Eating Pumpkin can help you avoid chunkin’ (up)

       Halloween is one week away and pumpkins are available everywhere. Sure, they are fun to carve and look at, but did you know that pumpkin is an incredibly nutritious food? Pumpkin itself, whether baked, or canned, is a low-calorie food that is incredibly high in the antioxidant beta-carotene (a precursor to Vitamin A). A ½ cup serving of canned pumpkin has only 40 calories, 9 g carb (5 g fiber), 350% DV (Daily Value) Vitamin A, 8% DV Vitamin C, and 10% DV Iron.  

            Beta-carotene has shown to help prevent cancer and heart disease, boosts immunity, aids in reproductive function, and supports good vision. Pumpkins are an easy way to get a large dose of beta-carotene, but other good sources include sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash and dark leafy greens (spinach, collards, kale, etc.).

            In addition to pumpkins being an easy way to get a large dose of a healthy antioxidant, pumpkins can help lower the caloric value of recipes. Here are some tips to try:

·        Add canned pumpkin instead of eggs, oil, and other ingredients to boxed cake mix to create a lower-fat and calorie dessert (with more fiber and antioxidants!)

·        Use canned pumpkin in replace of fat in other baked goods (e.g: sub for butter)

·        Add 1 cup of pumpkin to 1 jar of tomato sauce to reduce the sodium and boost fiber and micronutrient content.

·        Use in soups, sauces, and stews to add a creaminess without adding actual cream or fat

Here are some of my favorite recipes using pumpkin:

• Pumpkin Butter:
• Combine 1 15-oz can of pumpkin w/ 2/3 c brown sugar, ¼ cup honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp cinnamon & 1/8 tsp ground cloves in a heavy saucepan. Boil then reduce to low and cook for 20-25 minutes. Makes 2 cups (32, 1 tbsp servings). 30 calories/tbsp.
• NOTE: Trader Joe’s also has a delicious pumpkin butter that is now in stock!
• I recommend mixing 1 tbsp of pumpkin butter with ½ cup cottage cheese; add some vanilla & cinnamon for a delicious & healthy dessert!
• Pumpkin Hummus:
• Mix 1- 15.5 oz can chickpeas, ¾ cup canned pumpkin, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp water, 1 clove garlic (chopped), ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and 2 tbsp parsley in a food processor.  Add water as needed to get the consistency you like. Serve with whole wheat pita, whole grain crackers, or veggies. Makes 16 servings- 2 tbsp= 20 calories.
• Pumpkin Smoothie:
• Blend ½ cup pumpkin, ½ banana, 6 oz container of nonfat light vanilla yogurt, 1 tsp honey, ½ cup ice, pack of truvia or other sweetener, and a dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract. Top with whipped topping if desired. Makes 1 large serving= 200 calories, 1 g fat,  7 g protein, 20% DV Calcium, 358% DV Vitamin A, 20% DV Vitamin D
• Healthy Pumpkin Pie
• Opt for homemade pumpkin pie where you control what goes in. Use fat-free sweetened condensed milk, lower the sugar by ¼, use egg whites instead of whole eggs, and go crust-less or make a lower fat graham cracker crust (most of the fat in pies comes from the crust!).

Okay, now you have all the tools and recipes to use pumpkin. If you are really inspired, here is one last recipe for cooking a real pumpkin:

1.                  Select a “pie pumpkin” – they are smaller (<6” diameter) than jack-o-lantern pumpkins

2.                  Cut the pumpkin in half

3.                  Scrape out the seeds (but save to roast later!)

4.                  Remove the stem and place the halves in a microwaveable bowl. Fill with a few inches of water, cover with lid.

5.                  Microwave for around 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.

6.                  Then you can scoop out the pumpkin and puree to use in recipes (use this puree instead of canned pumpkin in the above recipes/tips.).

7.                  Enjoy!

References:

Image from: Cyber Cauldron website

Recipes adapted from: Libby's Very Best Baking Recipe website

Information from: USDA food and nutrient database, World's Healthiest Food website

Kelly's Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Recipe

Here is a recipe for my favorite healthy snack: pumpkin cottage cheese! The name may sound gross, but if you like pumpkin pie, you should like this. You can also visit my blog on pumpkin to learn about the health benefits and for a recipe for homemade pumpkin butter! If you are really opposed to cottage cheese, you can substitute a plain low-fat (regular or Greek) yogurt.

Ingredients:

• ½ c Breakstone’s 2% Cottage cheese, 30% Reduced Sodium (or any other low-fat cottage cheese like Trader Joe's- higher in sodium)
• 1 ½ tbsp Kauffman’s No Sugar Added Pumpkin Butter (20 cal/tbsp) or Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter (40 cal/tbsp- has honey so added sugar...)
• ½ c canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (can sub cinnamon and/or nutmeg and cloves)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Orange zest

Directions:

Mix all together and enjoy! 

Note: If you can’t find the Pumpkin Butter, you can substitute no sugar added apple butter, or 1 tsp honey.

Nutrition info (estimated by Diet Master using Kauffman's No Sugar Added Pumpkin butter): 1 serving= 180 calories, 3 g fat, 17 g carb (4 g fiber, 13 g sugar), 13 g protein   

Good source of Vitamin A!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I am a big advocate of making smoothies for dessert. I recommend for most of my clients to invest in a Magic Bullet or any generic individual-sized blender so that they can make a quick smoothie everday and have very easy cleanup (instead of having to dismantle the blender every time). Smoothies are a great way to get in your dairy and fruit servings... and if you get adventurous, you can even add in some leafy greens to get some veggies in there too (and perhaps peanut butter for your protein group). Smoothies are also a cool summertime treat that can be very low in calories and a great alternative to ice cream. During this summer, I will try to post a new recipe regularly to get you all enthused about making your own frozen treat.

I love canned pumpkin and have posted previously about how nutritious and versatile it is. Below is one of my favorite desserts that I have made into a smoothie recipe (my favorite easy dessert is just cottage cheese, pumpkin butter, cinnamon and canned pumpkin mixed together into a mousse-like dessert). Even if you don't like cottage cheese, I recommend you try it in a smoothie because it makes it thicker (i.e: more milkshake-like) than yogurt does.

Kelly's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe

1/3 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup Breakstone’s 30% reduced sodium 2% cottage Cheese

1/3 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk

½ cup ice cubes

Dash of vanilla extract

Dash of pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp pumpkin butter (Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods)

* Variations:

- Top with nonfat whipped topping if desired

- You can substitute no-sugar added pumpkin butter for fewer calories, or use honey (or any other sweetener) if you don't have pumpkin butter on hand

- Substitute a light vanilla or plain nonfat yogurt if you don't have cottage cheese

- Add more liquid or ice if it isn't the right consistency or you want to add more volume

Makes 1 serving:

Nutrition facts: 160 calories, 3 g fat, 241 mg sodium, 16 g carb (3 g fiber), 14 g sugar, 9 g protein,

Good Source of Vitamins A & D

My Favorite Ways to Prepare Oat Bran

My oat bran I packed for work this morning: made with oat bran, cashew milk, mixed
cooked fruit (strawberries, cranberries, apple, and banana), a spoonful of
Breakstone's 2% cottage cheese, and dash of pumpkin pie spice. 

If you are a client of mine, or have talked to a client of mine, you know that oat bran is my #1 recommended food. My previous blog on this magical food explains all the health benefits; primarily for its abilities to help lower cholesterol, aid in weight loss, keep blood sugar even, and providing satiety for several hours after eating. 

Oat bran is prepared the same way you would instant oat meal, so it’s a super quick and healthy breakfast. However, some of my clients are initially turned off the first time they make it if it is just prepared with water. That being said, I have listed below some of my favorite ways to prepare it so hopefully you will learn to love it like I do. While some combinations may sound bizarre, you just have to trust me and try it out yourself! 

You can find oat bran in the bulk bins at Whole Foods or Wegman’s (I really like Wegman’s Fine Oat Bran in bulk), or can purchase Bob’s Red Mill, Hodgson Mill, Quaker, and other brands in a normal grocery store (typically in the “natural food” aisle), and Trader Joe’s has their own version. I personally also top my oat bran with a high fiber cereal like Trader Joe’s High Fiber or All Bran twigs- adds a nice crunch and extra dose of fiber to fill you up!

I have listed the calorie breakdown of the traditional oat bran recipe, so you can have a better idea of how the tweaks in each recipe will change the nutrient composition.

OAT BRAN RECIPES

Traditional Oat Bran Preparation

1/3 c dry oat bran [~130 calories]

1 c skim milk [~80 calories]

½ c berries [~35 calories]

½ tsp Cinnamon [~10 calories]

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup or honey (optional) [~20 calories per teaspoon]

Traditional Prep Nutrition Info w/o sweetener: 255 calories, 3.5 g fat, 47 g carb [18 g sugar, 10 g fiber], 15 g protein (using unsweetened almond or cashew milk instead of skim cuts calories to 225, carbs to 43 g [sugar to 11 g] and protein down to 9 g)

Peaches ‘n Cream Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

¾ c unsweetened cashew milk

½ c sliced peaches

½ tsp cinnamon

Dash of salt

2-3 tbsp plain yogurt or kefir (add after cooking)

My Favorite Pumpkin Oat Bran:

1/3 c dry oat bran

½ c canned 100% pure pumpkin

1 c light vanilla soymilk

2 dashes pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (optional)

My Favorite [Cottage Cheese] Pumpkin Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

¼ c canned 100% pure pumpkin

¼ medium banana

¼- 1/3 c low-fat cottage cheese

¾ c light vanilla soymilk

2 dashes pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (optional)

Apple Pie Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ c chopped apple- cooked on stove or microwave until soft

Dash of salt

Dash of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

1 tbsp no sugar added apple butter

High Protein Oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ - 1 scoop flavored protein powder (I like Garden of Life RAW)

½ c cooked mixed fruit

Even Higher Fiber Oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

2 tbsp wheat bran

1 tsp inulin or other powdered fiber

2 tsp ground flax seeds

½ tsp cinnamon

½ c cooked mixed berries

·         Top with High Fiber cereal

PB banana honey Oat Bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 c milk (almond, skim, soy)

2 tbsp PB2 or powdered peanut butter

½ medium banana

1-2 tsp honey (optional)

Nutty calorie packed oat bran

1/3 c dry oat bran

1 ¼ c milk (almond, skim, soy)

½ medium banana

½ tsp Cinnamon

1 tbsp hemp/flax/chia seeds

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Feel free to leave comments with your favorite way to prepare this breakfast staple!

Source for nutritional analysis: Diet Master Pro 

Healthy Turkey Pumpkin Chili

This post previously appeared in Philly.com in a February 2016 Winter Comfort Foods Article I wrote for them:

Kelly’s Pumpkin Turkey Chili 

Nothing says winter like a nice bowl of chili, though the usual fare is robust in saturated fat and sodium. This version, though not your classic bowl, is definitely a great dinner option. Pumpkin is a staple I keep in my pantry at all times as an easy way to add a creamy texture to recipes without cream. It adds a subtle sweetness to recipes tons of Vitamin A and fiber! I recommend serving it over barley or farro with more veggies topped off with plain yogurt for a very well-balanced meal. 

Ingredients: 
1 tbsp olive oil  
1 c onion, chopped
1 c mixed bell peppers, chopped
1 c vegetable of choice (chopped broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc)
1 – 4oz can green chilis 1 large garlic clove, minced
1 pound (16 oz) 99% extra lean ground turkey
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, reduced sodium
1 can red kidney beans (no salt added if available)
1 (14.5 oz) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 ½ tbsp chili powder
½ tbsp cumin
½ tsp salt (can add more to taste at end)
½ tsp black pepper
Cayenne pepper – to taste
Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, 0% plain Greek yogurt, 2% shredded cheese 

Directions: 
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Sauté the Bell peppers, vegetables of choice, green chilies, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Push veggies to side of pan and add turkey. Cook turkey until brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and pumpkin. Then add rest of seasonings and more salt if needed.  Reduce and simmer for at least 25 minutes. 
3. Top and enjoy! 


Nutritional Value per serving (1/6 recipe): 255 calories, 4.5 g fat, 419 mg sodium, 30 g carb (11 g fiber!), 27 g protein [Analysis using Diet Master Pro] *analysis using chopped broccoli and no-salt added canned tomatoes and beans 

Picture source: https://www.weightwatchers.com/images/1033/dynamic/foodandrecipes/2010/08/HeartyTurkeyChili_xl.jpg

What to do with those Leftovers

Thanksgiving has come and gone. You ate a lot, but now you still have plenty of leftovers. Luckily, if you have Turkey leftover you can make plenty of healthy and exciting new dishes (unfortunately you can’t really turn mashed potatoes and stuffing into anything healthy). Below are some ideas and recipes for what to do with some of those leftovers:
A FEW LEFTOVER IDEAS:
1. Use leftover fresh veggies from your appetizer plate and stir fry them with turkey and your favorite Asian sauce (Soy, Soy Vay!, etc.)
2. Use leftover canned pumpkin and mix with cottage cheese (or fat-free ricotta), a dash of vanilla, sweetener (honey, agave, splenda), cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice for a delicious treat! Mix in fat free whipped topping for an even creamier dessert.
3. Mix in leftover cranberry sauce into plain yogurt, cottage cheese or oatmeal as a sweetener.

RECIPES (My picks from Cooking Light):

1. CURRY TURKEY SALAD

This is a great way to mix up the traditional Thanksgiving Turkey flavor. I recommend using whole wheat pita rounds (available at Trader Joe’s or Wegman’s). -Kelly

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup salad and 5 pitas)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  reduced-fat sour cream
• 2  tablespoons  plain yogurt
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 1  tablespoon  honey
• 1  teaspoon  curry powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  cups  chopped cooked turkey
• 1  cup  seedless red grapes, halved
• 1/2  cup  diced celery
• 1/4  cup  chopped red onion
• 2  tablespoons  cashew pieces
• 20  mini pita rounds (about 5 ounces, such as Toufayan Pitettes)

Preparation

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add turkey, grapes, celery, onion, and cashews; stir gently to combine. Serve with pitas.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 309 (21% from fat), Fat: 7.3g (sat 2.4g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.7g), Protein: 25.5g, Carbohydrate: 35.3g, Fiber: 2g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Iron: 2.8mg, Sodium: 419mg, Calcium: 83mg

 

SOURCE: Elizabeth Taliaferro, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

2.  TURKEY CHILI

*I recommend using brown rice and your leftover turkey (not ground) to give this dish an extra nutritional boost. Also, since the beans contain plenty of carbohydrates, the rice is not necessary to balance out this meal… so you can omit or just decrease. -Kelly

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili, 1/2 cup rice, and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

• 1  (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 3/4  cup  chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2  pound  ground turkey breast
• 1  tablespoon  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeño peppers and spices, undrained
• 1  (5.5-ounce) can tomato juice
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) preshredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. While rice cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and turkey, and cook 3 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder and the next 8 ingredients (chili powder through tomato juice); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve over rice, and sprinkle with cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 380 (26% from fat), Fat: 10.5g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 3.3g), Protein: 21.4g, Carbohydrate: 51g, Fiber: 11.2g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Iron: 4mg,  Sodium: 739mg, Calcium: 125mg,

Source: Barbara Seelig Brown, Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

My Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget!

Most people seem to think that it is very expensive to eat healthy. I beg to differ. If you adopt a “mostly plant based diet” for optimal health as emphasized by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, it is not very difficult to lean out your food bill. Meat is expensive and time consuming to prepare, so that is where a lot of the American food budget goes (and some estimate about 50% of the food is wasted by being thrown out!). I am not advocating that you become completely vegetarian*, but I guarantee you can be healthy and have more money in your wallet if you cut down on your meat intake (yes, chicken does count as meat!). 

Also, if you also set aside some time each day to prepare your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you will save hundreds to thousands of dollars each year otherwise spent eating out. If you are looking to lose weight, cutting down on meat portions (and increasing veggies!), and leaving eating out for special occasions will be your best tools in losing those extra pounds. DO NOT buy into all the prepared food diet programs with specialty shakes, supplements, and meals, because that will derail your budgeting (and eventually, weight loss) efforts!! Below are some tips to help you cut your food costs and get more creative with your meals!

My Tips:

1.    Use your freezer! As a rule of thumb, freeze anything you won’t eat or drink in the next 3 days that will go bad. Examples:

·         Freeze ½ loaf bread, milk/soymilk (almond doesn’t work!), leftovers from dinner, berries, cooked vegetables, even hummus!

2.    Buy frozen vegetables & berries: Frozen veggies tend to be MORE nutritious than fresh since they are picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen immediately. Recs:

·         Frozen spinach, mustard greens, chopped peppers, veggie blends- add to omelets, pastas, stir fries, etc!

3.    Make cottage cheese (reduced sodium or no-salt added) a staple food! Cottage cheese is a very cheap protein and super versatile

·         Add cottage cheese like you would cheese in omelets and pastas, or on potatoes

·         Use in salads mixed with salsa as the “dressing” or in Mexican dishes as a sub for the sour cream & cheese

·         Blend in smoothies or mix with fruit or pumpkin butter as a delicious dessert

4.    For the most part, only buy things when they are on sale. Shop around looking at store circulars to identify foods you need and where you can get them the cheapest

·         Bread products, yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen veggies, and most other food items are on sale at any given moment- so stock up when they hit a price low.

5.    Use coupons! Though it may be a hassle, using coupons can save you tremendous amounts of money on your bill.

·         Look in the middle of your weekend newspaper for the “Smart Source” and other manufacturer coupon flyers- these often have $1.00 coupons (even if they are $0.55, most stores double that, so you’ll get over $1.00 savings!)

·         Search for coupon websites and look at your product website- oftentimes they have coupons available for their products.

6.    Shop in the bulk bins. Shopping at Whole Foods can get expensive, or it can be super cheap if you shop in the bulk bin section!

                 ·         You can often get nuts, cereals, grains, and other foods for a 
                        huge price reduction in the bulk bins. 
                        My favorite things to get in bulk are oat bran, walnuts,
                         pumpkin seeds, and quinoa.         

By following my simple tips, I guarantee you will cut down your grocery bills by a hefty percentage. Now you can use that extra money to buy yourself a pair of spin shoes or a personal training session!


*I'm not discouraging going veg either! Read this article and you may want to consider it! The fact vegetarians are healthier than meat-eaters is ‘one of the most consistent findings of nutritional epidemiology’

Nutritional Value of Thanksgiving Dinner

Food	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)
Turkey, Dark Meat, No skin	1/2 cup	115	3	1	55
Turkey, Light Meat, no skin	½ cup	100	1	.25	40
Mashed potatoes	1 cup	237	9	5.5	666
Homemade Gravy	½ cup	110	6	3	320
Sweet Potato Casserole	½ cup	195	8	4.7	187
Green Bean Casserole	2/3 cup	168	10.3	3	916
Corn (canned)	½ cup	165	1	0	571
Jellied Cranberry Sauce	¼ cup	110	0	0	10
Homemade Stuffing w/ Giblets	¾ cup	244	14	8	501
Dinner roll (egg)	1 2½” diameter	110	2.5	0.5	161
White Wine	10 oz	238	0	0	0
Pumpkin Pie w/ whip cream	1/8 pie + 2 tbsp	331	16	6	357
	Total Carb (g)	Sugar (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Turkey, Dark Meat, No skin	0	0	0	20
Turkey, Light Meat, no skin	0	0	0	21
Mashed potatoes	35	3	3	4
Homemade Gravy	8	2	0	0
Sweet Potato Casserole	29	19.5	1.4	2.5
Green Bean Casserole	15	4.5	2.3	3
Corn (canned)	41	7.5	4.2	5
Jellied Cranberry Sauce	25	21	0	0
Homemade Stuffing w/ Giblets	20	2.4	1	9
Dinner roll (egg)	18	1.5	1	3
White Wine	6	0	0	0
Pumpkin Pie w/ whip cream	41.75	25.5	2.5	7

DINNER TOTALS (Recommendation): 2123 (2000) calories, 70.8 (44-78) g Total Fat,  32 (<15) g Saturated Fat, 3784 (1500-2300) mg Sodium, 239 (225-300) g Carb, 86.9 (no rec) g Sugar, 15.4 (25- female, 38- male) g Fiber, 74.5 (50-175) g Protein

My Ode to Oat Bran!

I searched through all my old blogs and was SHOCKED that I hadn't written one dedicated to the food I recommend the most: oat bran. I have certainly referenced oat bran in numerous blogs, but I have never given this amazing food it's own blog article, which was very upsetting to me!

Anyway, I don’t like the term “super-food”, since no one food is a complete source of everything you need. However, oat bran is one food that I recommend to every one of my clients (except for the person with an oat allergy), and if I had to choose one food to eat the rest of my life for health, it would be oat bran. I eat oat bran pretty much 7 days out of the week and honestly love it. Not many people are familiar with oat bran, or may only know about the cold cereal called oat bran. The oat bran I eat and recommend is a hot cereal that cooks just like instant oats, about 2 minutes in the microwave or on the stove!

I first learned about the powers of oat bran in college when I was researching cholesterol-lowering foods. Study after study shows that oat bran is fantastic for lowering cholesterol levels in those individuals with high cholesterol, especially the bad LDL cholesterol, because of the high levels of soluble fiber. Oat bran is made from outer layer of the oat kernel where most of the fiber and healthy fats reside.

          Oat bran works to lower cholesterol and even out blood sugar levels because of its high level of beta-glucan (soluble) fiber. When ingested, it is estimated that oat bran absorbs 25 times its volume in liquid, which is one reason why people feel so full after eating it. Personally, on days I eat oat bran I could go 4-5 hours without being hungry, whereas if I eat a high fiber cold cereal or a Greek yogurt with whole wheat toast I feel hungry about two hours later. Another benefit of oat bran is that once in the stomach, the oat bran forms a gel-like bolus that helps to absorb extra glucose and fats that are roaming around your stomach. This bolus then makes its way through your system without all the sugar and calories being absorbed.

          Ounce for ounce, oat bran is higher in fiber, protein, most B vitamins, healthy fats, iron, and many other vitamins and minerals when compared to old fashioned rolled oats. Personally, I like the texture better since it is finer and more like a cream of wheat consistency (which basically has no nutritional value!). Oat bran is also super cheap, especially if you buy it in bulk. You will be saving lots of money by subbing cereal boxes for the oat bran, and may save even more money by potentially lowering the dose of your cholesterol meds (or preventing the need to go on them!).

Below are some facts and suggestions about oat bran:

Nutrition facts (based on 1/3 c dry or 40 g): 130 calories, 3 g fat, 24 g carb (3 g soluble fiber & 3 g insoluble fiber), 1 g sugar, 7 g protein

Where to buy: The bulk bins at Mom's Market (my preferred source) or at the Head Nut in the Strafford Farmer's Market, or the cereal aisle of most supermarkets (check the natural food aisle if you can’t find it). Trader Joe's unfortunately has discontinued it! The most common manufacturer of oat bran that you will find in a store is Bob's Red Mill.

Cooking directions: Basically, you need to add enough liquid for the oat bran to cook, so the total amount of liquid you add is up to your texture preference. I usually recommend making 1/3 c dry oat bran with 1 cup of liquid. Stick in a large bowl and microwave for about 2- 2 ½ minutes (can also cook on stove). Be sure to watch the oat bran as you may need to stop and stir it halfway through.

How to prepare: I usually make my oat bran with unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened vanilla hemp milk, or light vanilla soymilk. I always incorporate at least ½ cup of fruit which is usually a mixture of banana, apples, and some form of berry (strawberries, blueberries, or cranberries). At times I have mixed canned pumpkin into my oat bran. I always add spices such as cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, honey or agave, and some form of nut or seed (usually hemp or chia, but sometimes walnuts). Recently I have also been adding vanilla or unsweetened protein powders (like Garden of Life RAW).

Other uses: Oat bran can be added to any baked good, and there are thousands of oat bran muffin recipes out there on the internet. You can also add oat bran to smoothies, yogurt, and really wherever else you would add a cereal or seed.

Summary of benefits: First and foremost, oat bran is great for lowering cholesterol (total & LDL) cholesterol, and especially for those with already high cholesterol. Second, oat bran is great for diabetics because of it's ability to slow blood sugar absorption. That being said, it is great for everyone, because it keeps your blood sugar from rising and crashing, which can lead to hunger, irritability, and food cravings. Similarly, oat bran is fantastic for weight loss since it is VERY filling, so should keep you full and satisfied for hours after eating. Overall, oat bran is great for everyone- not just those looking to lower cholesterol or lose weight- since it is an excellent source of fiber, protein, healthy fats, and many vitamins and minerals. 

So this weekend, I recommend you go out and buy oat bran. Begin incorporating that into your diet so you know you are starting each day of this holiday season off with a healthy start!!! Because of oat brans powers, you shouldn't be craving the carbs as much in the afternoon, so hopefully it will work to help you avoid those Christmas cookies! ;-)

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/24/health/lots-of-oat-bran-found-to-cut-cholesterol.html

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/breakfast-cereals/1597/2

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5703/2

http://www.dukandiet.com/oat-bran

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/6/1/6

Picture sources:

http://www.dukandiet.com/oat-bran

http://www.dazzledish.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/oat-grain.gif