15 Examples of Cereals

They are called generically cereals all those vegetables that produce edible grains, and also their grains. These grains are usually the raw material with which they are made flours, but they are also consumed as such, representing in one way or another a very important part of the human diet and the main source of carbohydrates that meets people's energy needs. For example: rice, barley, corn, wheat.

Cereals have accompanied the human being since ancient times; It could be said that since the nomadic way of life was abandoned, characterized by the hunter-gatherer individualIn order to live in sedentary communities that cultivated the land to produce food, man has cultivated cereals and has used them in different ways.

Wheat, one of the great cereals of today, began to be cultivated in ancient Egypt.

Examples of cereals

1. Rice
2. Barley
3. Rye
4. Corn
5. Wheat
6. Birdseed
7. Sorghum
8. Son
9. Triticale
10. Burgundy wheat
11. Rolled oats
12. Spelt
13. Kamut

Types of cereals

There are numerous cereals, each one adapted to different climatic conditions, so that practically in all latitudes it is possible to grow at least some type of cereal:

Characteristics of cereals

Botanically, cereals correspond to the grass familymonocotyledonous herbaceous plants.

These plants they usually have hollow stems, long and rather narrow leaves that tend to hug the stem and the flowers grouped in inflorescences.

These flowers do not have petals and the fruits are indehiscent, that is, they do not open when ripe. The grain of a cereal has five parts:

The calls "fake cereals"Are some vegetables that do not correspond to grasses, but that also have remarkable nutritional properties, so they have become highly demanded in certain markets, especially in environments where the teachings of indigenous communities regarding food are especially valued. refers.

They are located in this group buckwheat, the quinoa and the amaranth.

Cereals in the diet

Cereals are very valuable in the human diet because they satisfy the caloric demands of individuals by being rich in carbohydrates, but they also provide important nutrients What:

• Vitamins like E, of outstanding antioxidant capacity, and those of group B.
• Minerals like iron, magnesium and calcium.
• Protein of a different kind.
• Dietary fiber, so important for proper bowel function.

Also, they do not contain cholesterol or uric acid, and they are often high in polyunsaturated fats, which are usually highly beneficial. In addition to being consumed as flour, cereals can be consumed as flakes or chips, in bars, etc.