It’s January, so you’ve probably given up dessert and other foods you adore in the name of healthy eating, but skipping your favorites can backfire, causing you to ditch your efforts. What good can come of dessert? Plenty, when there’s yogurt, fruit, and fiber involved! That’s why I love these Raspberry Yogurt Fiber One™ Cereal Cups for a sweet ending to a meal.
Confession time: I love dessert! I indulge my sweet tooth every day, but not with just any candy, cookie, or cake. I prefer desserts with benefits, including fiber.
According to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we struggle to include enough fiber. When you think of dessert, fiber doesn’t usually come to mind, but high-fiber desserts can help satisfy fiber requirements. The Daily Value – the recommended daily amount – for fiber is 28 grams. One Raspberry Yogurt Fiber One™ Cereal Cups contains 13 grams of fiber!
You can make these yogurt cups with any fresh or frozen berry you like. They are are delicious for a weeknight dessert, and pretty enough to serve to guests. Make the cereal cups ahead of time and add the filling when you’re ready to serve.
Foods like Fiber One™ Original Cereal make it easier to get the fiber you need, and recipes that include the cereal, including my Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce, make it delicious.
How do you “flaunt your fiber?” Let me know in the comments!
Say yes to dessert with this delicious, fiber-packed cereal cups!
Prep Time20mins
Cook Time10mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fiber, Greekyogurt, raspberry
Servings: 5
Calories: 287kcal
Ingredients
2cupsFiber One TM Original cereal
8 Tablespoonsbutter
1/4cupgranulated sugar
1cupfresh or frozen strawberries, or fruit of your choice
3/4cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Coat a 6-cup standard muffin tin with cooking spray.
Add cereal to a food processor and process until it is the consistency of fine crumbs, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer cereal to a medium mixing bowl.
Melt butter in microwave in a microwave-safe dish.
Add melted butter and sugar to the mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined.
Add a heaping ¼ cup of the cereal mixture to five of the muffin cups. Press evenly on the sides and bottom to form a cup.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
To make the filling, blend the raspberries and yogurt in a food processor until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove the cereal cups by inverting the pan on a flat surface and tapping on the bottom of each of the muffin cups so they pop out in one piece.
To serve, fill each cereal cup to the brim with the fruit mixture. Garnish with sprigs of mint, if desired.
Cereal is a delicious, nutritious food that offers a big bang for the buck. Ready-to-eat cereal with dairy milk provides a bowl of nutrients for an average of 50 cents a serving on average! Cereal is for more than pouring into a bowl and dousing with milk, however. You can eat it any time of day and in many ways. Check out what to make with cereal – you’ll be surprised at how creative my dietitian friends are!
Why cereal is a healthy choice for family meals
Whether it’s whole grain, or refined, cereal supplies energy-producing carbohydrate. In addition, it can be a source of other nutrients that often go missing in the diet.
Whole grain choices offer the most fiber, vitamin E, and selenium, but they are not usually enriched.
Refined grains are missing one or more of their three key parts – the bran, the germ, or the endosperm. Refining a grain results in some nutrient loss. However, most refined grains are enriched.
Enriched grains contain additional B vitamins, including folic acid, and the mineral iron. Iron and folic acid don’t occur naturally in significant amounts in whole grains, but they are welcome additions to refined grains, especially cereal.
Health experts recommend that women in their childbearing years get adequate folic acid every day. Adequate folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects during the first month of pregnancy. A serving of enriched cereal can provide as much as 100% of the Daily Value for folic acid.
The added iron in enriched cereal is a good source of this nutrient. Iron is needed to prevent iron deficiency anemia, which can result in long lasting fatigue, and other health problems.
You may be surprised to hear that grains of all kinds, including cereal, can be good for your waistline. An eating pattern that includes higher amounts of a variety of grains is associated with a healthier body weight.
Choose cereals with the least added sugar, which contributes additional calories. Save sugar-laden cereals for a treat, not an everyday food.
Since I think cereal is good any time of day, I’ve divided up the delicious healthy recipes with cereal into two groups: sweet and savory. Enjoy them at any meal, or for a snack!
You love white bread, pasta, and rice, but given the push by nutrition experts to increase whole grain intake, you may feel bad for preferring, and eating, the refined kind. You can stop feeling guilty now! Research has discovered why it’s OK to eat refined grains.
Refined grains vs. whole grains
Refined grains undergo milling, a process that removes the bran and germ from the whole grain. As a result of milling, refined grains have a finer texture and a longer shelf life. The downside is that milling removes some of the fiber, iron, and many B vitamins found in whole grains.
Refined grains undergo milling, but that’s not the whole story.
Good news about refined grains
Refined grains are often fingered for contributing to chronic health problems, but a 2019 study has found they are not to blame. Research shows that when refined grains are taken as a group, there is no evidence linking them with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, or dying early.
Perhaps the company refined grains keep is the problem. The influence of refined grains on health are often lumped in with the effects of a person’s overall diet, which may not be particularly nutritious.
Balanced eating patterns matter most when it comes to avoiding chronic health conditions. It’s likely that a steady diet of saturated fat, sodium, added sugar, and inadequate fiber is more likely to blame for common illnesses than a piece or two of white bread and a serving of rice every day.
If you love white pasta, it’s OK to make it part of a balanced eating plan.
Nutrients found in refined grains
Most refined grains sold in the U.S. are made from enriched flour. That means they supply added iron, and four B vitamins: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid. Americans get much of their iron and B vitamins from enriched grains, such as breakfast cereal, bread, and pasta.
Folic acid, a B vitamin that’s added to refined grains, is very important to help prevent neural tube defects (NTD) that occur early in pregnancy, when a woman may not know she is expecting. Since the US started requiring folic acid fortification in 1998, the prevalence of babies being born with a NTD had decreased by 35%.
Of course, all refined grains are not created equal; some are more nutritious than others. Bread, cereal, pasta, and rice provide more nutrients than cookies, cake, and chips, which most people should save for treats.
Cupcakes, cake, candy, cookies, and other sweets are treats, and not necessarily everyday foods.
Is starch good for you?
Shunning grain foods is fashionable, but I don’t advise it. In addition to vitamins and minerals, grains contain complex carbohydrates your body needs.
Resistant starch is found in foods such as white rice, white pasta, and potatoes. Bacteria in the gut feed on resistant starch and produce compounds that support gut health and overall health.
Retrograde starch is a type of resistant starch formed when starchy foods, such as rice and pasta, are cooked and then cooled. Cooked and cooled grains have more resistant starch than when warm. Reheating cooked and cooled foods does not decrease retrograde starch content.
White bread is an important source of iron and B vitamins.
How many servings of grains should you eat every day?
While it’s OK to eat refined grains, people who follow a 2,000-calorie eating plan require at least three servings of whole grains out of a total daily suggested intake of six grain servings.
Experts suggest eating half your grains as whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, breakfast cereal, and brown rice. Whole grains generally contain more fiber and higher levels of certain nutrients than their more refined counterparts, and they may help with weight control.
Bottom line on grains
There’s room for refined grains, such as white rice, bread, and pasta, in a healthy diet. Save sweets, crackers, and chips for occasional indulgences, however.
Overall, a nutritious, enjoyable eating plan matters most for supporting health. No single food, or food group, is problematic for most people.
Whole wheat pasta and chickpeas provide fiber and other nutrients that support health.
Macaroni salad is a staple at summertime picnics and BBQs across America. While this perennial favorite gets gobbled up by the ton every year, I can’t say that I’m a fan of the typical recipe. Pasta salad with chickpeas and cottage cheese is a better, more satisfying twist on this American favorite.
Read: Dozens of recipes for pasta salad with all kinds of interesting ingredients.
Pasta salad can be served as a side dish with meat or fish.
Pasta Salad is Good for You
Pasta salad with chickpeas and cottage cheese isn’t only for the warmer months; it can be a healthy option year-round, too. Here’s why.
Cooked and cooled pasta (any kind) is a source of resistant starch, a type of fiber that feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut that help prevent colon cancer and support overall health. Legumes, such as chickpeas, and cooked and cooled potatoes, also provide resistant starch. Foods rich in fiber can help prevent, and manage, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Meatless Vegetarian Pasta Salad Recipe
I like a hearty pasta salad that’s more than a side dish. Here’s how I build a better pasta salad to enjoy as a meatless meal or as a side dish.
• Whole wheat pasta. Whole wheat pasta is a great way to include whole grains. I like the slightly nutty taste of whole wheat pasta, which is higher in fiber than the regular kind. I favor shapes such as rotini because the ridges hold onto the dressing.
Whole wheat pasta is brimming with manganese, a mineral you need for strong bones and cartilage, and for many other bodily functions.
• Legumes. Chickpeas, a type of legume, and pasta are a satisfying combo that you can really sink your teeth into. Legumes provide protein, and fiber, which helps to better regulate your energy levels, and they supply iron, folate, and phytonutrients, which are plant compounds that protect cells from damage.
• Cottage cheese. I like cheese in my pasta salad for the taste, as well as the protein and calcium. Using low fat cottage cheese in place of some of the feta cheese cuts down on calories and saturated fat.
Low fat cottage cheese has 11 times less saturated fat than feta cheese, but is lower in calcium.
Pasta Salad with Cottage Cheese and Chickpeas can be a side dish or a main meal.
Cook pasta until just about done (al dente). Drain well and place pasta in a large serving bowl.
Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, parsley, onion, cottage cheese, and feta cheese. Combine well.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the pasta mixture and toss until well combined. Serve chilled.
Confused about carbs? Before you go cutting them out of your life, read on to find out why carbohydrates are important to your immune system and overall health.
Do carbohydrates cause weight gain?
A 2018 survey found that Americans blame carbohydrates for weight gain, which is probably why low-carb diets are so attractive. Yet, eating a more plant-based diet is linked to better weight control and other health benefits.
What’s more, the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest ways to eat. It’s rich in vegetables and whole grains, and is anything but low in carbohydrates.
It’s time we stopped loving to hate carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates give you energy
The body prefers carbohydrates as an energy source because they are easily converted to glucose, the fuel that cells use.
Carbohydrates are found in foods such as milk, yogurt, fruit, vegetables, legumes (beans), bread, cereals, pasta, rice, and in cookies, cakes, and other sweets.
With the exception of fiber, carbs provide four calories per gram. Fiber is mostly indigestible, but more on that later.
Carbohydrates are classified as “simple,” and “complex.”
Simple carbohydrates, found in foods including maple syrup, honey, table sugar, and white bread, pasta, and rice, and milk, are digested quickly.
The starch and other complex carbohydrates found in foods such as whole grain bread, vegetables, and legumes (beans), take longer for the body to digest, making for a slower and steadier energy release into the bloodstream.
When levels of glucose dip in the bloodstream, your mental and physical energy drops, too.
Feeling “hangry?” Hanger is a real thing! Read about it here.
What happens when you eat a low-carbohydrate diet
A very low-carbohydrate intake forces the body to use protein and fat for energy, which isn’t ideal. That’s because protein is meant to help build and maintain lean tissue, including muscle, and to make enzymes, hormones, and cells to support life. When protein is used for energy, it cannot do its job to the fullest.
When the body breaks down fat for energy, it produces ketones. Blood levels of ketones remain elevated on a very low-carb diet. Experts aren’t sure about the effects of high ketones on health, but they do know that excessive ketones can be life-threatening in people with diabetes.
Cut carbs and you cut calories, which may be the reason for weight loss.
Why low-carb diets work for weight loss
You will probably lose weight on a very low-carb eating plan, such as the ketogenic diet.
It’s no mystery why, though. Cutting carbs typically results in consuming fewer calories, which encourages weight loss.
If you don’t want to drastically reduce carbs to shed pounds, take heart. Research shows that reducing fat works just as well for weight loss as lower carb diets.
Maple syrup and honey may be “natural,” but they are sources of added sugar.
Carbohydrates are good for your immune system
Fiber, found only in plant foods, including whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, protects against diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer, and infection. Your gut cannot fully digest fiber, so how is it beneficial to you?
Bacteria in the colon ferment, or feed on, the fiber in food, producing short chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA protect the lining of your gut and defend it against colon cancer, help to control blood glucose, reduce inflammation, and strengthen your immune system.
Fiber helps to keep you fuller longer, which is beneficial when trying to control your weight. It also plays a role in lowering blood cholesterol levels and keeping them in a normal range, and preventing constipation.
It’s next to impossible to get the fiber you need on a very low-carbohydrate eating plan. As a result, you will starve the beneficial bacteria in your gut that support your overall health.
Some carbohydrate choices are better than others, but you can still have treats!
How to Eat More Good Carbohydrates
When it comes to choosing carbs, quality counts. It’s a good idea to consider the company that carbohydrates keep rather than taking them off your menu.
Foods rich in added sugars, such as regular soft drinks, granola bars, and candy, typically offer little besides calories. Limit your intake of foods with added sugars, but know that you don’t have to completely avoid them. Find out what your daily added sugar allowance is here.
Choose high-carb, nutrient-rich foods more often to support your health.
Fruits and vegetables, and plain milk and yogurt, contain naturally-occurring simple sugars. They are not on the list of sweeter foods experts advise us to limit, however.
Foods with naturally-occurring sugar, as well as starchy foods such as whole and enriched grains, potatoes, and rice, are desirable because they supply vitamins, minerals, water, fiber, and phytonutrients, beneficial plant compounds that protect your cells.
Fortified grains supply additional nutrients, such as iron and folic acid, which are often in short supply in women of childbearing age.
Bread made with enriched grains provides vitamins and minerals that often go missing in our diets.
How much carbohydrate should you eat?
Suggested daily carbohydrate and fiber intakes are based on calorie requirements.
Experts recommend consuming 45 to 65 percent of your daily calories as carbohydrate. That amounts to:
248 to 358 grams on a 2,200-calorie eating plan
225 and 325 grams on a 2,000-calorie eating plan
202 to 293 grams on an 1,800-calorie eating plan
Of course, you can choose to eat less carbohydrate. Popular low-carb diets suggest far less carbohydrate than nutrition experts. For example, the ketogenic way of eating recommends no more than 50 grams daily, about the amount found in a three-ounce egg bagel.
Fruit is full of water, and can help you meet your daily fluid needs.
How much fiber should I eat every day?
• For every 1,000 calories consumed, eat at least 14 grams of fiber from food.
• For example, on a 2,000-calorie eating plan, include a minimum of 28 grams of food fiber daily.
Beans supply a type of fiber that help beneficial gut bacteria thrive!
Foods high in fiber to eat every day
It’s easier to include enough fiber and other carbohydrates when you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables (which includes beans) and at least three servings a day of whole grains.
Don’t be concerned about eating refined grains. As long as they are fortified, such as bread, cereal, pasta, and rice, they can be part of a balanced diet.
For packaged foods, check the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels for fiber content.
Here are some common fiber sources, with fiber listed in grams:
Navy beans, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 10
Lentils, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 8
Black beans, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 8
Garbanzo beans, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 8
Whole wheat bread, 2 ounces: 6
White beans, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 6
Pear, 1 medium: 6
Avocado, 1⁄2 cup: 5
Soybeans, 1⁄2 cup, cooked or roasted: 5
Peas, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 4
Chia seeds, 1 tablespoon: 4
Apple, medium, with skin: 4
Raspberries, 1⁄2 cup: 4
Potato, medium, with skin, baked: 4
Sweet potato, medium, flesh only, baked: 4
Almonds, 1 ounce: 4
Broccoli, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 3
Orange, 1 medium: 3
Banana, 1 medium: 3
Quinoa, 1⁄2 cup, cooked: 3
Fiber fights high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol
The Truth about Carbohydrates
Most foods rich in carbohydrate also contain important nutrients that are not found in other foods.
Like any calorie-containing component of food, including protein, fat, and alcohol, too much carbohydrate may end up as stored body fat because of the excess calories it provides.
Eating much less than the recommended amount of carbohydrate is not a good idea, either, because it may have many negative effects on your health.
Including more plant foods and plain dairy products in a balanced eating plan is your best bet for getting enough “good” carbs. Added sugar can also be part of a healthy diet for most people, including those with diabetes. (Check with your dietitian about your daily carbohydrate “budget.”)
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome! 