Grits or no Grits

What does everyone think of eating grits with eggs in the morning. We go out for breakfast a lot but just wondered about grits. Sometimes I order a english muffin and 2 eggs. which do you think is better

Replies

  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    I'd switch off. Whichever one fits your mood and into your calories for the day.
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    I guess I didn't put it right the grits are plain and have 2 eggs and toast or just a english muffin and 2 eggs I only eat the grits to add more calories. Was just wondering really how nutritious they are am I just wasting calories there ok but really dont have a lot of flavor
  • courtneyaleen
    courtneyaleen Posts: 14 Member
    A quick google on grits vs steel cut oats was an interesting read as, I eat the oats w egg white for breakfast some mornings. It really is a good alternative and filling start to the day, imho. Both, served plain with no toppings are relatively close in cal, nutrients and fat. The decision between them would be how you’d like to factor them into your diary or macros. Of course, if they were grits made at a restaurant—they would most likely have added salt, butter and whatever delicious magic they add-in. This would need to be calculated for the true calories/macros.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    edited July 2018
    chulipa wrote: »
    I guess I didn't put it right the grits are plain and have 2 eggs and toast or just a english muffin and 2 eggs I only eat the grits to add more calories. Was just wondering really how nutritious they are am I just wasting calories there ok but really dont have a lot of flavor

    Plain grits really don't have a lot of nutrition. They are primarily carbs with a tiny bit of fat and some fiber. So, if they're helping you stay satisfied by adding some bulk to your breakfast and giving you energy without a lot of calories then you may find that to be a good trade off. If you'd rather have something with more fat, protein, and micro-nutrients, then you'd be better off finding something else to add or something to enjoy later in the day.

    ETA: I would ask how they're prepared though for logging purposes. As the poster above said, they may well have added ingredients like butter that you need to account for.
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    I was just eating toast or english muffin always no butter with my eggs could guess on calories pretty close grits dont do anything for me only eating them because it gives more food on plate
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    chulipa wrote: »
    I was just eating toast or english muffin always no butter with my eggs could guess on calories pretty close grits dont do anything for me only eating them because it gives more food on plate

    Do you like your toast and english muffins with no butter? I'm just trying to understand why you are eating grits that "don't do anything" for you (I'm interpreting that as meaning you don't especially enjoy them) just to have "more food on the plate" while you're cutting calories elsewhere. Do you mean you want more food visually? Or that you want more food to eat because you're eating with other people and you don't want to finish eating and sit there while they have a lot of food left?

    If you could clarify what your goals are, and what you're trying to accomplish with the grits or english muffin, you might get more helpful advice.
  • Mazda_Mx5
    Mazda_Mx5 Posts: 722 Member
    I have not eaten grits in years .
    From what I remember eating them was .
    I felt like I had to eat them fast , while they were hot .
    Because if you waited to long they became rubbery .
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Do you like them?

    Do they fit your calories and macros?
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Do you like them?

    Do they fit your calories and macros?

    Yes but was eating them for iron. Waffle would give them like 100% and now I know its more like 16%
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    chulipa wrote: »
    I was just eating toast or english muffin always no butter with my eggs could guess on calories pretty close grits dont do anything for me only eating them because it gives more food on plate

    Do you like your toast and english muffins with no butter? I'm just trying to understand why you are eating grits that "don't do anything" for you (I'm interpreting that as meaning you don't especially enjoy them) just to have "more food on the plate" while you're cutting calories elsewhere. Do you mean you want more food visually? Or that you want more food to eat because you're eating with other people and you don't want to finish eating and sit there while they have a lot of food left?

    If you could clarify what your goals are, and what you're trying to accomplish with the grits or english muffin, you might get more helpful advice.

    I dont like butter on toast but I started ordering grits in place of hashbrowns and I thought they had a lot of iron in them according to waffle house they have 100% but they dont. Thats why Im just trying to find out the truth on there nutritional value.
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    Mazda_Mx5 wrote: »
    I have not eaten grits in years .
    From what I remember eating them was .
    I felt like I had to eat them fast , while they were hot .
    Because if you waited to long they became rubbery .

    They will as they get cold
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/breakfast-cereals/1630/2
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/baked-products/5174/2

    If you like grits then eat them. If you prefer another option then get another option.
    You can look at the nutritional information of both and see if it makes a difference to you.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    chulipa wrote: »
    chulipa wrote: »
    I was just eating toast or english muffin always no butter with my eggs could guess on calories pretty close grits dont do anything for me only eating them because it gives more food on plate

    Do you like your toast and english muffins with no butter? I'm just trying to understand why you are eating grits that "don't do anything" for you (I'm interpreting that as meaning you don't especially enjoy them) just to have "more food on the plate" while you're cutting calories elsewhere. Do you mean you want more food visually? Or that you want more food to eat because you're eating with other people and you don't want to finish eating and sit there while they have a lot of food left?

    If you could clarify what your goals are, and what you're trying to accomplish with the grits or english muffin, you might get more helpful advice.

    I dont like butter on toast but I started ordering grits in place of hashbrowns and I thought they had a lot of iron in them according to waffle house they have 100% but they dont. Thats why Im just trying to find out the truth on there nutritional value.

    Many grain foods come in "enriched" varieties, so it's possible the restaurant is using enriched grits that have more iron than whatever product you're looking at the nutritional information for. USDA database has an enriched grits listing 8 mg/quarter cup dried grits (which is about a 150 kcal serving), and 8 mg of iron is 100% RDA for men and post-menopausal women. So you could ask the restaurant if they're using enriched grits.

    According to this list I generated from the nutrient search page on the USDA site (it's sorted by iron content per 100 g, and I limited the search to baked goods, breakfast cereals, and cereal grains and pastas, since those seemed like the best matches for the kinds of foods your choices are indicating you want to eat with you eggs), your best best for getting lots of iron in a food that might be available at a waffle house are a whole wheat enriched hot cereal like Ralston, oatmeal that has been enriched with iron, and "Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits, Redeye Gravy & Country Ham flavor, dry" (42 mg iron in 100 g, or about 12 mg in a 28 g serving -- the packets of dried instant grits have 28 g).
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
    No Grits - they're horrid ;)
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    Love grits!!! Yummy! Butter and sugar or go savory with cheese and garlic. Can't lose!
  • SSpeakes
    SSpeakes Posts: 95 Member
    Always go for the grits!
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,899 Member
    Can I have pancakes instead of grits?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    chulipa wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Do you like them?

    Do they fit your calories and macros?

    Yes but was eating them for iron. Waffle would give them like 100% and now I know its more like 16%

    If, like me, you are concerned with iron because you are anemic, I suggest you get your iron from foods that are naturally iron rich rather than fortified and consider iron supplements. Re fortified foods, you'd probably better off with a high quality supplement. There are many forms of iron, and it is reasonable to assume that food manufacturers are more concerned with cost than their form of iron's ability to move your iron levels.

    I need to both eat 100% of the RDA of iron and take 280% in supplements to stay in Low Normal.
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    Thanks everyone now I will only eat them when I want to
  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
    No Grits - they're horrid ;)

    Yes. In the Wheel of Time book where they try to taste this delicious looking food and it all tastes like sand? My opinion of grits. Hot. Wet. Sand. I have no idea how anyone can stomach them.