FitSugar

Learn to Love: Millet

FitSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

I hope you're already on the whole-grain wagon. Full of protein and fiber, whole grains help keep hunger at bay, so including them in your daily diet can help you maintain a healthy weight. I am here to help you expand your whole-grain horizons, so here are my reasons you should give millet a try.

Yes, it's true that millet is the main ingredient in bird seed, but it's great for people, too. It has a texture similar to couscous and tastes slightly like corn. I do have a millet disclaimer, though: it is not a whole grain but a seed, so it's gluten-free. Millet is high in magnesium and the B vitamin niacin, which can help lower cholesterol.

If you want to see what millet looks like cooked and how it compares nutritionally to other grains, read more.

As you can see below, millet is low in calories and contains a good amount of fiber and protein. It's inexpensive, too: only about $1.50 to $2 a pound. Plus it's really easy to make. Just add one cup millet to two cups water. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes. Flavor millet up any way you want, and it makes a great side dish. Or add protein and veggies to make a great meal.

Serving Size: 1/2 cup cooked	Millet	Brown rice*	Quinoa
Calories	104	108	127
Total Fat (g)	.9	.9	1
Sodium (mg)	2	5	10
Carbs (g)	20.6	22.4	23.5
Fiber (g)	1.1	1.8	2
Protein (g)	3.1	2.5	4.5

*Long grain variety

Learn to Love: Farro

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

If you're looking for a new grain to try, pick up some farro. Also known as emmer, it's a variety of wheat that originated in the Middle East, but is primarily grown in northern Italy. It's similar to barley and wheat berries, and can be used in place of rice, quinoa, couscous, or other grains in your favorite dishes. It has a satisfyingly chewy texture similar to brown rice, and if you buy semipearled farro, it decreases the cooking time to 45 minutes to an hour.

To see how it compares nutritionally to other grains read more.

Serving Size: 1/2 cup cooked	Farro	Long grain brown rice	Quinoa
Calories	100	108	127
Total Fat (g)	1	.9	1
Sodium	0	5	10
Carbs (g)	27	22.4	23.5
Fiber (g)	3.5	1.8	2
Protein (g)	4	2.5	4.5

Farro is low in calories and fat, but also higher in fiber as compared to other whole grains. It also has a decent amount of protein per half cup serving. If you can't find it at your nearby health food or specialty store, you can order it through Amazon for $8 for a pound and a half. If you need a recipe idea, check out Yum's Spring Farro Salad.

Whole Grain Flour Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Baking is always happening at my house, whether it be cookies, muffins, or bread. Not only do I love concocting delicious treats with my girls because it's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but I love that I can make scrumptious foods and know they're made with actual ingredients.

I also think it's fun to try out recipes using different flour. Whole wheat or all purpose is the usual standard, but there are so many other flours out there made from whole grains. They add different flavors, textures, and colors to your recipes, and they can also offer added nutrition. To see how whole-grain flours compare read more.

1/2 Cup of Flour	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Amaranth Flour	220	4	12	40	6	8
Barley Flour	180	1	0	46	8	8
Buckwheat Flour	220	3	0	40	12	10
Corn Flour	240	2	0	50	8	4
Millet Flour	260	3	0	52	6	8
Oat Flour	180	4.5	0	31.5	4.5	6
Quinoa Flour	240	4	0	24	4	8
Brown Rice Flour	260	2	0	54	4	6
White Rice Flour	180	0	0	42	less than 1	3
Rye Flour	200	2	0	40	8	10
Sorghum Flour	240	2	0	50	6	8
Teff Flour	226	2	10	42	8	8
Triticale Flour	200	1	0	44	8	8
Whole Wheat Flour	260	2	10	52	8	10
White Whole Wheat Flour	240	1	0	48	8	8
All-Purpose Flour (made from wheat)	200	0	0	44	2	6

Do you have a favorite flour you like to use for baking? Share it in the comment sections below.

Food Review: Kashi Moroccan Curry Whole Grain Pilaf

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

One of my go-to brands is certainly Kashi. I am a fan of almost everything they make and I appreciate their use of whole grains. Kashi breakfast cereals and granola bars are a staple in my house, but they've expanded beyond breakfast and snacks and now make frozen entrées and pizza. Now they're making side dishes like their 7 Whole Grain Pilaf. It's a little packet of food that you just pour into a bowl, microwave for a minute or so, and you have an instant side dish. To find out how it tastes read more.

This Moroccan Curry had a sweet and savory aroma once it popped out of the microwave, but I have to say, it didn't have a very strong flavor. It was a bit spicy, but I was expecting the currants to add more of a sweetness or the curry to add more punch and pizzazz. I do love that it has so much fiber and protein per serving, but I wish it tasted as good as it smelled. This whole grain pilaf does come in other flavors, and since I liked the chewy texture of these cooked grains so much, I'd definitely give them a try.

Serving Size	1 cup (2 servings per container)
Calories	220
Total Fat	5g
Saturated Fat	2.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	400mg
Carbs	42g
Fiber	7g
Sugar	3g
Protein	8g

5 Things: Millet, It's Not Just For Parakeets

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Refined carbs are linked to so many unhealthy things, like obesity, acne, and even throat cancer, so avoiding them is certainly part of a healthy lifestyle. If you are trying to eat more whole grains like rice, oats, and barley, have you ever considered millet? Yes, it is the main ingredient in bird food, but it's great for people, too. You can find it at most health-food stores on the shelf alongside other grains (it is only about $2.25 a pound). If you've never tried millet, here are some reasons to give it a shot.

Millet isn't actually a whole grain, it's a seed, which means it's gluten free. It's also a great source of protein. Half a cup of cooked millet has 5.5 grams of protein. That's more than long-grain brown rice, which has 2.5 grams.
It can lower high blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack because it's a great source of magnesium. This mineral can also help reduce the severity of asthma and migraines. One cup of cooked millet has 26 percent of your RDI of magnesium.
When cooked, it has a texture similar to couscous or rice. Adding extra liquid and cooking it a bit longer, gives the millet a creamier texture similar to polenta. Since it has a bland, slightly nutty taste, you can flavor with all types of herb and spices. You can add it to cooked cereals, casseroles, soups, and side dishes.

What else should you know about millet? To find out read more.

It's a great source of insoluble fiber, containing 4.3 grams per half cup. Not only is it great to get at least 30 grams of fiber for overall health and to prevent certain types of cancers, like breast, but it may also help to prevent gallstones.
It's rich in B vitamins, especially niacin (B3), which is linked to lowering cholesterol.

Food Review: Barbara's Shredded Oats

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:45:00 -0700

I'm always looking for new breakfast options, and since I branched off from my Kashi GoLean kick and tried Autumn Wheat, I figured I should spread my wings and try other brands of cereal as well. So I picked up a box of Barbara's Shredded Oats. Since I love oatmeal, I thought this cereal would be really tasty. Was it? To find out read more.

Serving Size	1 1/4 cups
Calories	220
Total Fat	2.5g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	260mg
Carbs	46g
Fiber	5g
Sugar	12g
Protein	6g

This cereal is delicious with milk or sprinkled in yogurt and is also great to snack on alone. It's got a great crunchy texture, and it doesn't get soggy or disintegrate when it's soaking in milk for a while. It's made with molasses, so it has a light sweet flavor. Nutritionally, it's got a decent amount of fiber, protein, and potassium, so that's a plus. When I checked out Barbara's Bakery website, I discovered that they make other flavors of Shredded Oats too, so I'll definitely have to give those a try.

Whole Grain Pasta Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:15:00 -0700

Who doesn't love a big bowl of pasta? Penne with tomato sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, spinach lasagna, spirals with pesto. There are so many healthy recipes you can make using pasta and now there are so many different kinds of pasta to choose from.

Whole wheat pasta is all the rage right now, but it's not the only healthy pasta out there. Want to see how whole grain pastas compare nutritionally? Then read more.

Here's the nutritional info for 1/2 a cup of dry pasta.

Pasta	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Corn	214	1	51.4	2	1	5
Durum semolina	200	1	41	2	2	7
Kamut	210	1.5	38	6	2	10
Kamut and quinoa	210	2	40	5	2	8
Kamut and buckwheat	200	1.5	39	5	3	9
Quinoa	180	2	35	2.5	3	4
Rice	200	0	44	2	0	5
Rice and corn	204	.43	49	1.8	.5	5
Rye	200	0	44	8	1	6
Soba (buckwheat)	190	1	37	3	2	8
Spelt	190	1.5	40	5	4	8
Spelt and buckwheat	210	2	41	4	2	6
Whole wheat	180	1.5	35	6	1	7

Since all of these pastas have unique flavors and textures, and they're pretty similar nutritionally, it'll all come down to personal preference when choosing which one to eat. Tell me, what's your favorite kind of pasta?

Label Able: Identifying Whole Grains

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Unless there is a whole grain stamp on the foods you buy, when a package claims it is whole grain, it doesn't necessarily make it really made from whole grain. So what is a health-conscious consumer to do? Well use this handy little chart I've created to make the guessing process a little easier.

Label Buzz Words:	Whole Grain?
whole grain [name of grain], whole wheat, whole [other grain], stoneground whole [grain], brown rice, oats, oatmeal (including old-fashioned oatmeal, instant oatmeal), wheatberries	Yes! Eat up.
wheat flour, semolina, durum wheat, organic flour, multigrain (may describe several whole grains or several refined grains, or a mix of both)	Maybe. Because some parts of the grain could be missing, you could be missing the benefits of whole grains.
enriched flour, degerminated (on corn meal), bran, wheat germ, flax, sunflower seeds, soy, chickpeas.	No. It's not to say that bran, wheat germ, flax, sunflower seeds, soy, chickpeas and unhealthy, they're just not whole grains.

Not sure the name of common whole grains? I've already made a list, so check it out.

Source

Healthy BBQ - Whole Grain Buns

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:45:00 -0700

I've talked a lot about healthier options to throw on the grill like Gardenburgers, Wildwood burgers, Tofu Pups, grilled corn and grilled veggies.

Now don't forget about those buns! You've got to do some detective work and read labels because many buns are made with the dreaded enriched flour, which means the healthy nutrients were stripped away.

Watch out for high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and other cr*p you may find in your buns too. Don't be fooled by a pretty bun or a healthy name (like Arnold Select). Read the ingredients just to be sure.

Look for buns made with whole grains or whole wheat. These will taste better and be healthier for you since they contain some fiber!!!

Fit's Tips: If you can't find whole grain buns, go for some whole grain or whole wheat bread instead.

Mutli-Grain vs. Whole Grain

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0700

I just wanted to review the difference between multi-grain and whole grain breads, since they both sound so healthy.

Multi-grain simply means the bread or product is made from at least two different types of grain like wheat, oats and barley. However the term gives no indication if the whole grain was used, or if the grain was refined in any way.

On the other hand, whole grain means the bread or baked good includes the nutritious bran and germ of the grain. So the product contains the fiber, magnesium, vitamin B6 and vitamin E and other important phytonutrients. You're getting all the grain has to offer; it has been stripped of nothing.

Fit's Tip: No matter how many grains are involved in a multi-grain bread, if the grains have been refined and the bran and germ of the grain have been removed you are missing out on valuable nutrients. So read your labels carefully and look for products with the whole grain stamp.

Source