in a saucepan in a mixture of olive oil and water.
3. After 10-15 minutes, add spices, 440 ml of water, 1/3 cup of tomato sauce.
4. When the mixture boils, reduce the heat and cook the dish for about 40 minutes, covered.

The result is a dish with a rich taste and aroma, which is very important when losing weight.

Sweet porridge with dried fruits and apples

Sometimes for lunch you can treat yourself to delicious sweet porridge with milk diluted with water. But it is better to use a low-fat product to continue losing weight.

Step by step recipe:

1. Soak 200 g of cereal in water and rinse in the morning.
2. Pour the cereal into the multicooker bowl, pour in 400 ml of skim milk and 200 ml of water.
3. Simmer on the same mode for 40-60 minutes.
4. 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add a handful of dried fruits cut into small pieces, a little salt, 1 tbsp. l. brown sugar or honey.
5. Add 1 tsp to the finished porridge. orange zest, 1 grated apple. Add cinnamon if desired.

Wrap the dish for 20 minutes so that all the flavors mix, and then eat.

How to properly prepare pearl barley?

Steaming method

The best way to prepare cereal is to pour boiling water over it in a wide-necked thermos. Before steaming the pearl barley, it should be sorted and washed, and then poured into a thermos so that it takes up a quarter of the volume of the dish.

For a glass of cereal you need 2 cups of boiling water. Pour pearl barley into a thermos, wrap it well and leave for 3 hours. There is no need to add water, as the cereal increases in volume.

After steaming, just boil the porridge for another 5-10 minutes until cooked and serve.

There is also a cooking method when the cereal is first poured with cold water for 2-3 hours and then steamed.

With soaking

To get a soft and healthy porridge, pearl barley can be pre-soaked. To do this, the cereal is poured with cold water in a ratio of 1:5. The soaking time should be at least 8 hours, so it is best to prepare the product overnight. In the morning, drain the cold water and add 2 tbsp. boiling water It will take 1-1.5 hours to cook this porridge.

Barley must be served warm: this is how it retains most of its beneficial properties.

Traditional

This method is the most labor-intensive. First you need to pour 1 tbsp. cereals 3 tbsp. cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then drain the water and add 2 tbsp again. boiling water, add salt, put a piece of butter and cook for about half an hour.

Barley diet

There are many barley-based diets, so everyone can choose the most suitable option. This could be a fasting day once a week, which will help improve the functioning of the digestive tract and gradually reduce weight.

Short mono-diets that last from 3 to 5 days are popular when losing weight. They are quite strict, although they allow you to lose about 5 kilograms.

There are more gentle diets, during which pearl barley is combined with other low-calorie foods. They can last about a month. The longer the diet lasts, the fewer restrictions it should have.

What is

During a fasting day, a person eats 200 g of pearl barley throughout the day. This is porridge made with water, without salt or oil. You need to eat it in small portions. Also, when losing weight, you need to drink filtered water.

The effect of a mono-diet is the most noticeable; by eating classic porridge with water without salt and other ingredients, a person loses about 1 kg per day. However, it is not recommended to follow this style of eating for more than 5 days, as this threatens to deteriorate your overall health.

There is a weekly meal plan according to which you can eat salted pearl barley in water, low-starch vegetables, low-fat cottage cheese, egg whites, and diet bread. With this style of eating, you can use the recipes described above.

Attention! During a gentle diet for a week, it is allowed to supplement the porridge with dried fruits, honey, nuts, herbs, vegetables, white chicken meat, and fish. According to another scheme, the main dish is combined with fresh fruit and vegetables.

A free diet involves eating pearl barley with all foods that meet the requirements of proper nutrition. Sometimes you can even treat yourself to sweets or other unhealthy foods, but then you need to have a fasting day. The main thing is to eat a portion of porridge for breakfast and limit food portions from 250 to 150 g at a time. When losing weight gently, you need to often use new recipes on the menu.

When and how to eat

During “unloading”, porridge on water is eaten in small handfuls 6-7 times throughout the day. According to the gentle system, this dish is combined with low-fat cottage cheese, milk, cheese, fresh fruits or vegetables. The main thing is that the portions are small and meals are frequent.

When on a mono-diet, 1 glass of pearl barley, boiled in water, should be divided into 4-5 equal portions. That is, throughout the day a person should only eat porridge.

During a strict weekly diet, 150 g of cereal, boiled in water, with other permitted products should be consumed 3 times a day. With a gentle weekly plan, boiled pearl barley is also eaten three times a day, but with a large amount of additional products.

A free diet involves eating boiled pearl barley for breakfast, as well as a dish made from it in the evening. In the first week, the volume of one serving of food is 250 g, in the second - 200 g, in the third and fourth - 150 g.

Attention! It is best to eat pearl barley for breakfast – an hour after waking up. Porridge will quickly satisfy your hunger, then you will definitely wait until lunch without a snack. When losing weight, a dish with this cereal can be eaten for dinner - 3 hours before bedtime.

Sample menu

Almost all those who are losing weight choose a lighter version of the barley diet, since it has a rich diet, and it is easier to lose weight this way.

Approximate menu for the pearl barley diet:

1. For breakfast, 200 g of pearl barley in water with grated apple.
2. For lunch, 200 g of porridge with vegetables and meat.
3. For dinner, 150 g of boiled pearl barley with raisins or prunes, herbal tea without sugar.

For gentle weight loss, you can use different recipes based on pearl barley.

Reviews of pearl barley for weight loss

What impression did pearl barley porridge make on women losing weight during their weight loss period?

Anna, 27 years old, Cheboksary:

“For a long time I didn’t want to go on a pearl barley diet because of the meager diet. But when I learned about the variety of recipes with barley, I looked at this cereal from a different angle. I lose extra pounds according to the scheme of 5 days after 10 (where 5 is a strict diet on cereals, and 10 is a break during which I maintain the result). I have identified many advantages for myself:

• one feels lightness and satiety;
• energy and strength for training appear;
• the skin is tightened;
• the intestines are cleansed;
• quick, easy to cook;
• tasty, varied."

Svetlana, 39 years old, Belgorod:

“Weight comes off quickly if you supplement pearl barley with regular cardio exercises. The main thing is to drink plenty of fluids, otherwise you will suffer from constipation. On this diet I lost 3600 g in a week. This is a good result for me, but I will not hide the disadvantages that directly affected me:

• taste (I absolutely do not like the taste of this food, no matter what it is supplemented with);
• constipation (for those who are predisposed to this problem, it is better to choose a different diet);
• gets boring quickly.”

In general, there was a positive opinion about pearl barley, but no one canceled the subjective point of view. Therefore, it is better to try it yourself to be sure to check the beneficial properties of the cereal. Perhaps she will become your main assistant in finding an ideal figure.

Main conclusions

As you can see, pearl barley helps you lose weight, the main thing is to choose the right grain and eat it. The fewest calories are in porridge cooked in water without salt, sugar or oil. This dish quickly fills you up, starts your metabolism, and speeds up the functioning of your excretory organs. All this leads to gradual weight loss.

There are many recipes with pearl barley that are allowed during the diet. You can supplement your diet with light aromatic soups, hearty and tasty main courses and even desserts.

To make weight loss stress-free and sustainable, it is recommended to choose a mild diet option. The diet of such a weight loss program is rich, so it is much easier to stick to it.

Share your dietary recipes for making pearl barley with our readers in the comments!