Cereal, It's What's for Breakfast

Whenever I take a client on a grocery store tour, one of the first things we look at is cereal.  It provides such a great teaching opportunity and everyone eats cereal, right?

What can you learn from a box of cereal?  Lots!

1.  Is it whole grain?

Just like the bread you buy should be, your cereal should also be made with whole grains...and a 100 percent whole grain cereal would be the best choice.  How can you tell?  Read the ingredient list.  

If the first ingredient reads whole something (wheat, rice, corn, etc) then you are off to a good start.  But keep reading...is there another grain further down the list?  It should be whole too!  One exception to this rule is for oats...even without the word whole, rolled oats and oat flakes are always whole grains.

Don't be tricked by claims on the front of the box.  General Mills claims that Lucky Charms (and most of its other cereals) are "made with whole grains", and sure, the first ingredient is whole grain oats, but what follows is not so convincing...see for yourself (I've underlined the grains that aren't whole):

Ingredients:  Whole Grain Oats, Marshmallows (Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Gelatin, Calcium Carbonate, Yellows 5&6, Blue 1, Red 40, Artificial Flavor), Sugar, Oat Flour, Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, Salt, Trisodium Phosphate, Color Added, Artificial Flavor, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. Vitamin and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Zinc and Iron (Mineral Nutrients), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Mononitrate), Vitamin A (Palmitate), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D.

2.  Is it a good source of fiber?

A good breakfast cereal should have at least 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories.  So if your favorite cereal is around 200 calories per serving, it needs to be closer to 6 grams of fiber.

And I'm not talking about added, processed fiber either; I'm talking about fiber that is naturally found in the whole grains your cereal should be made with...let's call it whole fiber.  Food companies are smart, and they know that fiber is a "selling point" these days.  So they add lots of isolated fiber to their cereals to confuse the unknowing shopper.  What's the problem with isolated fiber?  It is unknown whether or not is has the same health benefits as whole fiber.

Isolated fiber sources that may be listed include inulin, chicory root extract, oat fiber, soy fiber, maltodextrin, starches (such as corn, wheat, tapioca), polydextrose, psyllium, and gums (such as arabic, guar, acacia).  It's not that these are ingredients to be avoided, it's just better for the fiber to be whole.

3.  Is it loaded with sugar?

Breakfast does not equal dessert...unless you work for any of the cereal companies that market their sugary cereals to children.  Even some adult cereals have WAY too much sugar.  One teaspoon of sugar weighs 4 grams.  So if your favorite breakfast cereal has 12 grams of sugar or more, you are consuming at least a tablespoon of sugar with your breakfast (3 tsp = 1 tbsp).

So I would stick with cereals that have less than 8 grams of sugar (or 2 teaspoons) per serving for adults and kids alike.  In most cases, if sugar (or any of its other forms...corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, cane juice, fruit juice concentrates, any word ending in "ose") is the second ingredient listed, put the box down and keep looking.

One exception to this rule are cereals with REAL fruit; the sugar amount listed on the nutrition facts panel does not distinguish naturally occurring sugar in fruit (such as raisins) from added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.  So although Kellogg's Raisin Bran has 19 grams of sugar, some of it is from the raisins.

And if your new cereal isn't sweet enough for your taste, add your own fruit...I love bananas or berries sliced in my cereal.  Or buy an unsweetened cereal (i.e. 0 - 1 grams of sugar) and sweeten it yourself with no more than 2 teaspoons of sugar.

There are other things to consider when choosing a breakfast cereal (sodium content and the presence of partially hydrogenated oils, artificial colors/flavors/sweeteners), but these 3 things are a good starting point:  1) first ingredient as a whole grain, 2) at least 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories, and 3) less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.

So what are some of the best choices?

Kellogg's - All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes, Raisin Bran, Mini-Wheats (unfrosted)

General Mills - Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters, Cheerios, Wheaties, Total Whole Grain, MultiGrain Cheerios, Wheat Chex, Total Raisin Bran

Nature's Path Organic - Smart Bran, Flax Plus Multibran/Pumpkin Raisin Crunch/Raisin Bran, Synergy, Optimum Slim, Heritage Bites, Multigrain Oatbran, Heritage, Millet Rice Oatbran, Heritage O's, Whole O's...there may be others...this is a good brand!

Barbara's Bakery - Ultima Organic High Fiber or Pomegranate, Organic Crispy Wheats, Shredded Spoonfuls, Organic Breakfast O's

Kashi - Honey Sunshine, Heart to Heart Honey Toasted, GoLean, Organic Autumn Wheat, 7 Whole Grain Flakes, 7 Whole Grain Nuggets

Post - Bran Flakes, Original Shredded Wheat (including spoon size Original and Wheat n' Bran), Trail Mix Crunch Raisin and Almond, Raisin Bran

Other lesser known/found brands that have some healthy options:  Weetabix, Uncle Sam, Healthy Valley, Cascadian Farm, Arrowhead Mills

Lagniappe...

Here are two articles (1 and 2) on sugary cereals and kids...the info can be applied to adults as well!

Banana Smoothie

I think one of the very first things I ever "cooked" by myself was a banana smoothie.  I love bananas and always have (when I was little, one of my favorite snacks was a banana wrapped in "wrapped-up cheese"...that's what we called Kraft Singles...how gross is that???).  

We always had a HORRIBLE blender growing up...you know the kind you buy from the grocery store that leaves chunks of ice in your drink?  That's what we always had!

When I moved into my first house (my senior year in college), I bought an Oster from Target... it served its purpose and I still have it.  When I moved to Houston I left the Oster for Hil (she likes a good margarita!) and bought the Cooks Illustrated #1 rated blender.  At the time,  the Braun PowerMax MX2050 was the highest rated so that's what I bought (for less than $50), and I love it!  But last month, Cooks updated their blender rating...and the winner?  The KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender Model KSB580, but its a little pricey ($150).  The runner up was the Kalorik BL Blender Model 16909 for a reasonable $50.  

Enough about blenders and onto the smoothie.  I start with a banana (small to medium...and sometimes its frozen) and then add about 1 cup of milk (skim), a splash of vanilla (or almond) extract, a good pinch of cinnamon, and then blend.  Once this is all blended I start adding ice cubes, a few at a time, until the smoothie starts to thicken up (I like mine really thick and frozen...especially when I plan on taking it with me to the pool or beach!!!).  I taste it and decide if it needs sugar...if it does I add 1 tsp at a time until its slightly sweet and that's it.  If its too thick add more milk...to thin, more ice!

I do this with other fruit too.  I bought a ton of champagne mangoes from Whole Foods today to take to the beach...mango smoothies for breakfast Jess - get excited!  Just blend a mango (peeled of course), some milk and a little Greek yogurt, plus sugar and ice and you have a delicious mango lassi!  

Or start with frozen strawberries and blend with 1 cup of orange juice...to make it creamy add a banana or some strawberry yogurt.

Always add sugar last, after you have tasted it.  You may be able to get away with less!  And when I say sugar, I really mean any kind of sweetener...honey, agave, etc.

Banana Smoothie

recipe (above) by me

Per serving (one large smoothie with 2 tsp sugar) - 231 calories, 1 g fat (.5 g saturated), 49 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 10 g protein (exchanges: 2 fruit, 1 dairy, ½  starch)

By the way, I have a few rules when it comes to smoothies (homemade or purchased).  If it's going to be a snack...keep it under 250 calories (which can be hard to do away from home).  For a meal its okay if its between 300 and 400 calories.  At Smoothie King, order it skinny and order a small (20 ounce).

I find that smoothies don't keep me satisfied for very long...I get hungry once all of the liquid has left my stomach.  So when I know my next meal is going to be sooner than later, I'll let myself have a smoothie for my meal.  For example, today I ran the lakes from 8:30 - 9:30 and then made a smoothie for breakfast around 10...because I knew I would have lunch around 12 or 12:30.  If lunch would have been any later, the smoothie wouldn't have been enough (and in that case I would have had something solid, like an apple, for a hold-me-over snack).

Here is the nutrition info for Smoothie King and Jamba Juice.

Happy Easter!

On Saturday I am heading to Pensacola, Florida FOR A WEEK!!!!! It is a much needed vacation and I refuse to do anything work related while I am there...no dancing/teaching/choreographing/blogging...so here is a little pre-Easter post.

Even though all of these recipes would be perfect for Easter, they could also be served for a delicious weekend meal or for another special occasion. I've included 2 proteins (lamb and ham), 1 starch (barley), lot of veggies (asparagus, carrot soufflé, a salad), and a dessert. There is also a frittata recipe to use any leftover ham you might have.

The recipes are from cookinglight.com, and if you go the website you can find more healthy Easter ideas; you can also check out eatingwell.com.

Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic -

• Per serving - 165 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 24 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fat, 3 ½ protein)
• Notes - Remember a 3 ounce serving is about the size of a deck of cards...or a little smaller than an iPhone

Fire and Spice Ham -

• Per serving - 188 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 17 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 18 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 2 ½ protein, 1 starch)

Field Salad with Snow Peas, Grapes, and Feta -

• Per serving - 151 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated), 19 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fat, 2 vegetable, ½ fruit)
• Notes - Omit the feta and save some calories

Mustard-Dressed Asparagus -

• Per serving - 51 calories, 1 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein (exchanges: 2 vegetable)

Carrot Soufflé -

• Per serving - 187 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 2 vegetable, 1 ½ starch)
• Notes - I have actually made this light version...not quite as light as the Cooking Light version, but I can actually vouch for how good it is! I use only 1 cup of sugar (I need to try again with even less) and 3 Tbsp butter...I also up the cinnamon to ½ tsp

Barley Pilaf with Sautéed Mushrooms -

• Per serving - 161 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 26 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 4 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 1 ½ starch)
  
• Notes - I halved the serving size...therefore my version has fewer calories - my yield: 8 servings (serving size: ¾ cups)

Fresh Berry Pavlovas -

• Per serving - 200 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 41 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, ½ fruit, ½ protein, 2 starches)
• Notes - Substitute light sour cream (or even better, fat free Greek yogurt) for the creme fraiche

Ham and Asparagus Frittata -

• Per serving - 125 Calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 5 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 16 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 2 protein, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - I halved the serving size here too...4 servings instead of 2; you could also use egg-beaters or all whites; use up leftover ham and serve this frittata for a week night dinner the week after Easter with a green salad

Lagniappe...

When I worked at LifeTime Fitness, I got a free subscription to Experience Life Magazine (a LTF publication). I really liked this article as it points out the benefit of eating more whole foods and less vitamin/mineral fortified processed foods...something I completely believe in! Should you really rely on something like Vitamin Water or FiberOne for your vitamin/mineral/fiber needs? And speaking of whole foods, here are the Mayo Clinic's "10 great health foods"...

Almonds

Apples

Blueberries

Broccoli

Red Beans

Salmon

Spinach

Sweet potatoes

Vegetable juice (NO THANKS!)

Wheat Germ

How many of them do you eat on a weekly basis?

Crawfish and White Bean Chili

In Louisiana, Lent = beginning of crawfish season. And while I haven't been to a crawfish boil yet, I did make this chili, and its really good!

The original recipe called for stirring a cup of cheese and a cup of sour cream into the soup...of course I left it out and by doing so saved 932 calories, 84 grams of fat, and 50 grams of saturated fat. Instead, serve reduced fat cheese and light sour cream as an optional topping (I like using plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream).

I doubled the amount of vegetables by adding green bell peppers when I sauteed the onions. This is a trick I use whenever I can. The more veggies in a recipe, the fewer calories per bite.

I used dried white beans that I soaked overnight, but I'm sure cans of beans would work just as well (and it would take less time). One pound of dried beans is roughly equivalent to 3 15oz cans.

Crawfish White Bean Chili

adapted from a recipe from Mel

Makes 12 1-cup servings

1 lb large white beans, soaked overnight in water, drained
4 cups chicken broth

4 cups water, divided
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 green bell peppers, chopped (4 cups)
2 medium onions, chopped (4 cups)
1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced

2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies

2 tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ pounds crawfish tails (I used two 12 oz frozen packs from the store...thawed, drained, and squeezed to remove excess liquid)
For serving: shredded cheese, light sour cream, green onions, cilantro, salsa

Combine soaked/drained beans, chicken broth, and 2 cups of water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very soft, 2 - 3 hours. Add additional water, if necessary (you want to keep the beans covered with liquid).

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic, chilies, and spices/herbs and mix thoroughly.

Add onion mixture to the beans. Add crawfish and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and reseason with salt and pepper if necessary.

If desired, serve topped with grated cheese (reduced fat), sour cream (light or non-fat Greek yogurt), green onions, cilantro, or salsa...a few crushed tortilla chips would be good too!

Per 1-cup serving (without any toppings) - 241 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 33 g carbohydrates, 12 g fiber, 22 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, 2 ½ protein, 1 ½ starch, 1 vegetable)

Come on April 4th

I feel like it's tax season and I'm an in-demand CPA...except for me it's dance team audition season and I'm an in-demand dance teacher/choreographer. I have been so busy this month...between teaching private dance lessons, workshops, and my regular classes and choreographing Golden Girl audition solos, I have not had much time to blog! Not a single post since March 6th! I have been cooking some, however, and have lots of pictures...just no typed-up and analyzed recipes - I promise they are on their way. GG auditions are April 4th...I can't wait (I'm sure CPAs feel the same about April 15th!).

I was an LSU Golden Girl for 5 years, 3 of which I was the captain and choreographer...I guess that makes me an "expert". To audition for the line, you have to bring solo dance routine (about 1 1/2 minutes long) to perform for the judges...in a 2 piece outfit. So you have to be a good dancer with a good solo (I can help with that) and you have to be in shape (hey! I can help with that too...I am a dietitian after all).

Whenever I start working with one of the girls who plans to audition, we discuss an appropriate weight for their height and body type. I get them to keep a food journal for me so that I can get an idea of how they eat. It seems that the closer it gets to the audition date, the less and less they eat...not a good idea! The other thing that I see a lot is an unbalanced distribution of calories between carbohydrates, fat, and protein. For example:

Day 1:

Breakfast - Fiber One caramel delight cereal with 1% milk and a banana
Lunch/snack - Apple and Fiber One snack bar
Dinner - Grilled chicken Caesar wrap and cantaloupe/pineapple cup; kiwi strawberry vitamin water

approximately 1200 calories - 62% carbohydrates, 21% fat, and 17% protein

Day 2:

Breakfast - Special K vanilla almond with a banana and pear
Snack - Strawberries and cantaloupe/pineapple cup
Dinner - Grilled chicken salad with cucumbers and fat free Italian caesar vinaigrette dressing

approximately 800 calories - 65% carbohydrates, 15% fat, 20% protein

My thoughts - not enough protein or fat...So many people think that fat makes them fat and avoid it all together...but it doesn't, unless you have too much (as will carbs and protein...if you eat too much). The body needs fat!

And as far as protein goes, I try to have some with every meal...for breakfast milk/yogurt; for lunch and dinner turkey/chicken/cheese/beans/eggs/seafood/meat; and for snack yogurt (sometimes I just have fruit, but I hardly every have starchy snacks like granola bars or crackers).

A better day:

Breakfast (336 calories) - 1 cup Kashi GoLean, 1 med banana, 1 cup skim milk; water
Lunch (390 calories) - Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with provolone cheese, mustard, lettuce; grapes; water
Snack (150 calories) - Lowfat yogurt (without artificial sweetener)
Dinner (358 calories) - Grilled chicken (3 oz) salad with light sesame dressing, red bell pepper, green onions, mandarin oranges, shredded carrot, toasted almonds (2 tbsp); water

approximately 1200 calories - 51% carbohydrates, 21% fat, 28% protein - 25 g fiber and nearly 1000 mg calcium

Lagniappe...

Here is an article on losing weight...what to do and what not to do.

Falafel (Salad) with Tahini Dressing

Falafel is a fried ball or patty made from chickpeas and is popular in the Middle East. It is typically served wrapped in some sort of flat bread, such as pita. It can be drizzled with a tahini-based sauce. I've never had it before, but have always thought that is sounded like something I would like.

And you know me...I turn everything into a salad (or at least serve it with one)! So I cooked my falafel in just a tiny bit of oil (I have never deep fried anything in my life...I'll leave that to the experts!). I made a really easy tahini dressing and served the whole thing over a salad composed of butter lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, red bell pepper, green onions, and chopped cilantro.

It's always a good idea to have a meatless meal. The falafel provides a good source of protein and fiber. The dressing adds a serving of healthy unsaturated fats. And I don't have to tell you why the veggies in the salad are good for you!

If you like chickpeas (or hummus) you should give this a try.

Falafel (Salad) with Tahini Dressing
adapted from Eat Real and Tyler Florence

Makes 4 servings

2 slices of whole wheat bread, torn into large pieces
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1 large handful fresh cilantro, coarsely torn or chopped
2 green onions (scallions), trimmed and chopped into thirds
1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
a pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Place bread pieces in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add garlic, cilantro, scallions, chickpeas, baking powder, and seasonings; pulse a few times to blend ingredients. The mixture should be coarsely ground and not entirely smooth.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over chickpea mixture and pulse a few more times. Add the additional tablespoon of juice, if needed, so that the chickpea mixture reaches a workable paste-like consistency.

Using a large tablespoon or an ice cream scoop, scoop balls of dough into your palms and form them into 8 patties.

At this point you have 2 options...bake or saute (I sauteed).

1) Baked - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While the oven is getting hot, line a baking pan with foil and brush with olive oil. Arrange falafel patties on oiled baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and crispy. Turn once midway through baking.

2) Sauteed - Working in batches if necessary, heat olive oil in a large (non-stick works well) skillet over medium-high heat. Add falafel patties and cook 3 - 5 minute per side until browned.

Per serving (2 patties each) - 213 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 8 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fat, 2 starches)

Tahini Dressing

Makes a little more than 1/2 of a cup (about 5 2-tablespoon servings)

¼ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
¼ cup warm water
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
good pinch of salt
black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine (the warm water should help loosen up the tahini...if it's still thick put the entire mixture in the microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring in between...make sure you are using a microwave safe container!).

Per serving (2 tablespoons) - 74 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, plus a little protein)

Lagniappe...

Just in case you DO need me to remind you why vegetables are good for you read this. Along with why they are good for you, it ranks all veggie according to their nutritional profile...is it a surprise to you that kale is #1 and spinach is #2? How many of the "superstars" do you eat on a weekly basis?

Update on Me

Now that I've been back in Baton Rouge for about 9 months, I get the question all of the time, "So what are you doing these days?" When I was in Houston everyone knew I was dancing, teaching dance, and working as a dietitian (or "nutrition coach") at LifeTime Fitness.

"Well...lots of things!" I tell them. I am teaching at Tari's School of Dance, which keeps me REALLY busy (and I love it and wouldn't trade it for the world). In the fall, I choreograph for the Saintsations, the Saints' NFL dance team. I manage this blog. And now I'm in the process of starting my own business. "Deliciously Golden" is going corporate (well maybe one day!). I hope you have noticed the new logo that I had designed. I love it and want to thank Hannah of Sherbet Blossom Designs for all of her creativity!

Since I've been back in Louisiana, I've been working with several high school and college ages girls on weight management issues. I love this age group because they are so impressionable...the girls don't have many hard-set, preconceived ideas about food...they are mostly just confused and very willing to learn. And I think this is where it all starts - teach young girls how to eat and cook healthfully, and they will in turn pass it on the the next generation.

One of the things I do with the girls is cook with them at their homes (and sometimes at mine). It gives them a little confidence in the kitchen and helps build a healthy food relationship. What do we prepare? Lots of things: oven-fried chicken tenders with sauteed tomatoes and a side salad, chicken enchiladas, butter pecan ice cream, baked chicken with wild rice salad and roasted squash, and KING CAKE!

Last week, because it was Mardi Gras, I made a king cake with one of the girls. As you can see, I don't only cook "healthy" things with the girls, because I feel that having a "special treat" is part of eating healthfully. I follow this same philosophy myself...95% of the time I eat foods that are good for my body, but the other 5% I relax and enjoy a special treat or two.

The king cake was chocolate chip pecan and let me tell you, it was AMAZING!