Dinner: Pearled Barley Salad with Apples, Pomegranate Seeds and Pine Nuts

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Barley, Honey, Nuts

Health and fertility benefits of Pearled Barley Salad with Apples, Pomegranate Seeds and Pine Nuts

Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley. One tbsp of honey has a glycemic index (GI) of 55. Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

1/3 cup pine nuts, preferably from Italy (2 ounces)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced (2 tablespoons)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups Thyme-Scented Pearled Barley
1 large tart apple, such as Honeycrisp, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and toast until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
In a bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Add the Thyme-Scented Pearled Barley, pine nuts, apple, pomegranate seeds and parsley; toss before serving.

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