Breakfast Grains! Who's The Guru?

donicagalek

I'm posting this because I'm *certain* that someone here has already done the legwork of comparing common (and uncommon, I guess) breakfast grains. I know one could easily Google the caloric value of a bunch, but before you rush off and do that and post your findings...it *really* won't be helpful!

1 cup of prepared oatmeal is a world different than 1 cup of dry, right? And that's where I found difficulty. Most sites list the caloric content of Cream of Wheat when it's already prepared. I'd like to know all of the dry caloric contents. Maybe I like to add more (or less) water to my grains - that *really* affects the ending calorie total!

So. Anyone have a list handy of breakfast grain calorie values in their dry state? Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Wheat Bran...anything that can be cooked up hot goes. :-) TIA!

JennLifts

Look on the box...??

Cream of wheat is in the database. It's 3Tbs per serving. 120 cals, no fat, i believe 23 carb and 3 protein.
Oats (not steel cut) are a 1/2c dry per serving, 150cals, 2.5fat, 27 carb, and 5 protein.
quinoa is 1/4c dry per serving. 174 cals, 30carb, 3fat, and 5 protein.

Its' going to depend on the brand. Oatmeal generally is always the same. The quinoa facts for ancient harvest are different than Trader joes.

JLervold86

Well I can tell you for sure that the plain dry oatmeal is 150 calories for 1/2 cup. I eat this every morning and usually throw some strawberries in there. I just heat it up with water (no milk), which doesnt add calories. The bowl is quite a bit more full after the oats cook through, leaves me full and lowers cholesterol!

I can also say that I love the Special K Protein Plus cereal for a snack--3/4 of a cup is 100calories (usually I just eat a full cup though), one serving has: only 2 grams of sugar, tons of fiber and 10g of protein! It tastes pretty good too

Never have eaten cream of wheat :-/

MistyMtnMan

Look on the box...??

Cream of wheat is in the database. It's 3Tbs per serving. 120 cals, no fat, i believe 23 carb and 3 protein.
Oats (not steel cut) are a 1/2c dry per serving, 150cals, 2.5fat, 27 carb, and 5 protein.
quinoa is 1/4c dry per serving. 174 cals, 30carb, 3fat, and 5 protein.

Its' going to depend on the brand. Oatmeal generally is always the same. The quinoa facts for ancient harvest are different than Trader joes.

Ditto, just read the box.

momma3sweetgirls

If it's prepared with water, the caloric value of the prepared cereal will be the same as the dry. Preparing it with milk is another story.

natskedat

Water doesn't have any calories, so the dry grains have the same caloric value as the hydrated grains. 1/2 cup dry oatmeal has the same caloric value as 1 c prepared.

wiggleroom

I think you're asking about the amount because a half cup of dry oatmeal expands to more than 1/2 cup once it's cooked (though both would have the same number of calories if you prep it with water). In my experience, every box will tell you the dry serving size as well as the "prepared" serving size. So ... like other have said ... check the box and see what you find out.

donicagalek

Thanks guys. I'm really surprised that nobody has actually cataloged this specific information into a spreadsheet. It seems that someone would know the one grain that has the least cals. Or the one grain highest in iron. I guess I've found my next project.

And wiggleroom nailed it right on the head. Prepared with water, 1/2 cup of prepared oatmeal has less cals than 1/2 cup dry oatmeal. Think about it. There are less oats in 1/2 cup of prepared (with water).

knittnponder

This database might help you in your quest for info. It's not a big spreadsheet but should help you in compiling yours.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/