Substitute half a pear for the apple if you prefer, or omit the fresh fruit and use half a cup (125 mL) of raisins.
Recipe: 1 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup bulgur
Half red-skinned apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup sultana raisins
1 tbsp maple syrup or to taste
METHOD: In a small saucepan, combine apple juice and cinnamon; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in bulgur. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 10 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender but still a little chewy. Remove saucepan from heat; let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in apples, sultanas and maple syrup. Serve hot. Per serving: 287 calories, 1g fat, very high fibre.
Quinoa has a tangy flavour that some say is an acquired taste. On the plus side, it's one of the most nutritious grains around. Be sure to wash it well hefore cooking.
Recipe: 1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped dates (3 oz/75g)
2 tsp liquid honey or to taste
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
pinch grated nutmeg
METHOD: Place quinoa in a medium bowl and add enough cold water to cover it by 2 inches. Let stand for 5 minutes, swirling quinoa in water occasionally. Strain through a fine sieve and rinse well.
In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 7 to 10 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in dates, honey, lemon rind and nutmeg. Serve hot. Per serving: 296 calories, 3g fat, very high fibre.
This speedy breakfast will be ready in the time it takes your tea or coffee to brew. Discard the whole spices after cooking.
1 can (10 oz/284mL) mandarin orange segments in natural juice
orange or apple juice (see method)
1 2-in (5cm) cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1 tsp liquid honey or to taste (5mL)
2 tbsp toasted chopped pecans (optional)
METHOD: Drain juice from mandarin oranges into a glass measure. Add orange or apple juice to mandarin-orange juice, if necessary, so that it measures 3/4 cup (175mL). In a small saucepan, combine juice, cinnamon stick and cloves; bring to boil over high heat. Stir in couscous. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until liquid is absorbed. Remove saucepan from heat; let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Gently stir in mandarin orange segments and noney. Serve hot, sprinkled with pecans.
Per serving (without pecans): 233 cals for 2, 157 for 3; 1g fat, moderate fibre.
Use sharp kitchen scissors to "chop" the dried fruits for this unusual take on traditional granola. Look for a variety of dried tropical fruits--papaya, pineaple, figs, unsalted banana chips-- in your local bulk food store. Serve the granola with skim milk or low-fat yogurt, or add it as a crunchy topping to a fresh fruit salad.
2 cups rolled oats (not instant) (500mL)
1/2 cup each rye and wheat flakes (125mL)
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut (125mL)
2 tbsp packed brown sugar (25mL)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (25mL)
1 tsp vanilla (5mL)
1 cup chopped dried tropical fruits (6 ozs/175g)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, rye and wheat flakes, coconut and sugar. Sprinkle with oil and vanilla; stir well to combine. Spread out mixture on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden and crisp. Watch carefully; the mixture can burn easily. Return mixture to bowl; stir in fruit. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container.
Per 1/3 cup (75mL): 133 calories, 4g fat, moderate fibre.
Preparation time: 25 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes; Standing time: 10 minutes.
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 medium-size yellow onions, thinly sliced (1-1/4 cups)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick
2 medium-size red-skinned potatoes (170g/6oz ea), cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch)cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 L (4 cups) Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (400g/14-1/2oz) low-sodium tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
2 mL (1/2 tsp) each dried thyme and basil, crumbled
2 mL (1/2 tsp) each salt and black pepper, or to taste
1 bay leaf
2 parsnips (198g/7oz), peeled and sliced 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick
1 medium-size zucchini (170g/6oz), cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes
1 medium-size yellow squash (170g/6oz, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes
500 mL (2 cups) cooked chick peas
50 mL (1/4 cup) golden raisins
250 mL (1 cup) couscous
In a Dutch oven, heat 15 mL 1 tbsp) of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions and saute occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden.
Add the carrots, potatoes, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the vegetables, covered for 5 minutes.
Add the parsnips and simmer, covered, for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, and chick peas and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Using a 500 mL (2 cup) glass measuring cup, transfer 375 mL (1-1/2 cups) of the cooking liquid from the Dutch oven to a small sauce pan. Stir in the raisins and the remaining 15 mL (1 tbsp) of oil, then bring the liquid to a boil and stir in the couscous.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender.
Serve the vegetables over the couscous. Serves 4 to 6.
Defining Carbohydrates
There are general classes of carbohydrates: refined and unrefined. Refined carbohydrates are essentially refined sugars and refined flours. Unrefined carbohydrates are the kind found in whole grains, beans, fruits, and many vegetables. Generally speaking, refined carbohydrates are less healthy for our bodies and unrefined carbohydratres are more healthy. Here's a list of foods classified as refined or unrefined carbohydrates.
Refined Carbohydrates: table sugar, soft drinks, maple syrup, sweetened yogurt. Any ingredient ending in "ol" such as sorbitol, "ose" such as dextose.
Unrefined Carbohydrates
vegetables, Beans, Buckwheat, Quinoa, Amaranth, arrowroot, whole grains (wheat, oats, barley, rye) Whole-grain breads, cereals and pastas, Peas, Milk, Fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes, Tapioca, Plain yogurt.
Unrefined carbohydrates are usually more healthy because they include two kinds of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Fiber is extremely important for weight management because it makes you feel full so you don't overeat, and it helps slow down your body's absorption of carbohydrate foods. Combined with soluble fiber, insoluble fiber helps maintain good bowel function. These fiber-rich foods are very important to a satisfying weight-loss plan.
Low-GI Foods
Breads: Pumpernickel, sourdough
Grains: Barley, parboiled rice, bulgur, kasha
Pasta: Angel hair, linguine, and other thin strands; bean threads (cellophane noodles); whole grain spaghetti.
Cereals: Rice bran, unsweetened high-fiber (all bran) cereals.
Vegetables: All except those listed in high GI.
Fruits: Cherries, nuts, olives.
Snacks: Cheese,nuts, olives.
Protein foods: Unsweetened peanut butter, beans, eggs, unsweetened soy milk.
High-GI Foods
Breads: whole wheat bread, corn bread, all baked goods made with white flour.
Cereals: Old-fashioned oats, corn and most corn products, some rice products, millet, some dry cereals.
Pasta: all thick shapes such as ziti, penne, and rigatoni.
Fruits: watermelon, raisins, pineapple, cantaloupe, very ripe banana.
Vegetables: Parsnips; potatoes (especially instant mashed potatoes), including French fries, fresh mashed potato, baked russet potato; corn, beets, carrots.
Snacks: Corn chips, torrtilla chips, pretzels, rice cakes.
Alcohol: All beer, all liquors and wine, except red wine.
Miscellaneous: Foods sweetened with a lot of sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup, glucose, or dextrose.