Whole Grains: Need help with options

mypeep

I am on a 1200 calorie diet which contains a balance of carbs, protein and fat (DASH). I'd like some suggestions for low cal whole grains and portions to serve at dinner time. We eat lots of fresh veggies and controlled protein amounts.

I would be open to other choices besides sweet potatoes and brown rice and some help w/ colorful options to "liven" up the plate.

Any ideas would be appreciate by me and my family

cwolfman13

oats, quinoa (actually a seed), brown rice, whole grain pasta, barley, bulgur, faro, millet, corn...

Sweet potatoes aren't a whole grain, they are a tuber...and there's also nothing wrong with regular potatoes either. I also eat a lot of legumes and lentils.

jgnatca

Buckwheat!
Wild rice
Whole wheat Basmati rice

By the way all carbs will have the same calorie count by weight. It's the flavourings that add the calories. Try using a teaspoon of oil/fats instead of a tablespoon.

Try this generic couscous recipe with any grain. It should work well with quinoa.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-mini-burgers-couscous-salad

jgnatca

This is my favourite way to cook my brown rice now (I have short grain Basmati currently). I also add a couple tablespoons Wild rice).

http://www.food.com/recipe/alton-browns-baked-brown-rice-177017

kommodevaran

I guess you are looking for starches that are suitable for dinner?

Potato, blue/purple potatoes.
Barley - soak overnght and cook as rice.
Buckwheat - also soba noodles.
Millet.
Bulghur, couscous and pasta (lest you forget).
Polenta.
Corn on the cob.
Plaintains.
Eddos/taro.
Jicama.
Jerusalem artichoke.

Starches can't be low cal, it's carbs. You have to figure out appropriate serving sizes to get the desired amount of calories. They are also usually pretty colorless (not the blue potatoes heh) - look to vegetables for color.

Sabine_Stroehm

Grains or starches? (since you mention sweet potatoes with grains, I wasn't sure)?

Faro, barley etc. are staples in our house.
We do a mung bean, barley, brown rice mix.

Quinoa, while not technically a grain, is good.

Or skip it. Not particularly necessary, even for the DASH diet.

mypeep

I thought whole grains and starches were the same. Could you explain the difference? Are starches allowed when trying to lose weight?

kommodevaran

mypeep wrote: »

I thought whole grains and starches were the same. Could you explain the difference? Are starches allowed when trying to lose weight?

You don't have to try to lose weight. You lose weight by having a sustained calorie deficit. You decide yourself what to eat.

Grains are mostly starch, but there are also starchy vegetables that can be used for the same purpose (adding carby goodness to a meal). "Whole" grains just means that the outer "skin" is still present.

cwolfman13

mypeep wrote: »

I thought whole grains and starches were the same. Could you explain the difference? Are starches allowed when trying to lose weight?

Yes, you can eat starches and lose weight. Grains are starches but not all starches are grains...for example, potatoes and sweet potatoes are starchy vegetables as are many other root vegetables.

mypeep

Thank you for your much needed help!

Cherimoose

mypeep wrote: »

Are starches allowed when trying to lose weight?

You can actually eat any food you want and still lose weight. Unless a doctor prescribed the DASH diet to you, you do not need to eliminate any foods.

kshama2001

Here are 355 recipes in which "Grains" are the main ingredient: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/search/ ?f[0]=field_recipe_main_ingredient:833

mypeep

Thanks again! I'm in the grocery store now