Opinions: Whole Grain Sides

I know that most people don't appreciate my nutrition opinions, my husband being the first in line. But he just got the results from blood tests from the doctor (luckily he is healthy, this was just a check-up) and the doctor says they need to keep an eye on his cholesterol, and please follow the attached guidelines. He read the guidelines out loud to me, and I just laughed and laughed. Because they are exactly what I try to tell him all the time that he thinks are "too extreme." So even though I do want to reiterate that my nutrition training is very informal and should be taken with a grain of salt, I'm not completely crazy if doctors are mailing very similar information to their patients. And since my husband doesn't listen to me much, this will be very interesting to see if he listens to the doctor.

So, building on what I wrote about proportion control, I wanted to talk about that one small portion (1/4 of your plate) that is grains. At least half of your grains should be whole, and since I figure I get plenty of white flour here and there throughout the day, I try to do whole as much as possible. But some meals just need white, like stir fry or other asian style food just isn't the same with brown rice, or a meal that needs potatoes for a side. Don't want to be "too extreme" ya know. If it isn't every day, it is still a good balance.

Here are some of the things that we do:

Brown rice--takes much longer to cook, but you can freeze leftovers in a ziplock bag and next time it is ready in a flash.

Quinoa--be sure to rinse well because it has a bitter coating

Whole Wheat Couscous--I cooked couscous for the first time a few years ago. I had no idea it was "instant!" (The kids love it, but they make a mess with it.)

Millet--kind of like couscous, although not instant

Barilla Plus Pasta--This is a brand (and the Safeway Eating Right brand equivalent) we have found that is multigrain, but still pretty similar taste/texture to regular pasta. Some of the whole grain pasta is grainy and tough, but I'm sure there are other good brands.

Whole grain bread--make sure the first ingredient is whole grain (unbleached, enriched, or wheat without the "whole" are NOT the same thing) and it is best to avoid high fructose corn syrup, or make your own. There are also other bread products like pitas (my kids like them toasted into chips), bagels, etc.

Crepes--we sometimes eat these with fruit or applesauce, but once I used some leftover chicken and vegetables and it was very tasty. My friend Emily has a recipe she calls Whole Wheat Flat Pancakes that I use (although they take some practice to flip them if you aren't used to making crepes):

3 eggs

3/4 c whole wheat flour

1/2 t salt

1 1/4 c milk

1 T sugar

1 T oil

Beat eggs until thick. Stir in milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Pour 1/4 c of batter in hot, oiled pan, lifting and tipping pan to spread batter around. Turn when bottom is slightly brown. Serve with sweet or savory filling.

Tortillas--again, read the ingredients. First ingredient should be whole. Avoid hydrogenated oils, shortening, and lard. I shop around until I find a brand I like, there are a few at Trader Joes that meet all my criteria. Corn is a whole grain as long as it isn't degermed, so corn tortillas are also a good option.