Posted by Sidra Forman on Thu, May 06, 2010
We're big cereal-eaters in my house—it's our go-to breakfast, and on occasion, it's even made for a comforting dinner. We very rarely buy cereal—instead, we make our own mixtures of grains, nuts, seeds and fruits. I prefer the taste of homemade cereals, like granola. Not to mention, making your own will likely save you cash and calories. I know making cereal sounds complicated—but it's not! Don't believe me? Check out the recipe below to see how simple it is.
I generally make a large batch of homemade granloa every other week or so, and store it in an airtight container where it stays fresh for a couple of weeks, so my family and I can enjoy it whenever we want. The granola recipe I commonly use calls for amaranth, one of my favorite grains. Amaranth is both delicious (it has an earthy and nutty flavor) and healthy (it's particularly rich in manganese, which, among other things, acts as an antioxidant in the body, and in two heart-healthy minerals, magnesium and copper). If you can't find it at your local grocery store, look for it at specialty stores or get it through mail order.
If you're unable to get it or are simply looking to change things up, you can replace amaranth with quinoa or barley. Similarly, feel free to experiment with different fruits, such as dried figs or raisins and nuts, such as walnuts or cashews. Another variation: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or cardamom to the mixture before serving. Enjoy a bowl with your choice of fat-free milk, almond milk, or soymilk and some added fresh fruit.
Homemade Granola
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
½ cup raw amaranth
½ cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons chopped almonds
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 225 degrees.
2. Place amaranth in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse amaranth with cold water.
3. Combine amaranth with oats, almonds, salt and honey on a sheet pan and place in the oven. Cook until dry and lightly toasted, about 45 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes with a spatula to prevent sticking. Mix in apricots and serve or store in an airtight container.
Nutritional Information
1 serving
Calories: 201
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrate: 38 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Sugars: 15 g
Total Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Calcium: 58 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Mon, Jun 01, 2009
The cereal aisle can be a daunting place—loaded with shelf after shelf of colorful boxes that boast great taste and, in many cases, lots of health benefits. But not all of them actually deliver on these promises—many are loaded with calories, sugar and other unhealthy ingredients, and provide little to no fiber or other nutrients.
Of course, it's no surprise that so many of my clients ask for tips on choosing a healthful breakfast cereal. While it can be tough to recommend specific brands of cereal because brands vary by region and store and everyone has such different tastes, I often give three easy guidelines to filling up your bowl with a nutritious breakfast cereal. The next time you're in the grocery store, flip the box over and make sure to check the nutrition facts panel for:
1. Fiber: Look for at least 4 grams per 100-calorie serving.
2. Sugar: Choose a brand that has no more than 5 grams per 100-calorie serving. Note: For fiber and sugar, you'll probably need to do a bit of math to determine the 100-calorie serving.
3. Trans fat: There should be 0 grams of trans fat and no "partially hydrogenated oil" (also known as trans fat) in the ingredients list. It's important to look at the ingredients list for partially hydrogenated oil because FDA laws allow manufactures to say a food has zero grams of trans fat if there is .49 grams of trans fat or less per serving.
Posted by Bob Greene on Fri, May 08, 2009
I love having cereal for breakfast—even better, I like to mix various healthy cereals together to add a variety of tastes and textures to my bowl. Try this quick recipe below for a quick and healthy start:
Best Life Kashi GoLean Mix
Makes 1 serving
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
The Kashi GoLean and Wheat Chex offer fiber and some protein; the Honey Nut Cheerios make it delicious! To save time, you can make it in a bigger quantity and portion out 1 1/2 cups per serving.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
1/3 cup Honey Nut Cheerios
1/3 cup Wheat Chex
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine cereals. Serve dry or with fat-free or one percent milk or soymilk.
NOTES: To make in bulk: Combine 10 2/3 cups Kashi Go Lean (the entire 14.1 ounce box), 4 2/3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios and 4 2/3 cups Wheat Chex. Each serving is 1 1/2 cups. Makes about 14 servings.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
1 Serving
Calories: 176
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrate: 37 g
Fiber: 8 g
Fat: 2 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Calcium: 111 mg
Sodium: 283 mg
For more healthy recipes and quick breakfast ideas, join TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Bob Greene on Fri, Apr 24, 2009
You may already know how good breakfast is for your health and for your weight-loss efforts. Research shows that amorning meal gets your metabolism going and gives you anenergy-boost. For these reasons, it's not surprising that breakfast eaters are often slimmer than breakfastskippers.
Not sure what to have to start your day? Try any of these dishes and you really will have a good morning.
Have a bowl. No, cereal is not just for kids. Aslong as you choose one that's 100 percent whole-grain and use fat-free orone-percent milk or calcium-enriched soy milk, you're getting aperfectly balanced and nutritious meal. My favorite trick: I mixcereals to give my bowl a variety of different tastes and textures.Want to add even more flavor? Try topping your bowl with fruit and/or atablespoon or two of nuts. Don't have time to sit and eat a bowl ofcereal? Take it to go. Mix a few of your favorite healthy cerealstogether, put them in a resealable plastic bag and you have a healthy,portable meal. Aim for a total of 160 to 190 calories of varioushigh-fiber cereals. Don't forget the fruit and nuts!
Get cooking.If you have a few minutes to whip up some oatmeal (made with fat-free orone percent milk or calcium-rich soy milk), I'd highly recommend it. Ilove McCann's Irish oatmeal; it has a rougher texture and takes longerto cook than standard oatmeal, but it's worth it.
Look on the sunny side.Yes, you can have eggs! In fact, they're a great source of protein,which is more satiating than either carbs or fat. Serve one or two eggswith a slice of whole-grain toast, some fruit and a glass of low-fatmilk. Or, you can opt for liquid eggs like Better'n Eggs or AllWhitesto eliminate fat and cholesterol entirely.
Munch on a muffin.As long as you opt for a healthy size muffin (look for one with about 160to 200 calories and at least 5 g fiber), this can be a great on-the-gograb. Or, if you have some time on the weekend, make a batch and enjoy them all week long.
Get your fruit fix. Start your day with1/2 grapefruit to knock off one of your daily fruit servings. Add aslice or two of whole-grain toast or an English muffin topped with somepeanut butter, another nut butter, or even soy butter. Round out yourmeal with a glass of fat-free or one percent milk.
Sip your meal.Smoothies are a great option because there are so many differentingredients you can use. And don't be afraid to experiment. Combineyour favorite fruit with ½ cup fat-free milk or calcium-enriched soymilk, ½cup low-fat yogurt and even some wheat germ or ground flaxseed.
Grab your spoon.Yogurt is a great breakfast option—it's fast, portable, healthy anddelicious. Add extra flavor to plain yogurt by topping it with yourfavorite fruit, chopped nuts and even a little honey.
For more great breakfast ideas, join TheBestLife.com; you'll get access to hundreds of delicious recipes in the Best Life recipe database.
Posted by Luke Scott on Wed, Mar 25, 2009
Bob Greene offered tips on what foods you should eat to get enough fiber in your diet on Good Morning America today. Bob also annouced his MOVE Campaign, which highlights effective osteoarthritis pain management techniques. Click here to read about the high-fiber foods and watch the video with Bob Greene and Diane Sawyer.
Bob Greene on Good Morning America
