Check out our Diet Reviews on AOL Health!

whole-wheat-related stories

Try this fresh take on whole grains

Nutrition & Supplements

I try to incorporate as many whole grains as possible into my family's diet. We always opt for whole-grain pastas, crackers, and most of our cold cereals are whole grain (we slip a few treat cereals in now and then). We also eat plenty of oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain cous-cous. But, other than adding barley to soups now and then, I run a little short on ideas for other healthy whole grains.

There are so many delicious whole grains to try -- such as quinoa and triticale. The Whole Grains Council has a library of recipes to try.

Eat Better America has a recipe for tabbouleh with fruit that sounds wonderful. I'm a big fan of tabbouleh and this is a new twist I can't wait to try. Some of the ingredients include bulgar, fresh herbs, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, as well as olive oil and cinnamon.

Source

3 post-workout power foods

Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

Workout wisdom says to put something in your body after exercise takes so much out. What's the best something, though? How about whole-grain cereal, a bite of Indian takeout, or a big fat non-fat latte? RealAge says these are real possibilities.

Why these three snacks? Because they have something in common, capable of helping the body recover post-workout -- the three C's: Carbs, Curcumin, and Caffeine.

A carbohydrate-rich snack like cereal restores glycogen -- the stuff muscles use for energy -- and helps conquer fatigue. Curcumin, a substance found in the Indian spice turmeric, helps minimize muscle inflammation. And caffeine. It works to block muscle-pain-producing substances. Coffee has other health benefits too.

Source

Making comfort foods healthfully

Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

family eating dinnerI grew up in a big family, with big family-style meals. So now when I have a craving for something, it tends to be heavy comfort foods, like chicken and dumplings or my family's version of chicken noodle soup.

With some simple substitutions you can enjoy these comforting favorites and not feel guilty. Just take a look at your recipes and find opportunities for increasing the vegetable content, using healthy fats instead of not-so-healthy versions (e.g. olive oil instead of butter), using whole grains instead of refined versions (e.g. whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose or brown rice instead of white) and using leaner meats instead of fattier versions (e.g. ground turkey instead of hamburger). Take a look at how Crabby McSlacker made the quintessential comfort food -- meatloaf and mashed potatoes -- a little more on the healthy side.

Eating Well has a whole list of comfort foods made healthier. Here are some of Eating Well's recipes that I plan to try:

Source

Pizza can be good for you

Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

I love pizza. It's actually one of my favorite foods, not only because it tastes great but also because it is so versatile. You can try different sauces (tomato, Alfredo, pesto), different cheeses (mozza, feta or even no cheese at all) and more topping combinations than I can possibly list.

Since I'm such a fan, it irritates me when people assume that pizza must be unhealthy. While it's true that fast food pizza is greasy, overly-cheesy, covered in processed meats and high in calories and fat, it's still possible to make a delicious and healthy pizza. Many restaurants offer nutritious pizza options as well.

If you're jonesing for a slice but want to keep it healthy, consider the advice listed here. Try to choose wholewheat or multigrain crust, stick with a reasonable amount of calcium-rich cheese (rather than ordering double), load up on veggies and even fruit (pineapple and banana peppers is a personal favorite because of the mix of hot and sweet flavors) and choose lean meats like ham or chicken over processed stuff like pepperoni and salami. If you choose these nutritious options, you can actually feel good about scarfing a slice.

Source

How to convince your kids to eat superfoods

Healthy Kids, Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

It's a well-known fact that a lot of kids don't like to eat stuff that's good for them. Why ask for fruits and veggies as a snack when chips are available? And what reasonable 10-year-old would opt for a healthy meal of salmon and salad when they can get their hands on McDonald's? While these foods are fine as treats once in a while, it's sad fact that fast food and junk food is the biggest part of many kids' diets, making these unhealthy foods at least partly responsible for the growing youth obesity epidemic.

It's a shame though, because there are so many superfoods out there that children should be eating, and which when prepared right, can be really tasty. If you're struggling to find ways to get your kids to eat stuff that's good for them, take a look at these 10 superfoods, which can be substituted fairly easily for less healthy stuff. For example, at breakfast give them whole-wheat toast with natural nut butter instead of white-bread toast with peanut-butter that has extra sugar added.

Or try one of the suggested recipes, which include Creamy Noodles with Organic Chicken and Broccoli for dinner, followed by Blueberry Crisp for dessert. For kids, eating healthy doesn't necessarily mean eating foods that are boring and don't taste good. For more ideas on superfoods for kids check this out.

Source

Featured Writers
Bob GreeneReggie Casagrande
Bob Greene
Jonny BowdenJohn GanonJonny Bowden

Tanya ZuckerbrotFadil BerishaTanya Zuckerbrot
Liz Neporent Liz Neporent