Couscous: its benefits and harms for different groups of people, as well as features of preparation and use in different areas

Couscous cereal has appeared on our market recently. Outwardly, it resembles rice or millet porridge, but has a completely different taste and is made from steamed semolina, which is obtained from durum wheat. This dish has been known in the Mediterranean and North African countries since ancient times. The peculiarities of cereal production allow you to prepare the dish not only by boiling, but also by steaming. In the latter case, the porridge retains the maximum amount of minerals and other beneficial substances.

Compound

The value of couscous lies in its composition. First of all, cereals are rich in B vitamins. They are responsible for immunity and complete regeneration of all cells. Cereals also contain selenium, copper, potassium and phosphorus. These microelements each have their own effect on the body. But always and definitely positive.

How to choose wheat, rice or barley couscous

To get the maximum benefit from introducing it into your daily menu, you need to choose it carefully .

Today, there are many varieties in stores, and some of them are made on the basis of not only traditional flour, but also flour based on whole grains (when grinding it is not cleaned, but completely preserves the grain germ, endosperm, and husk).

The last option is more natural, healthier, contains almost 2 times more protein and fiber, although it will cost more.

Other recommendations for selection:

• When buying cereal, pay attention to its composition on the packaging. It is often made from not only durum wheat, but also barley or rice;
• Check to see if the product contains any unwanted artificial additives. The ideal one contains only two components: cereal (the type of flour/cereal from which it is made is indicated on the packaging) and water;
• try to choose cereals in completely sealed packaging: they quickly absorb unwanted odors and moisture;
• if you constantly don’t have enough time to cook, buy steamed cereal, which cooks surprisingly quickly;
• Stores in Arab countries often sell unsteamed couscous or its exclusive handmade analogue. Homemade cereals are stored for only a short time - a month or two. For long-term storage, it is better to take a well-dried and crumbly product.

How to choose couscous in a store:

Benefits of couscous for the body

By regularly consuming such cereals, you receive invaluable benefits for the body. Because couscous works like this:

• Participates in the process of hematopoiesis. Ensures normal functioning of the circulatory system.
• Works as a powerful antioxidant. Prevents the negative effects of free radicals.
• Ensures healthy heart function and maintains normal bone tissue.
• Contains a large amount of complex carbohydrates. Therefore, it helps break down fats and gives you energy for the whole day.
• Eliminates symptoms of chronic fatigue. Fights insomnia and depression.

• Improves the appearance of hair, skin and nails. Namely, it rejuvenates and prevents the appearance of gray hair.
• Normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Stabilize water-salt metabolism in the body.
• Stimulates brain function.
• Increases the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood.
• Reduces bad cholesterol levels.
• Promotes the full production of female sex hormones.
• Keeps joints healthy.

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Recommendations for use and application

Couscous is still a traditional dish in eastern countries, where it is mainly steamed . This prevents the destruction of beneficial substances contained in the product and preserves its vitamin value.

You should not exceed the average consumption of the product ( 100–300 g per day ) due to its high calorie content.

However, the product is also used in folk recipes that have come down to us from time immemorial. It is included in home remedies for both external and internal use, used in the treatment of diseases.

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In cooking

Couscous is consumed boiled . To do this, it is prepared as follows: the easiest way is to boil the cereal in water to which 1 tbsp has previously been added. a spoonful of butter, in a ratio of 1:2.

Steam the cereal . To do this, pour it dry into a colander and hold it for 20-30 minutes over boiling water or broth.

Make a stew with vegetables . Pre-boil the cereal, and then mix it with lightly fried carrots and onions.

It is permissible to place the couscous in a saucepan with vegetables about two minutes before they are ready, pour in the broth so that the cereal is completely covered with it.

After cooking, you can also fry the product in vegetable oil or simply pour boiling water over it for about a quarter of an hour - the cereal will turn out tasty and crumbly.

Soups, desserts, main courses, salads are prepared from it , since couscous is combined with meat, fish, stewed vegetables, and seafood. For seasonings, use tarragon, lovage, cilantro, mint, basil, etc.

Couscous “7 vegetables”, recipe from Eat TV:

For weight loss

Is couscous good for weight loss? Losing extra pounds with couscous is easy . This dish is relatively low in calories, but very nutritious, satisfies hunger well, and prevents obesity.

The product is a component of many diets due to the fiber it contains in large quantities.

Reduces the production of ghrelin, a hormone responsible for the feeling of hunger. It’s now easier not to think about the problem of overeating!

To forget about extra pounds, prepare dishes according to the following recipes:

• Pour 1 glass of cereal with 2 glasses of water, boil over medium heat for 15 minutes with constant stirring. This dish is combined with lean meats, stewed and fresh vegetables, and seafood. It will satisfy your hunger, but will help you avoid gaining excess weight;
• take 200 g pumpkin, 1 piece each. bell peppers, onions and zucchini and 150 g of cereal. Wash the vegetables, remove the core from the pepper, cut into small cubes. Pour 2 tbsp into the frying pan. spoons of vegetable oil, simmer the vegetables over low heat until soft.
  Boil 250 ml of salted water, pour boiling water over the cereal, add 1 tbsp. spoon of sunflower oil and leave to brew for about 10 minutes.

  Combine porridge with vegetables. A nutritious, low-calorie breakfast or lunch is ready;

• peel 500 g carrots and one onion. Cut the carrots into slices no thicker than 1 cm, and the onion into small slices. Wash 3 sprigs of cilantro, dry, disassemble into small branches.
  Place the onion, carrots, 4 unpeeled garlic cloves and half the cilantro in a shallow baking dish and top with 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil and balsamic vinegar.

  Wrap the vegetables in foil, place in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes at 220°C. Remove the foil and leave them to simmer for about a quarter of an hour.

  Then mix the baked vegetables with porridge, steamed or in the usual way from 350 g of cereal, sprinkle with the remaining cilantro, salt and pepper, and serve.

  Read also:  Curd pie recipe calorie content

In folk medicine

To boost immunity and forget about acute respiratory infections and flu forever , you can prepare special vitamin mixtures that increase the body's resistance to viruses and are effective against diseases of the respiratory system.

Mixture with lemon and mint . Salt 200 g of cereal to taste and add freshly boiled water. Close the lid, and after 30-40 minutes add the juice of half a lemon, finely chopped mint leaves and red pepper, mix everything well.

It is enough to eat such a dish once a day or two because of its spiciness - diseases will bypass your home.

Ginger mixture . It is recommended to eat a couple of tablespoons 2-3 times a day when coughing. Peel the ginger and grate it on a fine grater to make 1 teaspoon.

Mix the root with 500 g of couscous, pour boiling salted water. Then leave the mixture to steam for 10 minutes until cooked.

Harm of couscous

Despite the fact that cereals are most beneficial for the body and have an average glycemic index, you should still avoid them in the following cases:

Diabetes. It is worth considering that cereal increases glucose levels.

People with individual intolerance to wheat, grains and gluten.

Obesity. It is important to remember that the group has a high caloric content. And in combination with other harmful products such as fast food, sweets, it can lead to significant weight gain.

Recipe for Couscous with vegetables. Calorie, chemical composition and nutritional value.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of “Couscous with vegetables.”

The table shows the nutritional content (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) per 100 grams of edible portion.

The energy value of Couscous with vegetables is 125 kcal.

Primary Source: Created in the application by the user. Read more.

** This table shows the average levels of vitamins and minerals for an adult. If you want to know the norms taking into account your gender, age and other factors, then use the “My Healthy Diet” application.

As it is

To gently lose weight, you should not go on a diet of just couscous. This will definitely not bring any benefit. Quite the contrary. But if you approach the use of cereals correctly, then they will play a good role in weight loss. Follow these rules:

• Always eat couscous only for breakfast. These are complex carbohydrates that stimulate the body to digest food for a long time. As a result, he gets rid of extra pounds.
• Cook cereal only by steaming or using water to reduce its calorie content. Do not add sugar to the porridge under any circumstances. And definitely don't cook with milk.
• The portion should be equal to your palm. Not more.

Remember that cereals are rich in plant fiber. That is, it stimulates softening of the stool. It attracts water to the intestines and normalizes the process of bowel movements. And this is important for gentle weight loss.

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Dietary properties:

How many calories are in couscous, what beneficial properties this cereal has, all this is of great interest to those who lead a healthy lifestyle and monitor their health and figure. So we will try to answer these questions in the next article.

So here it is:

A special product made from crushed wheat is called couscous. Interestingly, these grains were even found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. The fact is that in the arid and hot climate of these regions, rice and some grain crops grow quite poorly. And everyone’s favorite potato was brought from America relatively recently.

Historians say that couscous was originally prepared from the remains of unmilled grain. Primitive stone millstones were not capable of grinding the hard core of some varieties of wheat into flour. This “porridge” had to be cooked for a very long time. In North Africa, it is still cooked over a cauldron of boiling meat. For this two-in-one dish, the cereal is placed in a special container with small holes - something like a large flat colander - then placed over the meat simmering in the sauce, covered tightly with a lid and cooked until tender. Hot meat steam not only softens the cereal, but also gives it a special, unique taste.

Much later it began to be specially made by hand. To do this, a certain amount of semolina was rolled into small balls using very fine flour and water. The process was incredibly long and labor intensive. This was done, as a rule, by elderly women who specially gathered in groups of 5–8 people and from morning until late evening rolled, sifted through special sieves and dried cereal balls.

In the modern food industry, the production process is completely mechanized; moreover, a special variety of this instant cereal has been invented, which just needs to be poured with boiling water and allowed to brew for a couple of minutes.

How many calories are in couscous?

Here's how much:

Calorie content of dry couscous, per 100 grams, is:

The benefits of couscous during pregnancy and breastfeeding

During pregnancy, porridge is recommended due to its high folic acid content. It helps the fetus to develop properly and prevents the occurrence of abnormalities.

Cereals promote the production of red blood cells and have a positive effect on the formation of the “happiness hormone”.

For these reasons, porridge can also be consumed during lactation. However, you should never forget about the high calorie content and know when to stop, so as not to struggle with extra pounds later.

Benefits of couscous for weight loss

This question is quite difficult to answer. On the one hand, cereals have a high calorie content, on the other hand, they regulate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and remove cholesterol.

Cereals are not suitable if a person is on a low-calorie diet. In other cases, it can be consumed in small quantities. In the process of losing weight, porridge can be cooked exclusively by steaming, without adding oil and fat, and especially sugar. It should be combined only with vegetables, and not combined with the consumption of proteins.

Portions should be very small, as cereal fills you up very quickly.

Can children eat couscous?

Due to the fact that couscous is not an exotic product (it’s just that wheat is prepared in an unusual way), the cereal is healthy for children’s bodies and almost never causes allergic reactions.

Couscous porridge is much tastier than semolina, so children eat it with great pleasure. When cooked, the starch contained in the product is practically not destroyed, so it rarely leads to weight gain. Naturally, subject to the daily consumption norm.

You should not give this porridge to children if they are allergic to gluten.

Couscous harm and contraindications

Still, couscous appeared on our tables not so long ago, so it should be introduced into the diet with caution.
This rule applies to everyone. Both children and adults. Large amounts of the product can cause indigestion and even stimulate skin rashes. For gastrointestinal diseases, the product is not recommended for use at the acute stage. It is not recommended to combine cereals with bread, potatoes and pasta.

The use of the product is contraindicated in case of celiac disease.

If there is a history of a diagnosis of pancreatitis, then cereals can be introduced into the diet only 2 weeks later, after the exacerbation stage has passed. The same applies to the diagnosis of cholecystitis. Even when the exacerbation stage has passed, more often than not 2-3 times a week, porridge is not consumed.