Are Grains and Carbs Bad for You?

There’s so much conflicting information on the internet. One “expert” says grains are bad for you, follow the Paleo diet. Others say all carbs are bad, follow the Keto diet. And still others say grains are good for you and you should eat them several times a day. What should you believe?

As a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant, this is one of the many questions clients ask me about and are very confused and frustrated about. I get it! It can be hard to figure out who really is an expert. And nutrition advice and recommendations do change as we gather more research and learn more about how different foods affect the body. It’s also true that what works for one woman’s body may not be good for another woman. One size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to nutrition.

So, let’s talk about grains, based on research and what we know right now. First of all, what are grains? They’re all the foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or any other cereal grain. Grains are divided into two groups – Refined Grains and Whole Grains. Refined grains are usually highly processed and have been stripped of their fiber, iron and B vitamins. Examples of refined grains are white bread, pasta, white rice, baked goods and many crackers and snack foods. Whole grains have the whole grain kernel still intact. Examples include breads and pastas made from whole wheat or whole grain flours, oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa and popcorn.

Whole Grain Bread. Photo by Tetiana SHYSHKINA on Unsplash

Back to the question, “Are Grains and Carbs Bad for You?” The answer is: it depends. Highly processed refined grains and carbs have little redeeming value. They have very little nutrition left by the time you eat them. When eaten frequently and in large quantities refined carbs are thought to change your metabolism, which can lead to high cholesterol (think heart disease), high insulin levels (think diabetes) and greater weight gain even when eating the same amount of calories. So, yes refined grains and carbs are “bad” or unhealthy for you.

Whole grains, on the other hand, have lots of redeeming value. Research shows whole grains can actually help lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. And it gets even better. In the last 15 years, there has been a lot of research looking at ways we can prevent memory loss (cognitive decline), Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. This is an area of nutrition I’m really passionate about! It’s so exciting that we don’t have to just cross our fingers and hope we don’t have memory loss as we age, but we can actually take action! One of the foods thought to slow or prevent cognitive decline is whole grains. So along with helping to prevent heart disease and diabetes, they also help prevent memory loss.

So, the next question is, how many servings of whole grains do you need? There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” answer to this because it depends on your age, gender, physical activity, health conditions and the calories you need. Talk with a registered dietitian to find out how much you need personally, and in the meantime the US Dietary Guidelines recommend at least half of your grain servings per day should come from whole grains. A serving of grains is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of dry cereal (or ½ cup cooked cereal), or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta. Go ahead and add up the number of grain servings you typically eat per day, divide in half, then make sure you’re getting that number (or more) servings of whole grains.

To help you start adding more whole grains to your day (and at the same time boost your memory), try these quick and easy recipes:

Overnight Oats

The Best Homemade Granola

Quinoa with Red Pepper & Black Beans

A Unique Baked Whole Grain Pasta

Wild Rice Salad

I’d love to hear what foods and recipes you make to get your whole grains each day! Leave a comment below.

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Homemade No Knead Seeded Bread

With Coronavirus and so many people sheltering in place, many of us have taken to bread making. I’ve been having fun making different types of bread as a way to enjoy some tasty, yet healthy comfort food, spend time on a new hobby and lift my mood with the smell of freshly baked bread lingering in the house for hours.

One of the things I love about this bread is that you don’t need yeast! Just like many other staples, yeast disappeared from store shelves very quickly when the COVID-19 shelter in place orders started in many states and hasn’t returned to the shelves 5 weeks later in California anyway. So if you’re craving some homemade bread, but don’t have yeast, here’s a recipe for you!

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

·         1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds + 1 Tbsp. for topping

·         1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds + 1 Tbsp. for topping

·         2 Tablespoon sesame seeds

·         1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 1/4 cup buttermilk*  

·         1 egg

·         1/4 cup canola or olive oil

·         2-4 Tablespoons honey **

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine flours, seeds for the bread, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a wire whisk.

3. In a separate medium bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, oil and honey. Whisk to combine.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, mix everything just until combined. Don't over mix.

5. Pour the batter into a clay loaf pan (or regular loaf pan), coated with oil. Sprinkle seeds on top.

6. Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

7. Cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

*Don’t have buttermilk? Substitute 4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar + milk to make 1 ¼ cups.

**If you want a hint of sweetness in your bread, use 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) honey.

Modified from https://www.elmundoeats.com/fast-no-knead-multi-seed-bread/

The Best Homemade Granola Ever!

Homemade Granola

Go Nuts Granola

 I love this granola because it’s pretty low in sugar and full of heart-healthy, memory boosting oats and nuts! It makes a great topping for Greek yogurt, overnight oats or that ice cream splurge.

 Ingredients

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use instant oats)

¾ cup roasted or raw unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped

¾ cup unsalted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

Preparation:

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Fold in oats, nuts and seeds until thoroughly coated.

3. Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheets and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake 20 minutes, then turn oven off and rotate pan without stirring the oats.

4. Bake an additional 30 minutes (with oven off) or until lightly browned.  Remove granola from oven and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break granola into pieces of desired size.

5. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 7 cups.

Nutrition Information per ¼ cup serving:

148 calories, 7.7g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 15 g Total Carbohydrate ( 4.5g sugar), 2.3g Fiber, 4.4g protein, 0mg cholesterol, 44mg sodium

Notes:

If you measure the oil in a liquid measure cup and then measure the honey, the honey will easily slide out of the cup into your bowl.

Chopping the almonds by hand is the first choice for superior texture and crunch. If you prefer not to hand chop, substitute an equal quantity of slivered or sliced almonds.

When you remove the granola from the oven it may be slightly chewy, but will harden as it cools.

Baked Whole Grain Pasta w. Pumpkin & Kale

Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and potassium and is a good source of fiber and the antioxidant, beta-carotene.  Kale is rich in vitamin K, antioxidants and fiber. Whole grains are one of the many brain healthy foods recommended to help prevent memory loss or cognitive decline. Combine the pumpkin, whole grain pasta, and kale for a power food combination that tastes great all year long.

Pasta w. Pumpkin

Ingredients:                                                           

8 oz. whole grain penne pasta

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinched dried red pepper flakes

1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms (5-6 medium mushrooms)

½ bunch Lucinato kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

¼ cup dry white wine or low sodium vegetable broth

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

½ (15 oz.) can pumpkin (no sugar or spices added)

1 egg

1 cup low fat ricotta cheese

1 cup marinara sauce

½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

¼ cup (1oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.

2. Bring a large pot of to boil. Add salt and pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside in a colander.

3. In the meantime, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and kale; cook 5-6 minutes or until slightly cooked down. Add wine and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in basil, season with salt and pepper and turn off heat.

4. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, egg, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, kale mixture and cooked pasta. Stir until combined and season with salt and pepper

5. Coat an 8 X 8-inch glass pan with oil. Pour pasta-pumpkin mixture into pan. Spread evenly and top with Parmesan cheese.

6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

Makes 4 1-cup servings.