Though sometimes dismissed as a nutrient-poor starch – both a second-rate vegetable and a second-rate grain – corn is lately being reassessed and viewed as a healthy food.

Corn is primarily yellow but an increasing amount of blue corn and others are used in chips and other foods.

Most of the corn grown in the U.S. is used to feed cattle and to make sweeteners but it also finds its way into the grocery store in whole form, canned, and in prepared foods such as tortillas, chips and other foods.

Buckwheat is a short season crop that does well on low-fertility or acidic soils. It is a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens. Buckwheat’s nutrients, nutty flavor and appearance have led to its ready adoption into the family of grains.

Sorghum, also called milo, was believed to originate in Africa. Sorghum thrives where other crops would not flourish due to low moisture. Worldwide, about 50% of sorghum goes to human consumption, but in the US, most of the crop is fed to animals. Sorghum is also gluten free making it popular with those with celiac desease.

In the US, millet is rarely served to humans and is more commonly found in bird feeders. In India, it is a primary grain and is common in Russia, China and South America. It is a very small grain and is either white, yellow or red. It has a mild flavor and most often is mixed with other grain in a multi-grain blend.

Rice is one of the most easily digested grains and is a primary reason why it is used as a baby’s first solid food. White rice is refined, with the germ and bran removed. Whole-grain rice is usually brown. Brown rice is lower in fiber than most other whole grains, but rich in many nutrients.