Wheat Germ

For a while now, I've kept a jar of wheat germ in my fridge. I'm not sure what originally compelled me to buy it, but I'm sure it was a moment of guilt while wandering down the cereal aisle. Hmm, if I buy this, would it negate the Fruit Loops? Well, I rarely buy Fruit Loops anymore, but I still buy wheat germ. At first, I didn't think much of it: bland, with a sawdust texture. But now that I'm more enlightened nutritionally, I can appreciate wheat germ as the powerhouse it really is: a concentrated source of several essential nutrients, including iron and zinc and folic acid. There's even some protein in it.

These days, I'll sprinkle it on my oatmeal in the morning. I encourage the kids to sprinkle it on yogurt (DS12 calls it "freckles"). If I bake muffins, I'll add some wheat germ to the batter. You could even mix some into bread crumbs, boosting the nutrition of meatloaf, for example.

I usually buy Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ, but recently tried Hodgson Mill Untoasted Wheat Germ and might like it better. It's blander, but it seems less adulterated in a way. It's also ground finer (maybe because it's untoasted) and would be an easier substitute for some flour in a recipe, I think.