Healthy Eats Challenge: Whole Grains for Week Two
Want to make a small change to lose weight, feel full, and get extra vitamins and minerals? Switch to whole grains! I"ll share my top 5 ways to squeeze this easy change to nutritious grains in this post.
Healthy Eats, The Food Network Blog picked 'eat more whole grains' as their week two challenge. While the government nutrition standards suggest the quirky math mantra 'make half your grans whole' I say aim for at least 80%-90%. The rest of the time, enjoy that fresh bakery baguette or dessert. No one will force you to have a whole wheat 'cake'. You're welcome.
Here are my top 5 ways to fit whole grains into my day:
- Start the day right. I love Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal. As an alternative I'll go with whole wheat toast and sides of fruit or eggs. You can read about my Healthy Eat's challenge last week for eating breakfast with common breakfast snafus and how to avoid them.
- Snack attack! Have whole wheat crackers with cheese and apple for a balanced snack: carbs, fat and protein. Not a fan of apples? Top with pears. Prefer peanut butter? No problem.
- Grains are great at lunch. Cook a double batch of quinoa, brown rice, or wheat berries for lunches throughout the week. Pair with roasted veggies and salad greens for jealousy inducing salad your office mates will salivate over.
- Whole wheat pasta: Feel full faster on a dinner favorite. Whole wheat pasta was an easy adjustment for me and the husband, although I have patients who tell me they just can't do it! Remember, give yourself time to adjust. Kids need about 20 times of exposure to a new food to accept it...who says adults don't need a similar number?
- Movie munchies: Did you know popcorn is a whole grain? Buy a no butter added variety and top with spice mixes. Our favorite blend is a parmesan and herb mix.
Where do you get hung up on getting your whole grains?
Dietitian Nutritionist and cookbook author sharing flavor-forward recipes and simplified science-driven wellness.