Dump The Processed White Bread, Rice and Pasta. Eat Whole Grains.
are delicious and there are so many to choose from. In fact, if you already gave up white bread, I challenge you to try a new whole grain. You can find Whole Grains from A to Z here. I’ve rediscovered oats and found a new favorite in quinoa (keen – wah) since I made the switch to whole grains.
Still not convinced? Check out some more benefits of whole grains here. One of the added benefits that I really like is that whole grains help me to feel fuller. When I eat a sandwich on whole wheat bread, I often feel like half a sandwich is enough. I like to feel full so this is a wonderful added bonus. I can eat less and feel like I have eaten more. Score!
Since you are all experienced label readers now, this is a great time to start focusing on specific ingredients like whole grains. Don’t forget the tricky food people. They will put all kinds of labels on packages to make you think they are healthy. Quick advice (more to come later)…………..multi-grain means nothing unless it is also whole grain. All wheat is wheat so you need to look for the phrase “whole wheat”. Durum wheat and durum semolina are not whole grains. Look for the Whole Grains Council stamp on your packages. That will help you in the learning process.
One last tip from this Juggling Mom. Every cooking show I watch talks about cooking pasta to al dente. I have found that whole wheat pasta is firmer than regular pasta. The kids noticed the difference in texture and were not pleased the first time I made it. The next time, I cooked it a little longer than the directions said I should and the texture was more tender and pleasing to the kids. It still tasted like the al dente that I was used to with white pasta. Give it a try. It might help with your texture picky kids (and husbands).
OK……….now it’s your turn. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Do you like whole grains? Did you try something new? What challenges did you encounter? I love to hear it all and believe we all benefit from shared experiences.
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