The Best Lunchtime Grain Salad with Dates, Apples, Chickpeas and Feta by Caitlin
This is a phenomenal and filling salad to take for lunch, perfect for hot summer days when the oven needs to stay off. I don’t usually stray far from my favourite grain salad recipes with quinoa and rice as the main body. This salad, made with barley and rye berries (you could use wheat berries too) has one big advantage over other grain salads: it lasts a long time in the fridge and does not get soggy.
With dates and cranberries for sweetness, a bit of green apple for crispness and salty feta there are so many good flavours to enjoy with each bite of salad. Chickpeas give some protein and the rye berries and barley ensure that you won’t face a mid-afternoon energy slump. I wasn’t very familiar with rye berries, but after doing a little reading I learned that rye has a unique type of soluble fiber (called pentosans if you must know the exact name) which makes your body digest this grain more slowly- keeping your blood sugar and energy levels steady.
With dates and cranberries for sweetness, a bit of green apple for crispness and salty feta there are so many good flavours to enjoy with each bite of salad. Chickpeas give some protein and the rye berries and barley ensure that you won’t face a mid-afternoon energy slump. I wasn’t very familiar with rye berries, but after doing a little reading I learned that rye has a unique type of soluble fiber (called pentosans if you must know the exact name) which makes your body digest this grain more slowly- keeping your blood sugar and energy levels steady.