I notice that nobody ever really talks about whole unprocessed grains here, and I always read about people complaining about oatmeal, sweet potatoes and brown rice everyday, and this is stunning to me because many whole grains are a) more satisfying, b) more nutritious, c) tastier and d) lower GI than all of those options. I just made myself an amazing pilaf with collard greens, kale, cinnamon, bay leaves, half teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, two chopped chilis, two cloves of garlic, one shallot, half a chicken bouillon and a blend of kasha, hulled barley (personal favourite), oat groats and wild rice, and it was amazing, so I decided to give y'all the 411. Sort of. I eat a LOT of whole grains, for PWO I tend to cook some grains and then mix my whey into them to form a fortifying meal...
Great alternatives to oatmeal:
- Oat bran...higher in fiber and lower in starch, which means you can eat the same amount and be more satisfied while keeping starch (effective carb count) lower. Alternatively, you can eat more oat bran than you can oatmeal at each meal. Amazingly creamy and satisfying texture which can only come from a finely-ground cereal, but is not half as high in GI as other creamy milled cereals like wheat farina or cream of buckwheat. Bump up the fiber content by cooking it with 1/4 cup of wheat bran to make a very, very satisfying breakfast. 1 cup grain to 4 cups water, simmer for approx. 5-8 minutes.
- Oat groats...whole unprocessed hulled oats, amazingly chewy texture that can be used like rice for pilafs or to make a highly satisfying, high fiber breakfast. Very hearty texture and distinct oat flavour. One cup grain to 3 cups water, simmer for approx. 60 minutes. For steel-cut, which is just groats cut into smaller pieces, one cup grain to 3 cups water, simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Bulgur...this is toasted cracked wheat that you've probably eaten in tabbouleh salad (served at Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants...GREAT dish), it has a nutty flavour and a great chewy texture. Great as a sweet hot cereal or equally good as a rice-like grain for pilafs and soups. One cup grain to 2 and a half cups water, simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Hulled barley...My personal favourite for pilafs and soups, this grain is amazingly chewy and very satisfying, as it absorbs a good deal of fluid/flavour from broths and complements good stocks and spices very well. High in fiber and protein. Highly recommended. One cup grain to 3 cups water, simmer for an hour and 15 minutes.
- Wild rice...Another personal favourite...not really rice, but a black cereal that can be used in exactly the same manner. Very long-grained and low GI, with a chewy texture and a smoky, nutty type flavour. One cup grain to 2 cups water, simmer for an hour.
- Orzo....semolina durum pasta grain similar to cous cous, but much larger and much lower in GI. GREAT for soups and the chewy texture and pasta-like aroma/taste makes it a good choice, plus it cooks quickly. One cup grain to 2 and a half cups water, simmer for 5-8 minutes.
- Quinoa....amazingly nutritious and very low GI grain. High in USABLE protein, (7g per 1/4 cup dry, all essential amino acids), fiber, iron and calcium. Nutty flavour. Should be rinsed and drained thoroughly to remove the layer of saponin (a naturally bitter insect repellent) that covers most bulk quinoa. One cup grain to 3 cups water, simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Amaranth....this grain has a distinct, peppery flavour, I love using it for hot cereals with honey on a cheat day, but it goes just as well with Splenda. Tiny grains that are chewy and light, and very high in usable protein (8g per 1/4 cup dry) and iron. One cup grain to 3 cups water, simmer for 30 minutes.
- Kasha....Very flavourful grain. Kasha is just the Russian tag for toasted whole buckwheat groats, and they exhibit a fantastic aroma/flavour when cooked as a cereal or as part of a pilaf. Great when mixed with whey, and has an infinite multitude of uses. One cup grain to 2 and a half cups water, simmer for 20 minutes.
- Rye...Great as a bread base, a nutritional phenomenon in the sense that it is a perfect replacement for traditional rolled oats, being higher in fiber, protein and iron...has a great slightly sweet, nut-like flavour and a very pleasant chewy texture...can be found as cracked rye (similar to steel-cut oats) or rolled rye (similar to oat flakes)...One cup grain to two cups water, simmer for 30 minutes. For flakes, one cup grain to two cups water, simmer for 15 minutes.
- Spelt....I don't know much about spelt as it's a grain I haven't used much, but the flakes are very pleasant and almost nutritionally identical to rolled oats. They also come as whole spelt berries.
- Kamut...another one of my favourites, kamut is a hybrid wheat that has a naturally sweet flavour. The flakes are especially good as a change of pace from regular rolled oats.
- Brown basmati....MUCH better than regular brown rice, due to the fragrance and superior flavour, AND lower GI due to difference in amylose content. One cup grain to two and a half cups water, simmer for 45-60 minutes.
- Teff...My absolute favourite to use as a breakfast cereal, this is the smallest grain in existence, and the brown grains have a sublimely flavourful, chestnut/hazelnut type flavour, served with honey and fruit or even mixed with whey I can't recommend it enough. It tends to be very expensive, though. One cup grain to four cups water, simmer for 30 minutes.
I'm sure I'm missing some and I messed up somewhere with cooking times, but really I've found that grains can make diets exciting and flavourful. Instead of eating rolled oats for every meal as a carb source (Now no knock on rolled oats, I still gravitate back to my package of old-fashioned oats that I oven-toast, I still eat 4 or 5 bowls of oatmeal a week), try something more satisfying and nutritious. There's a whole range of carb sources that would slot into your plan and give you an entire spectrum of benefits.
Oh, and legumes are amazing, too, but I'm not gonna write about that just now.
Peace.
Posted by: Randy
I'm eatin @ Premo's tonight
Posted by: aggies1ut
I'm going to bump this thread just because it provides good alternatives to traditional carb sources. While I'm at it, I'll throw in a couscous recipe.
Spicy Couscous
Ingredients:
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 green onions -- chopped
2 small tomatoes -- chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup couscous
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Preparation:
In a medium-size non-stick skillet; heat the oil. Add green onions and tomatoes; saute 3 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and keep warm. In a warm. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients except the couscous and parsley. Cover and let stand 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Add tomatoes and green onions and fluff with a fork. Garnish with chopped parsley. Makes 3-1/2 cups.
