Bulgur for breakfast!
I’ve been wanting to try bulgur for breakfast for a while and finally got a big bag of it in bulk. It was actually a great alternative to steel cut oats – much, much less labor intensive but the same nutty, chewiness. Perhaps a little less creamy though since we didn’t use milk. But the bottom line? NOTHING, compares to the creamy sweetness of rolled oats made on the stove top with half milk, half water. I think it is fun to rotate steel cut, bulgur, oat bran into the mix for some variety, but rolled oats continue to hold the top spot.
There are two main ways to cook bulgur that I found while searching the internet:
1) Combine equal parts bulgur and cold water in a pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes (stirring intensive)
2) Combine equal parts bulgur and boiling water in a pot. Cover. Let sit for 20-25 minutes. Drain any excess water.
We went with the easier Option #2. When I came down after 20 minutes there was still some water in the bottom, which I just boiled off over high heat (took about 3 extra minutes).
Then I took my portion and stirred in 1 tbsp flax and some walnut pieces. On the side, I sliced a banana and combined it with 2.5 oz or so of vanilla hemp milk and microwaved the combo until the banana was all melty and the milk was hot, about 1.25 minutes. Then I poured that over the bulgur and topped with a spoonful of almond butter. It was quite delicious!
A noteworthy spoonful with a big melty banana, grains and the almond butter method:
I have to also note that the husband had his with 1/2 a cup of leftover navy beans, 1 fried egg and a ton of hot sauce. I had a taste and it was good, but not for breakfast!
I also had some Good Earth tea with a splash of skim milk –
This breakfast was about 415 kcal, 14 grams of fiber, and 13 grams of protein! (I’m going to try to include these more since I changed my food diary to include them for each meal).
Workout
Had a piece of toast with jam before we left this morning. Then I did an incredibly hard 30 minutes on the Stairmaster plus 10 minutes on the squirrel ET, and 5 minutes walking. Ended with some nice stretching. I’m pooped today!
Rainy Day
I’m off to walk in the RAIN (ugg), take a Chem exam, Physio class, a fun lunch, then Chem lab ( 👿 ). Not the most appealing day!!
VeggieGirl says
I’ve always viewed bulghur as a savory ingredient, which is perhaps why I never fancied trying it in rice-pudding dishes or for breakfast – so sorry it did not work out for you either :0( At least option #2 saved the morning!! :0)
Be sure to take an umbrella on your trek to class; and hang in there as you survive through your dreadful chem lab!! I know you’ll make it!! :0D
Happy Wednesday!!
Scott @ One Food Guy says
As delicious as that breakfast sounds, I don’t have that much time in the morning during the week! It sounds like it would be a great lazy weekend breakfast though. I’ll have to pick up some bulgar and steel cut outs, along with some flax and walnuts of course, and make some breakfast this weekend!
ibex says
yum, that does look like a pretty perfect spoonful! Good luck with the exam and the lab, it’ll be over before you know it 🙂 Can’t wait for lunch!
hk
Robin says
Good luck with your exam, Kath!
jenna says
Good luck, kath! Looks like you have a pretty awesome breakfast to give you power for it!!! You will do great 🙂
Aimee C. says
could someone tell me what the “squirrel” elliptical is??
Sara says
Robin:
I tried to post a comment on your blog but it wouldn’t let me.
B_Hlthy says
how funny! I made steel cut oats this weekend and wanted to try them savory-like in replacement of barley/bulgur for dinner! Have you ever done that opposite… oats with say fish/beans/veggies at dinner?
Lauren says
Kath what is your opinion about the no sugar added carnation instant breakfast? If I take a multivitamin is there a purpose to drinking this. Do people just use it for added flavor? I know that on eat like me she said its one of her favorite foods, but I don’t see why? Thanks!
the husband says
hahahahah,
“squirrelliptical” is the name i gave the cybex arc trainer:
http://www.cybexintl.com/Products/displayproduct.aspx?id=350A
no reasoning here, just sounded funny
Tina says
Good luck today! Kath, you inspire me to be more adventurous with my food selections. I love it!
Rebecca says
Gaolie, is elemental calcium the amount of calcium listed on the back of my milk carton, and caclium pill container. When I have been trying to aim for the correct amount of calcium I have been assuming that the 400 mg listed on my calcium bottle, 250 on my cheese, etc is the correct amount.
Also, on Jenna’s blog she said that milk contains cows blood. Which really grossed me out unfortunately, because I really need the calcium (I know there are other sources, but milk provides a lot of bang for your buck and people have been drinking it for so many years). I am lactose intolerant so organic is not an option. Right now I am so grossed out I don’t think I can drink it. Plus I am going to stop reading her blog…….that was just too gross when I rely on milk for health reasons. Sorry semi vent, plus I would like to hear your medical opinion since yogurt, cheese etc all come from the same cows. Sorry, but I am really grossed out and not happy because every time I or drink a dairy product I will now think of this.
Rebecca says
oh and I have a lot of nut allergies and am allergic to soy (so hemp milk and soy are not options)
mel says
Kath! I am not a huge fan of drinking milk plain, so for the last week I have been adding about a tbsp of sugar free nesquick to my glass and drinking about 2 glasses per day. Do you think this is ok? still healthy? thanks!
mel
Karen Downing says
That is a noteworthy spoonful! Have a great day!
Tara says
Kath,
You use your Polar HR monitor to regulate calories, but how doe sit account for differing exercises?
Matt,
You’ll get a kick out of this, I am playing an episode of Good Eats for my English Class today (“Flat is Beautiful”). They are doing an exercise where they write to sort through complicated material, so I am having them write on the structure of pizza dough. Go A.B.!
Caitlin says
Rebecca, if you are lactose intolerant, how can you drink regular milk?
Becky A. says
Caitlin, You can buy lactose free milk.
Sara says
Rebecca, maybe soy milk? I do not drink regular milk and LOVE Light Vanilla Vitasoy milk, so yummy.
But yeah, if you are lactose intolerant, how is regular milk okay but not organic?
Sara says
Okay nevermind, I had no idea you could buy lactose free. Thanks BeckyA 🙂
Rebecca says
I am allergic to soy. Actually do any of you know if soy lechtin is soy. i have been avoiding products with it, but so many products have that ingredient 🙁
Emma says
yay for now including protein and fiber! i know it’s more work, but it’s really interesting! thanks kath!
Kiala says
Rebecca, you can buy lactose free ORGANIC milk at any healthier food store like whole foods or wild oats, etc…but please don’t stop reading Jenna’s blog just because she expressed an opinion about the possibility of blood being in milk. I mean, there’s blood in YOU, too.
VeggieGirl says
**Rebecca:
Try oatmilk – it’s nut-free/soy-free. Here’s a great brand of it (scroll down): http://pacificfoods.com/products-nut-grain.php
also, there’s rice-milk and multi-grain-milk.
MK says
RE: Soy Lecithin
I’m not sure how someone with soy allergies would react to soy lecithin, but I can tell you what soy lecithin is in order for you to draw your own conclusions.
This is taken from my company’s website (we extract and refine soy lecithin):
“Soy Lecithin is a natural derivative of the soybean. Lecithin’s unique chemical composition makes it valuable both nutritionally, and as an additive in a number of other applications including cosmetics, paint manufacturing, and food manufacturing.
When soybeans are processed, the soybean meal and soybean oil are separated. Further refining of the soybean oil involves removing the ‘gums” known as lecithin.
Many of Lecithin’s benefits come from its four primary phospholipids:
Phosphatidylcholine (PC)
Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)
Phosphatidylinositol (PI)
Phosphatidic acid (PA)
Lecithin is mainly used as an emulsifier because it carries both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water-hating) properties.
Common types of emulsions in which lecithin is used include:
Mayonnaise
Hand Lotion
Frosting
Infant Formulas
Margarine
Lecithin’s emulsifying properties also allow it assists in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins , and enable fats like cholesterol to be dispersed in water and then removed by the human body .
In addition to its use as an emulsifier, lecithin can be used as a:
Releasing Agent to assist in the separation of food from contact surfaces.
Separating Agent to prevent foods from sticking together, and to promote the ability to cut and shape foods.
Nutritional Supplement to promote proper cell function within the human body.
Wetting and Dispersing Agent, Stabilizer, Softener, Moisturizer, and Viscosity Modifier.”
greentea says
Hi All, I posted this question on Eat Like me, but wonder what your take is Kath, or anyone else, on the merit of a course like this? http://public.integrativenutrition.com/
If a person attains this degree do you think they are really educated enough to offer valid advice about nutrition?
Thanks!
Aimee C. says
HAHA thanks to the husband for answering that question!!
I was so lost 🙂
Tina says
Greentea– Thank you for asking that question. I asked it on eatlikeme too! (I’m 135Washington).
Christie says
Green tea and Tina,
I would have to say that being in the program for nutrition is very intensive and not to de-merrit these priograms but I do not beleiev any of them can take the place of proper education and becoming an RD… I try to think of it like a doctor, would you want your MD giving you a presricption on something he had a course on? Some of the courses really is no different than you reading material, doing your own research on the internet and than relaying that information to other poeple.
Caitlin says
Yes I am aware that you can buy lactose-free milk but from what Rebecca I thought she was referring to regular milk.
In regards to the cow blood issue, just hearing that info doesn’t gross me out or make me want to stop drinking milk. I mean, there are a lot of things out there that I have eaten (and maybe do still eat from time to time) that don’t have the most appealing ingredients in them. People have been drinking regular milk for years, and while I don’t dispute the merits of organic milk and all the soy/hemp/etc. milks out there now, I am going to stick with regular ol’ milk.
jessica says
so glad you are including the fiber and protein in your meals now. those are really the big things i go for since i eat mostly low cal foods and therefore don’t worry about the cals much. i just try to eat a balance of enought fiber and protein to keep me satisfied so i don’t snack so much. everyone’s different but this works really well for me and i’ve lost about 20lbs in the past 2 mths eating this way! plus i have more energy and just feel great most of the time!
Christin says
Caitlin’s got a good point. It doesn’t just apply to foods either…next time you buy makeup, look really carefully at the ingredients…especially lipsticks (which, by the way, the average women will eat 10lbs of in her lifetime)…you will be surprised at how many animal by-products are in there. I now use only certain brands, but in truth, there are so many consumables with by-products that you can either spend your lifetime worrying about them, or you can choose to tolerate certain things and skip out on others until we know more about them. Rebecca, I am guessing you don’t eat meat, since the thought of cow’s bood disturbs you…maybe as far as getting enough calcium you could take a supplement, perhaps?
the husband says
If someone told me milk was blood that was dyed white I’d still eat it… in fact, I hereby proclaim that I will eat ANYTHING that is regularly consumed anywhere in the world.
I’m resisting the urge to catalog all the things we eat now that could be described in a gross way… like chicken eggs…
goalie30 says
Rebecca/ re: blood in cow’s milk
I have never heard of this before, and I doubt it is true. I wonder where she found this source of information from? You have to be weary of what you read on the internet, because there is a lot of false information out there. If you are buying the Lactaid milk, which is also what I often drink, it is pasteurized meaning that it has been through high amounts of heat to kill any bacteria or other germs that could be transmitted to humans. I have never heard of anyone becoming sick from drinking pasteurized cows milk (other than those being allergic to it of course!)…if there WAS blood in the milk, it would be unsanitary for humans, so I assure you that what you are drinking is safe and the same goes for pasteurized yogurts/ cottage cheese/ etc. You may want to check out the national dairy board website for more information and perhaps email them with your concerns to help ease your mind though.
Lauren/ re: calcium dosing
Yes, what you are looking at is elemental calcium on your bottle. Recommended doses are calcium citrate 0.4-0.7 GRAMS (or 4,000-5,000mg) of elemental calcium per day via calcium citrate or 1-1.5 grams (the typical 1,000-1500mg recommended) of calcium carbonate (such as that found in Tums and other supplements) per day. For food you’re eating, look to see how the dose relates in percentages to the daily recommended value in the right hand column on the food label, your body can’t absorb more than about 500mg or 30% of your daily recommended dose in one sitting. So if your oj for example is “fortified” with calcium but the dose is 50% of your daily recommended intake, you probably won’t absorb all of that. Either way, opt for at least 3 servings of dairy per day, and you may still supplement if it doesn’t reach the 1200-1500mg recommended intake.
Christin says
Just thought I would share this snopes link on blood in milk..this particular urban legend talks mostly about chocolate milk, but speaks regarding FDA standards for all milk in general, which is a 0 tolerance for blood contamination…
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/chocmilk.asp
Ash says
To the husband (or any other interested baker!) –
I think you’ve said in the past that you don’t like to bake with all whole wheat flour because the rise of the dough and texture of the final product is compromised. But have you heard of white whole wheat flour?
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/landing.jsp?go=DetailDefault&ref=ti&id=3311&gclid=CJDtsb7awZECFRGCGgodaGBDDg
It’s 100% whole grain, but is milder in taste and has a finer grain than traditional whole wheat, so is supposed to mimic regular AP flour. I’ve been baking with it for a couple months now in things like muffins and cornbreads and have had great results. I haven’t made a yeasted bread with it yet, so I wondered if you had any thoughts on this product? Do you think it would work well in your baking creations?
Rebecca says
Goalie, Thank you so much….I really really needed to hear that!!
Kath says
Re. Squirrelliptical – I’m laughing out loud here. The machine looks just like a squirrel on that website! Hence the name… I distinguish between the regular elliptical “ET” and the “Squirrelliptical” to point out that I did two very different kinds of elliptical back to back days. Not that there’s anything wrong with doing the regular one back to back, but I’m always striving for variety, even if it’s the same type of cardio.
B_Hlthy,
I haven’t done a savory oatmeal because I always have already had it for one meal and don’t want to repeat. And if I ever don’t have it for breakfast, I figure I should take the day off instead of having it at another meal. But some day…. 🙂
Lauren,
I drink the SF CIBs occasionally for the taste (I’ve only had the SF chocolate – I can’t find the vanilla) – not for the vitamins. My multivitamin takes care of most of my gaps. Some people add them for the extra boost of protein (5g) along with milk. I think 1 packet of CIB is not really worth the added calories for the flavor though and if I do have it I usually have half a packet at a time per 10-12 oz of milk. I’ve been drinking Nesquik (sugar-free) as hot chocolate because I couldn’t find CIB and I like that I can just add 1 tbsp for about 20 kcal and get the same chocolately flavor. Hope that helps answer your question.
Rebecca,
This seems like this is one of those urban legends that maybe blood was found in milk in trace amounts in one instance. Milk does come from a cow’s body and our bodies are so complex that there are all kinds of “bodily” things from a cow you are drinking when you’re consuming it’s fluids. And clearly many Americans still reap the benefits of milk and enjoy the taste regardless of if there is or is not blood in it. So my point is, if someone told me tomorrow that there were roach parts in butternut squash, I’d still eat it because that must mean I LIKE roaches since I LOVE butternut squash! (OK, gross example, but I’m trying to get across that whether or not milk has blood, you liked it yesterday). Plus, like Goalie said, it’s all been “cleared” of bacteria and is considered safe by the FDA etc. so I’m not too worried. I’ll continue to drink it.
Mel,
As I mentioned above, I drink SF Nesquik sometimes and like it. I think since you’re having such a small amount it’s OK to have on a regular basis. If you had larger amounts more than 5 times a day or so I would suggest cutting back. But 1 tbsp is only half a serving, so that’s 1 per day, which seems fine to me since you’re getting all the nutrients and benefits from milk. *Insert a reminder that I’m not an R.D. yet so this is just my opinion!*
Tara,
I’m not sure I fully understand your question. Do you mean how do the HRM know whether you’re running or cycling? If so, it really doesn’t matter. Your body is having to work to fuel your workout one way or another – it raises your heart rate to distribute the blood and use energy (Physio people help here!) so it doesn’t distinguish between different types of exercises for calorie burn.
Greentea,
I think this course would be fine as a supplement to a career in the health and fitness industry (a good base for a personal trainer or R.N.), but I don’t think it is equivalent to the many years of studying required for R.D. I think you’d have a hard time finding employment with a certification like this because most hospitals, gyms, etc. require employees to hold an R.D. I considered doing an online program like this when I was trying to decide what to do with my life and realized VERY quickly if I wanted to legally be an expert in nutrition, I needed to do the full R.D.
Kath
the husband says
Ash,
Never tried white WW flour but here’s what I know about it from Bread: It’s genetically different from the usual (red) flours we use, and has a recessive gene for bran color. Also, the bran flavor is lighter (as you mentioned). I’m not sure if it still has the same amount of bran, though, which might still lead to problems with rise. I get the impression that the reason this exists has more to do with the color than any other reason. Most people probably don’t want a big fat brown piece of vanilla cake.
I do want to say, though, I’m not totally opposed to making 100% WW breads. I’m actually scared to try it out because I would hate to put all the effort into it, and then have some disappointing loaf as the end-result. I’ll probably give it a try at some point. As I’ve said elsewhere, I think the small amount of nutrients, fiber, and fat you miss from not eating 100% WW bread can easily be made up elsewhere (like by adding fun seeds and grains to your bread!). The problem comes when the only starch you eat is white white white pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, etc, all the time, exclusively.
Personally, I kinda like a wheaty bread to look wheaty too!
Katie H says
Ash,
I recently made rosemary focaccia using King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour. The recipe is on the Eat, Live, Run blog and it specifically calls for white whole wheat flour. I was very pleased with the results!
Ash says
Thanks for the response Matt! I guess I was thinking the white whole wheat flour could be used in place of AP for any kind of bread (not just a wheaty one!) so you get the extra nutrients without sacraficing nice texture and subtle flavor.
And Katie H – Glad you like it too! 🙂