<p>Granola has a ton of sugars in it. And usually has a high fat content. For snacks, my H eats nuts and dried fruit. (I do too when I’m being good.) He particularly loves organic dried figs from Whole Foods. They are sweet, chewy and incredibly satisfying. I also like the medjool dates which I keep in the fridge so they have almost a candy consistency. I find that if I eat these to satisfy my sweet tooth, my cravings lessen. The only drawback I can see is that good dried fruit is expensive.</p>
<p>I can get along just fine with whole wheat bread, english muffins etc. What I am having trouble transitioning to is whole wheat/whole grain pasta. Can’t get past the heaviness. Can anyone suggest a variety/brand? </p>
<p>PS It’s a lot more fun to read these posts than to actually implement the ideas…</p>
<p>Cooks Illustrated did a whole wheat spaghetti tasting. They concluded that most brands were not fit to eat, and recommended Bionaturae Organic Whole Wheat. </p>
<p>Cooks Illustrated is not a crunchy granola kind of magazine, and doesn’t take advertising. They would have no qualms about saying that every single brand of whole wheat pasta is inedible, so I take their recommendation seriously.</p>
<p>Bionaturae is what I have in my pantry right now. Always remember to add the recommended amount of salt. Can’t stress that enough!</p>
<p>I love granola too, but yep, it often (at least the kind that tastes really good) has lots of fat and calories.</p>
<p>A compromise to me is to take a few of my favorite “add-ins” and make my own crunchy mix. Usually chopped almonds, dried cherries/cranberries/blueberries, mini chocolate chips and perhaps another nut. I combine this in a bag and use it to top things like oatmeal, yogurt and even dry cereal to make it more interesting. Sometimes I just take the mix and add it to a handful of multigrain cherrios for a quick breakfast or snack on the run.</p>
<p>Cascadian Farms Organic Cinnamon Raisin Granola - low fat, very tasty. 3 gms of fat per 3/4 cup. Available at many supermarkets in the cereal section.</p>
<p>This is off topic but I can’t get started here. How do I post a question. I have never been to one of these types of things before. I am going crazy trying to find how to post! Please help. Thanks, Violet</p>
<p>VioletD, go to the forum you want to start a question in - this one is the Parent Cafe. Go to the main page for the Cafe. At the bottom left you will see “New Thread”. Click on that and it will allow you to start a new question.</p>
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<p>This is one it took me a long time to get. It’s whole grain, not whole wheat, bread products that we want to eat for health. Most commercial whole wheat breads are akin to white bread today. And to me, these nutty breads taste much better anyway.</p>
<p>Be careful to look at the whole grain labels, all are not created equally.</p>
<p>Came across this and thought I’d post it. Haven’t read the whole thread so sorry if it’s a repeat:</p>
<p>[Mark</a> Hyman, MD: Gluten: What You Don’t Know Might Kill You](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>Gluten: What You Don't Know Might Kill You | HuffPost Life)</p>
<p>Gluten - what you don’t know might kill you. (Bottom line - you don’t have to have celiac to have gluten cause health prob’s.)</p>
<p>I have a hard time with the pasta too. We have tried for a year to eat whole wheat pasta and we dread eating it! WIll try the Bionaturae brand if I can find it. We used to love grilled veggies over pasta!</p>
<p>This is hard for me. I haven’t eaten red meat for over 30 years, eat pork tenderloin about once a month and mainly eat chicken breasts, ground turkey and fish. I can’t stand oatmeal or yogurt…it’s a texture thing that makes me gag! Not a sweet eater but have always been a carb craver. Just love bread and pasta. Have made the switch to whole grains with the bread but really miss pasta. I need to find something better to eat!</p>
<p>Try quinoa. It is very high in fiber and protein. It has a texture like barley and is very satisfying. My D made a lemon cilantro salad with it the other day and it was delicious. It might satisfy your craving for pasta and is much healthier.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with a little pasta. the problem is most people eat it in portions that are too big and use fattening sauces. In Italy recently, I found a gadget that lets you measure the amount of long pasta you’re cooking by putting it through a ring. </p>
<p>I find that 2 ounces is satisfying–especially if you’re making it with a sauce filled with vegetables to give it bulk. I liked to mix chopped fresh spinach in for bulk even if we’re eating with seafood. Often we do a spicy tomato sauce with shrimp or scallops. Very filling. The trick is to keep the sauce butter and even olive oil free to the degree you can.</p>
<p>This was one thing I decided not to completely give up.</p>
<p>If you have a kitchen scale you can weigh out whatever portion you want of pasta (or anything else). </p>
<p>Different strokes for different folks. There is no way, no way at all, two ounces of pasta would be enough for me for dinner unless a large steak was also involved. Then again, I just did a fast fifty mile bike ride, which can make one feel a bit peckish.</p>
<p>If you’re doing a 50 mile bike ride, you’re entitled to a lot more. The trick there would be to consume before the bike ride. My trainer preaches ‘fueling’ the body for what it is doing. Carbs before a workout and a good portion of protein withing 15 minutes following.</p>
<p>[Eating</a> to Fuel Exercise - Well Blog - NYTimes.com](<a href=“Eating to Fuel Exercise - The New York Times”>Eating to Fuel Exercise - The New York Times)</p>
<p>And honestly, 2 ounces of spaghetti with lots of spinach and 3 large scallops or shrimp looks like a big plateful of food, or maybe I’ve just lost perspective!</p>
<p>50 mile bike ride on January 3, guess you don’t live where the wind chill today is 3 degrees with 30 mph winds 
. If I spend another weekend on the indoor trainer due to the weather, I’m going to have a psychotic episode not withstanding the wide screen TV in the basement! 25 degrees I can Take. 30 mph winds on top, fergetaboutit.</p>
<p>We recently relocated to Southern CA. My husband keeps asking–why does anyone live on the E Coast?</p>
<p>When we New Englanders hear about California fires, earthquakes, mudslides, etc…we wonder why people live on the WEST coast - but that’s a topic for another thread!! 
;)</p>
<p>I live in the south, which it turns out is not always warm. I had 15 degrees and 8 degrees wind chill this morning when I ran (and I did NOT want to go out the door). When I got back I had a cut of hot Ovaltine. It’s a great drink for post-exercise. In summer I have cold Ovaltine (nonfat milk).</p>
<p>Hi everyone!
I haven’t read but a handful of the 159 posts, but wanted to join in for the fun, ideas and support. I let myself totally enjoy the foods of the season (starting at Thanksgiving… or was it maybe Halloween… the Jewish holidays perhaps, or maybe the 4th of July??? I forget…) Anyway, I wont go NEAR a scale yet. I can tell by the way my pants fit that I won’t be happy. I have restarted working out- mostly on the weekends with a group of ladies and then off for coffee afterwards, but its a start. Now that DH is travelling a lot, older s just flew through town and headed back to his home, and younger s goes back in a week to college, maybe I can get more serious and also keep from hitting the junk food that they tend to keep around.</p>
<p>I actually like torun on a treadmill and am less comfortable withthe elliptical. I tend to alternate walk/run for anywhere from 1-2/2 mi (depending on who I am yakking with on the machine next to me!) and then do the machines (upper and lower body stuff.) I am really out of shape and hope to improve that. I usually try to get into shape for ski season, but dont know if we’ll have the opportunity to go this year, so need a better incentive. You guys are it!!! Yay!</p>