T here’s a one-quart blue Rubbermaid container of farro in my fridge and boy am I happy about that.It feels good it feels right it feels responsible it feels healthy. I don’t think I even have to actually eat it. Just having it there makes me feel complacently joyous.

I think I will eat it just like I ate the wheat berries I cooked up last week. Mixed ’em up with some defrosted broccoli florets and edamame threw in some chopped olives and slivered sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkled on some low-fat Nish Nosh. Quite yummy.

A better alternative than my regular lunch routine: ziti on Monday/rigatoni on Tuesday/ditalini on Wednesday/fusilli on Thursday/elbows on Friday. After all farro is an Italian superfood didn’t ya know? It’s minimally processed. A mere cup has about eight grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber. That’s even more than brown rice! It boasts lots of protein and it’s low in gluten. It’s full of magnesium. Its complex carbs break down slowly helping you maintain a steady energy level and it boosts the immune system. What more can you ask for in a grain?

I know what you’re thinking but no I am not trying to lose “X” number of pounds or revamp my whole diet. What I am trying to do is make a small manageable change in how I eat so I’m not turning to pasta all the time. Yes pasta has been a tried-and-true loyal friend saving the day whenever I needed a 12-minute rush dinner. It tried hard to stay with the times welcoming additions like spinach and eggplant even partnering with kale but even so I was eating it way too much probably for the mushy comforting quality it possesses.