In my quest to eat healthy, I am adding many new foods to my menu.

[Lisa0825]

I made barley this weekend. I saw lots of barely pilaf recipes and kind of blended them together. I ended up making it with chicken stock (Better then Bouillon), carrots, celery, and onion. Pretty good! I decided on barley because it was recommended in a weight management program a friend is in, as an alternative to rice. I will also definitely include it when I make soups later on too.

Foods I plan to try again include oats and yogurt. I have not had either since I was a teen or preteen. I didn't like them back then, but I am willing to be open-palleted. I was surprised at how much sugar most of the yogurt in the grocery store has! I finally found one with "no added sugar" that only has about 2 grams sugar/ 3 grams total carbs per serving. I got vanilla cream flavor and plan to have it with fresh fruit mixed in. I bought strawberries and also have some frozen blueberries I haven't figured out what to do with, so I may try those.

I also got steel cut oats, which all fitness people I know eat. Not real sure what I should do with them, however. I remember hating the texture of oatmeal, but like I said, I am willing to try again. I am also wondering if I could mix the oats with the fruit and yogurt, or if that only works with rolled oats, since they are softer.

I thought about whether to post this here or in the weight loss group, but I decide on here, because TASTE is important to me, and you all are such a wealth of food info here! I am doing very well at being healthy, but I need more variety of things I will LIKE to eat so I won't get bored. Any tips for me?

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. oatmeal cooked with raisins, a sprinkle of cinnamon

and whatever milk you like, cannot be beat.
Steel cut oatmeal is finer ground, cooks faster. Tends to gum up in liquids, unless you cook it.
wonderful for lowering cholesterol.

I make "belgian pancakes" using yogurt spread over each pancake, then a sauce of fruit jam, thinned with water so that it is more like a thick thick syrup. 4-5 of those on a stack and you have some good eating.

I have yogurt at least 4 x a week, often the vanilla kind, flavored with some thawed frozen cherries as a late night snack.
Good stuff.

[Lisa0825]

4. Thanks! Late night snacking is one of my issues...

I took phentermine for a few months, and that took care of the urge for late night snacks, but I am off it now, and that urge came back right away. Even more since I am working out a lot, which makes my appetite even stronger. The yogurt with berries may be just right for that!

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Yogurt and fruit is always scrumptious..

peaches, mandarin oranges, strawberries, maybe even blueberries....vary the fruit, to keep interest, and it is a low cal healthy snack.

[grasswire]

2. you will find that Greek yogurt has less sugar added, usually.

It's tangy and delicious. I like a brand named Greek Gods, which has unflavored, honey flavored, pomegranate, and maybe some others. I buy the large size of unflavored, because it is so useful in cooking certain hot dishes as well as eating with fruit or making smoothies. I like it particularly with some strawberries and a bit of sweetener and a couple of ice cubes = No Sugar in that smoothie!

One way to enjoy yogurt and berries is to sprinkle them with a handful of granola. That could be a way to get oats into your diet -- make your own granola. It's very easy and healthy.

[Lisa0825]

5. Do you have any tips for making granola? I know there are recipes online...

but I like to get recommendations from people who I know have actually TRIED what they are posting

[grasswire]

11. I think there is a thread here in this forum about granola

you might poke through the old topics.

[grasswire]

14. here's the old thread about granola

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11579679

[Lisa0825]

15. Awesome, thanks! nt

[NJCher]

3. let us know about how you use the barley

I'll be curious.

If you don't like the texture of oatmeal, you can cook it in the microwave and have it a little on the "raw" side. I personally like it that way. I put honey and yogurt on mine sometimes and very often almonds or blueberries, apples, peaches, or raspberries.

Oatmeal does an amazing job of lowering cholesterol, so have it often!


Cher

[Lisa0825]

6. The barley pilaf was pretty good.

I made it with carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. I had it with some leftover grilled garlic chicken tenders.

Thanks for the tip on oatmeal! I was a pretty fussy eater when I was young, so I figure that re-trying things I didn't like is a good idea, but I do remember it was the texture, not the taste that bothered me. The almonds sound good! I'll have to get some tomorrow.

My cholesterol is pretty good, even when I don't try, but I do need more fiber in my diet, and complex carbs.

Thanks!

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. get ready - going to give you some ideas....

as someone who lost 65 lbs (and am maintaining!) between January 2011 and January 2012, and edged toward (but not completely embraced) vegetarian AND vegan eating at different periods, and is also a foodie who loves great tasting things, maybe some of these ideas will work for you.

Our breakfast choices: usually cereal (two types) with granola and some added raisins and berries. We make our own granola - I can post a recipe if you like (we include many ingredients - kind of kitchen sink granola). I look for the glycemic index in choosing cereals and find that Trader Joe has great options (divide total carbs by fiber and aim for something in the 3 or 4 to 1 - say 35 g carbs and 8 g fiber). We like the Fruit and Fiber (much better than it sounds), or the Golden Flax. We add some of their three raisin blend - then some of our granola - then either fresh or frozen blueberries (they are so good frozen believe it or not!) and I use a mix of Almond and Rice or Soy milk. We alternate this with whole wheat english muffins with home made strawberry jam and homemade peanut butter (we make lots of stuff ourselves - and most of what we make is so easy).

mid morning snack - big bowl of mixed fruit - I always have a cut bowl of watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew - also add either cherries, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries or blackberries. Or just have a banana, or an orange.

Lunch - I will fry a couple of eggs in a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper and chile powder, and have as a sandwich on whole wheat sandwich rounds....or have a few slices of turkey on the sandwich rounds, with some baby carrots. Or leftovers - ratatouille, or pasta salad, or a bowl of our leftover soup or some of the other veggie dishes we make for dinner.

mid afternoon snack - smoothie made with lots of fruit, some almond milk, sweetened with dates or a bit of honey, and some greens - either kale or chard. lots of strawberries or blackberries - and peach and/or mango to thicken it...tastes like a great, thick sorbet!

Dinners - baked cod, or grilled shrimp on a bed of greens (collards, kale or chard with garlic, pineapple and red pepper flakes and sesame oil), with grilled pineapple....or Indian cauliflower/potato/tomato curry (aloo gobi), or a veggie Farro jambalaya (tastes like a great risotto), or tomato bisque, or a fritatta with potatoes, zucchini and brocolli, etc etc

for dessert we are eating either a small bowl of Trader Joe Soy ice cream with fresh cherries and a few chocolate chips, or the Trader Joe Soy ice cream sandwiches.

You get the idea - we hardly ever eat out any more, and load up with veggies and fruit - limit or eliminate eating out. It takes time (but we now have the time), but is well worth the effort. I have some recipes for good veggie dishes on my blog as well if you are interested.

[Lisa0825]

9. Thanks!!! WOW - congrats on the accomplishment!!!

I am about halfway to my goal weight, doing it gradually over the past 1.5 yr.

I wish I had a Trader Joe's near me! There are a few small health food stores within 15 miles, but the nearest big selection would be 40+ miles away in Houston. I have already reduced meat in my diet by about 50%. I have mostly stayed away from white foods (pasta, rice, etc) in favor of whole grains, and have added more fruits and veggies to my diet.

I have generally not eaten cereal for breakfast ever since I realized that carb-centered breakfasts made me crash by midday. But whole grains tend not to do that so much, so I am giving that another try with high fiber complex carbs. I got used to almond milk while I was doing some protein shakes several months ago, so I think I could do a smoothie like that.

I have been having salads (usually with some chicken and cheese) for lunch most of the time, but honestly I don't really enjoy salads, so I need to find something else to have as my "main" and make the salad a side. Otherwise, I feel like I am forcing myself to eat it.

I found some awesome low carb high fiber whole grain tortillas at HEB, and I often wrap them around either some lunch meat or shrimp or chicken for breakfast or a snack.

I would love some of your recipes! The Farro jambalaya sounds awesome! And I would definitely like the home made granola recipe.

[Phentex]

17. I can't eat cereal for breakfast either...

I need a protein so I like something like an egg white omelet with veggies mixed in. Wrap it in a high fiber tortilla like the ones you mentioned and that would be good too.

[Lisa0825]

10. Question about frozen fruit...

Do you need to thaw it out first (overnight in fridge or under the faucet) or is it pretty edible from the freezer in the amount of time it takes to mix up the recipe?

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. For the blueberries, from the freezer to the bowl. They are not hard at all....

just cool little bursts of bright flavor! give it a try!

Lots of recipes here.

http://nctomatoman.weebly.com/food-drink-and-recipe-blog.html

Try the Dutch Baby! warning though - they are best with dairy milk and no more than half whole wheat flour.

[Warpy]

13. You can make scrapple or porridge with steel cut oats

There are zillions of recipes out there, but my granny made it with whatever odds and ends of meat my uncle had left over in his butcher shop on Saturday night sauteed with onions, mixed into the cooked steel cut oats then put into cans and cooled. It was a breakfast staple and no matter what was in it, it always tasted the same, sliced and fried. It's heartier than sausage while being lower in fat and besides, you always know what's in it because you put it there.

If you can't stand the porridge, try the scrapple.

[Lisa0825]

16. Thanks! I will check out the recipes for that :-) nt

[Callalily]

18. Oatmeal recipe using steel oats

This is from American's Test Kitchen. I made it a while back and it's very yummy. Makes a lot and leftovers taste good too.

Good luck in your quest to eat healthy!


______________

Our goal is to make steel cut oatmeal that is satisfyingly thick and creamy, yet pleasantly chewy. We also wanted to decrease the cooking time so that steel cut oats can be enjoyed any day of the week.


Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Serves 4

In order to reduce the active cooking time of the steel-cut oats (from 35 minutes to less than 10 minutes,) we soak them overnight. This soaking requires some planning, but it’s well worth it. The oatmeal will continue to thicken as it cools. If you prefer a looser consistency, thin the oatmeal with boiling water.


3 cups water

1 cup steel-cut oats

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup apple cider

½ cup whole milk

½ cup grated Fuji apple

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted


1. Bring water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Remove pan from heat, stir in oats and salt. Cover pan and let stand overnight.


2. Stir cider, milk, apple, sugar, and cinnamon into oats. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until oats are softened but still retain some chew, and mixture thickens and resembles warm pudding, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir and serve, sprinkling each serving with 2 tablespoons walnuts.

[Dalai_1]

19. This looks so good

Thanks for the tip of soaking it overnight..the cider and grated apples are
a super addition!

[Lisa0825]

20. Great, thank you!!! :-) nt