Cereal

CEREAL
• Include: maize, sorghum, millets, wheat, rice, barley, oats, teff and quinoa.

• A new cereal of considerable interest is triticale, a cross between wheat and rye.

• all cereal grains have a fairly similar structure and nutritive value:
– whole grain provides energy, protein and useful amounts of calcium, iron (though phytic acid may hinder absorption) and the B vitamins
– dry state cereal grains are completely lacking in vitamin C and, except for yellow maize, contain no carotene (provitamin A).

• For a balanced diet, cereals should be supplemented with foods rich in protein, minerals and vitamins A and C (Vitamin D can be obtained through exposure of the skin to sunlight.)

The STRUCTURE of all cereal grains consists of:
• the husk of cellulose, which has no nutritive value for humans;
• the pericarp and testa, two rather fibrous layers containing few nutrients;
• the aleurone layer,`which is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals;
• the nutrient-rich embryo or germ, consisting of the plumule and radicle attached to the grain by the scutellum;
• the endosperm, comprising more than half of the grain and consisting mainly of starch.