This style of cooking grains has been resurrected from the ancient traditions of the Irish. Their knowledge about proper preparation and digestion of the grains gives us understanding about how to use them for our pets.
Most grains have enzymes called phytates which block the absorption of all minerals but especially calcium, magnesium and zinc. If they are not removed from grains, deficiencies may occur.
Here is the simple recipe:
- Soak the grains for at least 7 hours.
- Drain off the water.
- Add at least 2 cups fresh water to 1 cup grain.
- Cook the grains overnight on a very low heat. A small crock pot on the low setting works very well. Add more water to cook overnight so grains don’t dry out by morning. You’ll need to experiment. By morning the grains will turn into a porridge, making them much easier to digest!
Use this porridge in the proportions recommended for the animal diet - no more than 25% for dogs and no more than 15% for cats.
Feed this porridge to everyone in your family! The hardy Irish, living in harsh conditions, knew the morning porridge with large amounts of cream and butter could sustain them until the large midday meal.
Use any grain that you wish and prepare this way including any gluten free grain or seed (millet, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, oats, teff, wild rice). My favorite is a combination of quinoa and amaranth, which are actually ancient seeds. Combined these are very high in protein.
If you'd like to learn more about feeding your furry family healthy whole foods, please check out the 3-part course series on FEEDING FRESH.
