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Using farro as a simple nutrient-rich side dish
How can we elevate our nutritional content of our meals without going to extremes? Swap out a side dish that may not be pulling its nutritional weight for one that offers many more benefits. Simple side dish swaps can be an easy way to start increasing nutritional value in your daily meals. One swap I like to make when cooking chicken or fish dishes is to swap white rice for farro. Now, you may be thinking…
What is farro?
Farro is an ancient whole grain that has been traced back all the way to Mesopotamia. It is frequently used in Italian cooking and brings a chewy, nutty flavor to the dish. Being a whole grain, farro contains a great source of fiber, minerals, vitamins and micronutrients that are not present in refined grains. When whole grains are refined, the outer bran and inner germ layers are removed (1). This removes a significant source of insoluble fiber, soluble fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are otherwise present in whole grains, like farro.
What kind of nutrition does farro offer (2)?
In one serving of farro (52g):
Calories: 200
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrates: 37g
Fat: 1.5g
Fiber: 7g (28% RDI)
Sugar: 0g
Calcium: 19.8mg (2% RDI)
Iron: 1.8mg (10% RDI)
How does farro compare to white rice?
Although farro provides a slightly higher calorie count and fat content than its counterpart, white rice, it is not a deal breaker for me. Since farro is a whole grain, it provides much more fiber, protein, and minerals such as calcium and iron to supply your diet with wholesome filling nutrients. Whenever possible and where the flavors work well together, I suggest giving farro a try as your next side dish!
How should I prepare farro?
Farro can be prepared as simply as boiling according to the package instructions and topping with some butter or olive oil, or can be added in the same pan as your main dish to soak up all the flavorful sauce, or can be added to some summer veggies and served as a salad. One of my favorite farro salad recipes is below!
Mediterranean Farro Salad
Light and fresh side dish perfect to pair with chicken or fish.
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups farro
- 1/2 cup bell peppers (diced)
- 1/2 cup English cucumber (diced)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/2 cup carrots (diced)
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Cook farro according to package instructions
- Allow farro to cool for about 15 minutes
- Mix all remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl
- Mix all salad dressing ingredients in a salad dressing shaker
- Add cooled farro to large bowl containing salad ingredients
- Add about half of the salad dressing to the farro salad and mix well (add in additional dressing to liking)