We all know that grains are a great way to make your diet healthier, and Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (a mixture of baby garbanzo beans, Israeli-inspired couscous, orzo, and quinoa) is beloved by home cooks for its versatility and heartiness.
If you would like to try out this amazing product but don’t know where to start, then we have 13 delicious recipes below that we know you’re going to love!
1. Garlic Parmesan Harvest Grains Blend
Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend isn’t packed with a lot of flavor, but it’s intriguing texture more than makes up for it, and makes for one moreish dish of grains!
The mushy couscous and orzo is the perfect contrast to the slightly crunchy garbanzo beans.
2. Pressure Cooker Kale And Harvest Grains Salad
This hearty salad full of greens and whole grains is an amazing addition to a tossed garden salad. The mixture of chewy farro, creamy, smooth feta, and crunchy kale is totally satisfying!
Unlike other similar salads, the grain and the kale hold their own against the dressing, and can be tossed ahead of time without going soggy and limp.
We would even go as far as to say that it tastes even better as a leftover!
3. Harvest Grain Salad
This harvest grain salad brings together dried fruits, dried nuts, edamame, quinoa and veggies to make one hearty lunch!
4. Chicken And Vegetable Couscous
This chicken and vegetable couscous is a delicious, simple, and nutritious recipe that is going to be a hit at any dinner table.
Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend makes this dish easy to whip up in no time at all.
5. Harvest Grains Salad With Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Putting a spin on grain salad, this dish uses Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains and oven-dried tomatoes to add a burst of flavor.
You can also use this combination for pastas, stews, and soups that are very warming dishes during winter.
6. Lemon Seared Salmon With Grain Salad, Parsley, And Basil Chimichurri
If you can’t get your hands on Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend recipe, then you can switch it out for the grain of your choice. Brown rice, couscous, farro, or quinoa would also work here.
For added texture and a burst of flavor you can also add scallions and cherry tomatoes with red wine vinegar and olive oil.
You can also enjoy this dish cold, and it would make an excellent addition to your usual BBQ menu.
7. Harvest Grains With Cranberries, Feta And Pecan
One day you might find yourself needing to whip up a side dish fast.
Maybe you’ve been invited to a dinner party last minute and need to bring a side dish, or maybe you’re just learning how to cook and want to whip up a quick and easy side dish.
Well, you just need 15 minutes to whip up this dish! If you can’t get your hands on Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains, just get the ingredients that go into the famous product to make this dish.
All you need then is chopped, roasted pecans and dried cranberries to make this dish in no time at all!
8. Harvest Grain Bowl With Shiitake Miso Cashew Sauce
When the days are getting colder and shorter, we all want food that is comforting and hearty, and this Harvest Grain bowl is certain to satisfy every time.
Grain bowls will be an amazing addition to your home cooking menu. They’re simple and quick to make, which is essential when cooking weekday meals and time is scarce.
The fact these grains are so nutritious and hearty makes you less likely to reach for unhealthy snacks that will satisfy you in the short term, but still leaves you hungry.
9. Couscous With Leeks And Shiitake Mushrooms
This tasty meal can be ready in around 20 minutes, but whoever is lucky enough to eat it won’t be able to tell that it’s rushed.
Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend only takes 10 minutes to cook, but you can also use brown rice, lentils, or quinoa if you like.
10. Whole Grain Salad With Cranberries And Soyatash
While you can enjoy this whole grain salad with cranberries and soyatash at any time of the year, its red and green shades make it perfect to serve during the holidays.
Plus, it’s a nice change of pace from the admittedly delicious but also stodgy holiday food. All this, and it’s simple to make!
The beans, grains, and veggies really pop when the cheese, dried cranberries, and lemon are thrown into the mix.
Red pepper flakes give the salad some heat, and you can enjoy it as a side dish or a mean dish.
11. Harvest Grains Bread
This crunchy, nutty whole-grain loaf is a great bread for sandwiches, as well as for breakfast, whether you slather it with thick marmalade or sweet butter. It’s a great way to start your day off right!
12. Delicious Harvest Grains Bread
If you love baking bread, then this tasty Harvest Grains Bread recipe is perfect for you! It has a flavor that is nutty and slightly sweet, as well as being soft in the middle.
The crust is still crunchy but is also moist. You can use it to make sandwiches, or use it as a side dish. This bread can be sliced without crumbling, and is great for mopping up a bowl of soup.
13. Harvest Grains And Veggie Salad
We’re obsessed with this salad! The combination of veggies and grains with a citrus lemon dressing is just as satisfying as a side dish as it is as a meal meal.
If you can’t get a hold of Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend, then you can switch it out for your grains of choice.
No matter what you use, the dressing will bring all the ingredients together to create a delicious, harmonious flavor!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Get More Whole Grains In My Diet?
To get more whole grains into your snacks and meals, why not try out these tips?
- Have whole-grain cereals for breakfast like oatmeal, shredded wheat, and whole-wheat bran flakes.
- Swap out plain bagels for whole-grain bagels or whole-wheat toast.
- Swap out pastries for low-fat, whole-grain muffins.
- Make sandwiches with whole-grain rolls or bread.
- Swap out white-flour tortillas for whole-wheat tortillas.
- Eat more whole-grain pastas.
- Swap out white rice for brown rice, barley, bulgur, or wild rice.
- Make casseroles, salads, soups and stews with wild rice.
- To pad out ground poultry or ground meat, add whole grains like brown rice or whole-grain breadcrumbs.
- Rather than using dried breadcrumbs, use crushed whole-wheat bran cereal or rolled oats instead.
Vary your intake of grains to make sure you’re getting all the healthy nutrients you can and so you don’t get bored.
What Whole Grains Should You Choose For Your Diet?
Half of the grains you eat should be whole grains, and grocery stores now sell whole-grain versions of bread, cereal, flour, pasta, and flour. Let’s take a look at some examples of whole-grain foods.
- Barley
- Black rice
- Brown rice
- Bulgur (i.e. cracked wheat)
- Farro
- Millet
- Oatmeal
- Popcorn
- Quinoa
- Red rice
- Whole-grain breakfast cereals.
- Whole-wheat bread, crackers, or pasta.
- Whole-wheat flour.
What Are The Benefits Of Whole Grain Foods?
The minerals and vitamins in whole grains are crucial to maintaining good overall health, and the high fiber found in whole grains can be helpful for sating your appetite to help with weight management, reducing levels of bad cholesterol, reducing blood pressure, and reducing insulin levels.
Studies have also found that diets that are high in fiber also reduce your risk of suffering a stroke, and also reduce your risk of developing intestinal cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
What Is A Grain Bowl?
Grain bowls are hearty, delicious meals with grains as their base, with vegetables, protein, and a tasty sauce and a range of other toppings to finish.
What makes grain bowls so appealing is that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to arranging the plate to look pretty.
Think about the texture and flavors you want in your grain bowl and get started! It is an amazing way to get creative in the kitchen!
Final Thoughts
We hope that our 13 delicious harvest grains blend recipes have inspired you!
Whether you need a healthy, nutritious side dish for a BBQ, potluck, dinner party, or holiday table, or if you just want to pad out your weekday meals with a side dish that is healthy and keeps you fuller for longer, there is bound to be a recipe here for you!
We all know that grains are an important part of a healthy diet, and probably a food group that we could all do with more of.
People love Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend because it makes creating a healthy, hearty meal super easy!
So if you’ve never cooked with it before then get to the store! Or if you have a packet neglected in your pantry, whip it out to create a delicious meal in no time!
