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 Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
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.
Creamy Polenta, Shrimp, and Vegetable Bowls are an easy way to include seafood in your eating plan.
I love quick, delicious dinners, don’t you? These creamy polenta, shrimp, and vegetable bowls are easy enough to make on busy weeknights, and elegant enough for guests. That’s my kind of meal!
I first wrote this post in 2016. I recently changed the recipe and I wanted to make you aware of the improvements. I’ve also added tips for customizing these bowls depending on what ingredients you have on hand. I love polenta and shrimp, but if you want to use chicken or another type of seafood, that works, too!
Eat Seafood Twice a Week
Experts recommend eating at least two seafood meals weekly, and as many as three meals ( a total of 8-12 ounces) in a week’s time if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Seafood is rich in protein, healthy omega-3 fats that support heart and brain health, and other nutrients, including choline, which is often in short supply in the American diet.
Shrimp is one of Americans’ favorite types of seafood: we eat an average of nearly 4.5 pounds a year per person. (I’m pretty sure I am a top consumer!) Most of the shrimp we eat is imported, but shrimp is also harvested and sold in the U.S. As fish go, shrimp is considered one of the safest.
Frozen shrimp and other frozen seafood are useful to have on hand to make meal prep easier, but you can also use the fresh variety, too. You can even make these creamy polenta, shrimp, and vegetable bowls with frozen shrimp and you don’t have to thaw it before cooking!
How to Make Whole Grain Creamy Polenta
Creamy polenta is a mixture of cornmeal, water, butter, and cheese. (I add some milk to mine to make it creamier.) I prefer whole grain cornmeal for its taste and health benefits.
For this dish, you may want to use a medium or coarse-ground cornmeal; packages of cornmeal labeled as polenta are usually coarser grinds. You can substitute grits for cornmeal but you won’t get the same results or the same nutrition profile.
Customize your Creamy Polenta, Shrimp and Vegetable Bowl
I am not into fussy, precise recipes. In fact, I love recipes that people can change around to suit their needs and what’s in their pantry at the moment. Here are some tips for making do in the kitchen:
No spinach? Kale works well in this recipe, too. I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure the bowls would be delicious with other greens, such as collard and beet, and with broccoli.
Canned, drained diced tomatoes can be swapped for the red bell pepper.
If you don’t have cornmeal in the house, or you don’t want to use it, swap pasta, farro, or rice. Farro is a whole grain, and whole wheat pasta and brown rice are, too. Any of the three will help you meet the suggested daily intake of at least three servings of whole grains a day.
Cooked chicken can take the place of shrimp. Polenta pairs well with chicken, meat, and seafood.
I‘m a big believer in using what you have on hand. Readthisfor how to make ingredient swaps that work.
2largered bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch pieces
6clovesgarlic
5cupsbaby spinach, stems removed
1/2 teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup whole grain cornmeal
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2 cup 1% low fat milk
2 tablespoonsgrated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoonsbutter
16 ounces raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
fresh chopped chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Place water in medium saucepan over high heat. Cover.
Add oil to large skillet. Heat oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add the spinach and saute for another 3 minutes or until the spinach has just wilted. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and stir well. Remove from the heat.
When the water has boiled, slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the salt. Turn the heat to low and simmer the cornmeal, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the milk, cheese, and butter and stir until the butter is melted and the polenta is creamy. Cover and set aside.
Return the skillet to the medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is pink on both sides, about 5 minutes.
To serve, divide the polenta evenly between four bowls and top with the shrimp-vegetable mixture. Garnish with fresh chives, 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!
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.”)
As a dietitian, and lover of all things sweet, this no-bake vegan bean and peanut butter treats recipe checks all the boxes for me!
Nothing says “love” like a healthy, delicious dessert.
Healthy, no-bake dessert recipe
The best thing about vegan recipes is that you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy them. (Also, you can eat the raw dough!)
No-Bake Vegan Bean and Peanut Butter Treats are perfect for everyone because they’re delicious, energizing, and heart-healthy. And, if made with certified gluten-free oats, this vegan treat is gluten-free, too.
Children can help form the dough into hearts. Or, if it’s easier for them, they can form the dough into balls and dunk them into the chocolate.
1 15-oz. can white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cupcreamy peanut butter
1/3cupmaple syrup
1 1/2tsp.pure vanilla extract
1/3cup dark chocolate chips (vegan and gluten-free, if desired)
3 Tbsp. finely chopped peanuts
Instructions
Place all the ingredients except the chocolate chips and peanuts in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is well-combined, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides of the processor. Leave the dough in the food processor and refrigerate for 15 minutes.Place the dough on a large cutting board and press into a 9-inch square that’s about 1/2-inch thick. Use a medium heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the dough into hearts.* Combine the remaining dough and press into a 1/2-inch thick piece. Cut dough into hearts until you have 18, and place hearts on a wire cooling rack on top of a cutting board.To decorate, melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler and drizzle on the hearts. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and allow the chocolate to harden before eating. Refrigerate leftovers.
*Note: You can also shape the dough into 18 balls. Dip half of each ball into the melted chocolate and coat with peanuts. Place on wax paper to harden.
They’re vegan, so you can pick at the batter without worries!
Apple, cherry, and blueberry pie are satisfying and delicious, but pie can be much more than dessert. The savory type, including these whole wheat broccoli cheese hand pies, are the ultimate comfort food. They are an easy, fun dinner and leftovers make a convenient, portable lunch.
How to Make Savory Vegetarian Hand Pies
Broccoli cheese calzone is a regular on the menu in my house because it’s easy to make, takes just four ingredients, and the entire family loves it. I make the rather large calzone often and I thought it was time to give my trusted recipe a new twist.
I use short cuts whenever possible to get meals on the table fast. In this case, I opt for prepared whole wheat pizza dough. Use store-bought regular pizza dough (made with white flour) if you prefer, or make your own dough with this recipe.
I typically use fresh broccoli in this recipe, but frozen, thawed, and well-drained broccoli works, too. To save time, you can also choose pre-shredded cheddar cheese or a block of cheese cut into thin slices, or a combination.
These hand pies are messy, so no need to be super neat about the filling!
Pair the hand pies with fruit and milk for an easy, delicious meal.
Don’t worry about the cheese. Use whatever type you have on hand.
Get your kids involved in assembling the hand pies. They’re fun to make!
Whole Wheat Broccoli Cheese Hand Pies are cute, a bit messy, and delicious!
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced thin
3teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400˚F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut into 8, 7-inch circles. (I use an inverted bowl to do this.) You may need to gather up the dough and roll it out again to make eight circles.
Place half the cheese on the rounds to within a half inch of the edge of each piece of dough. (The cheese forms a barrier between the dough and the broccoli to keep the hand pie from getting soggy.)
Place about a cup of broccoli on top of the cheese and top with remaining cheese.
Fold the dough in half over the broccoli and cheese filling, and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
Gently transfer the hand pies on to the baking sheet and brush with olive oil.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before eating.
Just thinking about what to eat to lose weight can be overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to try so hard! These three delicious no-diet tips for weight loss will put you on track for easier weight control, and you won’t feel deprived.
Breakfast is an opportunity to include the nutrients you need. The energy it provides helps to jump-start the body and brain after sleep.
I talk here about how studies suggest that eating the morning meal does not guarantee better weight control, and it may seem like I am contradicting myself by suggesting breakfast. However, the research about breakfast and weight loss is inconclusive.
You may skip breakfast because you’re not hungry in the morning. Maybe you’re not hungry in the morning because you ate too much before going to bed. Eating more regularly throughout the day, starting in the morning, may prevent overeating at night and may decrease your calorie intake overall.
Many people don’t like traditional “breakfast” foods. Not a problem. Any food eaten in the morning counts as breakfast. Your A.M. meal just needs to be balanced and nutritious and include enough protein, found in foods such as dairy, eggs, and beans.
You don’t have to eat breakfast all at once. It’s OK to divide up the morning into two smaller meals.
No-Diet Tip #2: Switch to whole grains
I wrote about a study that showed swapping whole grains for the refined kind burns calories and boosts metabolism. What a gift! You eat delicious whole grains, and you burn calories!
This No-Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Quick Bread is packed with whole grains and nuts. Get the recipe here.
It’s easier than you think to include more whole grains in your eating plan.
For example, instead of white bread, have whole grain. Enjoy oatmeal for breakfast in place of a highly refined cereal. Experiment with whole grains such as freekeh or farro. Munch on popcorn instead of chips.
No-Diet Tip #3: Include nuts for better health
Studies show that nuts often have fewer calories than what’s on the Nutrient Facts label. That’s good reason to include them as snacks, and in other ways.
Research has found that whole roasted almonds have 25% fewer calories than what is listed on food labels; walnuts supply 21% fewer calories; and pistachios also contain fewer calories than what the label says. It stands to reason the same goes for peanuts, too.
Skip the chips, cookies, and candy. Reach for delicious and nutritious nuts!
One ounce of nuts is an excellent substitution for the same amount of snack chips, pretzels, or crackers.
In addition to having fewer calories, nuts provide protein, heart-healthy fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are powerful plant compounds that protect your cells.
Include nuts in salads, homemade trail mix, and in smoothies.
Bottom line: No-diet weight loss tips
Simple changes can help you to lose weight and keep it off. Making a few small tweaks to your eating plan promotes eating satisfaction. In addition, including more healthy food choices in your diet provides you with the nutrients you need to support health.
Looking for an easier way to to control your weight? Whole grains could be a game changer, according to findings from a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Simply swapping refined grains (white bread, white rice, and pretzels, etc.) for 100% whole grains encourages the body to burn calories and boost your metabolism. Jackpot!
More Whole Grains: A Step in the Right Direction
Here’s what’s so exciting about this study.
The group of men and women in the study who replaced refined grains with whole grains took up fewer calories from the food they ate, and burned more calories without exercising more. Those losses amounted to about 100 calories a day compared to the group who ate refined grains.
A consistent intake of whole grains could help head off unhealthy weight gain that tends to occur with age. While weight control isn’t a precise science, swapping 100% whole grains for the refined kind could add up to a “savings” of 36,500 calories a year, or the equivalent of about 10 pounds – as long as you don’t increase calorie intake or decrease physical activity. Balanced diets rich in whole grains also help reduce the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, too, which is nothing to sneeze at!
How to Get More Whole Grains
Whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice, contain the entire grain kernel. Whole grains are naturally high in fiber, phytonutrients (beneficial plant compounds) and other nutrients.
Experts suggest making half of the grains you eat whole grains, for a minimum of three servings of whole grains daily. A portion is 1-ounce slice of bread, 1/2 cup cooked grain, or about 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal.
OK, so you’re not totally on board with whole grains, but it may be easier, and more delicious, than you think to get the whole grains you need. Here’s how to work more whole grains into your eating plan:
• Have oatmeal (I make oats with dairy milk for the calcium, vitamin D, and protein it provides) or a whole grain ready-to-eat cereal such as plain Cheerios or the store brand equivalent with milk and fruit for breakfast, or as a snack.
• Add 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal to your favorite fruit smoothie recipe.
• Substitute 3/4 cup 100% whole wheat flour for all-purpose white flour in recipes for pancakes, muffins, and quick breads.
• Swap white bread for 100% whole grain bread. Make sure you see the words whole wheat, oatmeal, or whole oats as one of the first terms in the ingredient list.
• Experiment with whole grains such as farro, freekeh, quinoa, millet, teff, and whole grain barley as side dishes. Make extra whole grains and add to soups, stews, casseroles, and salads.
• Switch to whole grain cornmeal when making muffins, cornbread, and polenta.
• Make your own trail mix using 1/2 cup whole grain cereal, dried fruit, and nuts.
• Enjoy whole grain crackers instead of highly refined white versions, and whole wheat English muffins instead of a plain bagel.
• Munch on popcorn instead of pretzels or snack chips. Popcorn is a whole grain!
• On pizza night, opt for prepared whole wheat crust or whole wheat pizza dough.
Healthy Walnut Raisin Quick Bread is delicious and good for you, too.
I love to bake, and this Healthy Walnut Raisin Quick Bread is a favorite of mine.
It took a lot of tries to get this recipe to work. As a recipe developer, I’ve goofed by cutting back too much on one ingredient or another. You can benefit from my mistakes because I finally got it right this time!
Making Healthy Bread Without Yeast
When yeast is in short supply and when time is tight, quick breads, including muffins, scones, biscuits, and cornbread, are appealing to home bakers. Quick breads rise because they contain baking powder or baking soda (or both) and eggs.
As an impatient baker, I like to bake once, and eat twice. Healthy Walnut Raisin Quick Bread makes two loaves (or 24 muffins), and freezes well if you don’t need all of it at once.
How to Reduce Added Sugar in Quick Breads
The problem with many quick bread recipes is that they are full of added sugar. I have a sweet tooth, and I can easily go overboard with granulated, and brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, and honey – all added sugars – but cutting back too much can be disastrous for baked goods.
This recipe is not free of added sugar. However, I’ve decreased the sugar content by using unsweetened applesauce, which also stands in for some of the oil, and raisins, which contribute natural sweetness. In addition to reducing added sugar levels, applesauce and raisins improve taste and texture, and add phytonutrients (protective plant compounds), potassium, and other nutrients.
Nuts Add Nutrition to Healthy Walnut Raisin Quick Bread
I see a lot of quick bread recipes with chocolate chips, and, to tell the truth, my kids favor those! I’m not such a big fan, though. Even though I love chocolate, I substitute nuts.
I’m always looking for opportunities to improve nutrition without sacrificing taste. In this case, I’ve used walnuts, which supply protein, fiber, phytonutrients, and heart-healthy unsaturated fat. I love the crunch that they lend to the bread, too.
Also, to increase whole grain content, I swapped some whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour, and I added oats. You could use even more whole wheat flour, or make other substitutions. Here’s how.
Try this healthier version of a delicious quick bread!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: quickbread, raisins, walnuts
Servings: 24
Ingredients
2cupsall-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1tablespoonbaking powder
1 tablespoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspoon baking soda
1cupquick-cooking oats, uncooked
3/4cuplight brown sugar, packed
1 cup raisins
1cup chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cupsunsweetened applesauce
2/3cup canola oil
4largeeggs
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Coat two loaf pans with cooking spray or line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, oatmeal, brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts. Stir until well combined.
Place the applesauce, canola oil, eggs, and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Blend on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.
Add the applesauce mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix.
Fill the loaf pans with the batter, dividing it evenly between the 2 pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing. If you're making muffins, cook for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
Per slice or muffin:219 calories,11 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat),228 milligrams sodium,29 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams added sugars,2 grams fiber,4 grams protein
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! 