Calorie dense hot cereal for dinner?

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2/6/13 12:30 P

ok, I figured it out (yay me!) and opened my trackers. Maybe that's part of my process, to be able to share this sort of stuff with others. My weight, food, all that, have been hot button issues all my life. Maybe it's time to free myself of that demon. I never thought this website would be so amazingly therapeutic for me.

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2/6/13 12:02 P

Eggs 'n Oats... I found this recipe and have been wanting to try it... apparently you can make it either sweet OR savory... haven't tried it yet but it has a lot of good reviews...


recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?
recipe=1043893

And here's a recipe for a bowl of oatmeal with savory toppings (fried egg and soy sauce), i am apprehensive but intrigued. One day I will try this.

letsmakesomethingawesome.com/2011/03/savor
y-oatmeal/

And editing to say, if you don't want to make your full tracker public, you could copy-paste one "typical" day's results into a thread...

Edited by: BUNNYKICKS at: 2/6/2013 (12:07)

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2/6/13 11:55 A

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions. Yes, I think the portion concept is key when it comes to cereal. Oatmeal at night is a comfort food for me, but I'll have to watch portions and plan for it better.

I like the idea of custardy oatmeal with egg whites added. That sounds lovely! The TVP addition, however, won't work, as I just don't like soy and I'm not sure if it's gluten free.

I know better than to eat carb-heavy, as it keeps me hungry and it ramps up my kidneys. It also makes me very sleepy, which is why protein in the morning is imperative for me. Most of the high protein cereals are not gluten free, so my breakfasts are usually eggs and gluten free toast.

I'm a bit shy about opening my tracker to others, will think about that option. I'll have to figure out how to do that (after I figure out how to log my activity minutes. I'm not too computer savvy.)

Portion control is critical, and I do think about that with everything I eat, unless I give myself permission to relax about it sometimes.

I appreciate your replies and advice!

--Beth.

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2/6/13 10:04 A

The egg cooked into oatmeal sounds good; it would be more like custard. I too love cereal and eat it every morning but need to increase the protein in the meal. Sometimes I just eat a hard boiled egg. I just tried Kashi Go Lean, and it's pretty good and one serving has the protein equivalent of an egg. It's not hot, but it's pretty good, especially with a little fruit added.

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2/6/13 9:58 A

Watch the portions on both the cereal and the fruits/nuts. To add in protein, once the cereal is cooked (I've only done this with oatmeal) add in 2 egg whites, and whisk/beat with a fork really well to avoid the egg white from scrambling. This will give you a protein boost, and give your oats a custardy consistency that is nice.

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2/6/13 8:14 A

Try adding TVP to your cereal. Bobs Red Mill makes a good one that only costs around $3.00 a bag. This is NOT the same as the frozen crumbles. 1/4 cup dry contains 80 calories, 12 grams protein, and 4 grams of fiber.

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2/6/13 7:35 A

save it to eat on days when you have already had a protein heavy morning and have also tended towards a lot of vegetables.
also, have a smaller bowl of it. a smaller bowl means it is easier to fit in.

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2/6/13 3:30 A

Choose a healthy cereal with a lower sugar/fat content, and if you use a lot of dried fruits/nuts, try reducing them a little. How much brown sugar do you use? I use 4-5g (teaspoon) and no more. Do you make your own Cream of Rice? If so, how do you make it? OR, do you buy it? If so, do you think you could make it with brown rice (still very nice) When I do it I use Chopped Dried Dates while it is cooking, and that naturally sweeten it, so I don't need extra sugar. You like the walnuts, but go easy on them.

With other cereals, perhaps you could replace the dried fruit with some fresh fruit!

I went to have a peek at your Nutrition Tracker to see if I could be of more specific help, but you don't share it. IF you make it available, then we will be able to give you better feed-back.

As you appear to have a protein deficiency by the end of the day, I would be inclined to ensure that you have a good source of protein with each meal. If you eat bread, read the nutrition labels. Some breads are much healthier than others and have really GOOD protein and fibre, while at the same time having low fat, sugar and sodium levels. Having a hard-boiled egg for a snack will help. Adding peas and lentils to your diet will improve protein, as will adding lean meat. Skinless Chicken and fish are great sources, as is lean red meat. Canned Salmon or Sardines are also great for protein and calcium. Try a salad sandwich using either of these for the protein source. Cottage Cheese is also excellent and hummus is quite good.

Good luck,
Kris

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2/5/13 8:59 P

I enjoy having hot cereal for dinner sometimes, with dried fruits and walnuts. BUT... it's so calorie dense! I like cream of rice, gluten free oats, maybe some millet mixed in. Add in a splash of milk and a bit of brown sugar, and there are lots of calories per unit of food.

Suggestions how to include this sometimes in my day? I need to stay at around 1500 calories a day. One problem is ending the day with too little protein. I could use some advice with this.

Thank you!

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