I have heard that wheat germ is healthy, but I’m not sure of the benefits or how to add it to foods.
If wheat germ was ever on the board of the TV game show Jeopardy it would probably be placed under the category, “Best-Kept Nutrition Secrets.” Because it’s the germ or “heart” of the wheat kernel, it has a nutty flavor and is packed with nutrition.
For a mere 50 calories and one minuscule gram of fat, a two-tablespoon serving will sprinkle on ten percent of your recommended daily value for folate, magnesium, and zinc, and 15 percent of your needs for vitamin E and thiamine. The two grams of dietary fiber that it provides per serving aren’t exactly shoddy, either. Salt watchers will love that it’s sodium free.
The only downside to wheat germ is that we forget to use it. I sneak it into muffins, meatballs, and bread crumbs for chicken and fish. The folks at Kretschmer, a maker of these hearty crunchies, recommend substituting up to half a cup of wheat germ for equal amounts of flour when baking cookies, muffins, and other quick and yeast breads.
It can also be used as part of crumb toppings in pies and fruit crisps. For the less adventurous, it’s delightful as a crunchy topping sprinkled on yogurt, pudding, cut-up fruit, or low-fat ice cream.
Once it’s opened, keep the jar of wheat germ tightly sealed and refrigerated, but make sure it’s within sight so that you don’t forget to use it.