About six months ago I had to buy a completely new wardrobe, everything except socks. I had lost 50lbs, nothing I had fit, and my wife and kids thought that I looked ridiculous. In a moment of extreme confidence, I gave all the old away. We made two piles: one for the church and one for the trash. I saved nothing for the day when the pounds would slowly creep back to 200lbs or more. I knew there was no turning back. For me, the day now always begins with breakfast.
Breakfast means a full breakfast, enjoyed at home, never out or on the run. Like everything else for me, breakfast has evolved. I now eat steel cut oatmeal with a hand full of beans, fresh fruit, and coffee.
Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods, with beta-glucan to lower LDL (bad cholesterol), and antioxidants to promote immune health. It is especially high in fiber which is good to help control blood sugar and reduce the risk for diabetes.
Why steel cut? Most of the research comparing old fashioned rolled oats and steel cut slightly favors the steel, and I've come to agree with that side. Several web sites give all kinds of fancy cooking directions: slow cookers, rice cookers, over night etc. I just follow the stove top directions, which take about an hour. I make one cup dry at a time; it gives me four servings when mixed with the beans.
Just one stove top tip: reduce the heat of the boiling water a little before putting the oats into the pot.
Beans. They're so high in fiber and protein. Why do vegetarians eat so many in place of meat as their protein source? They are, however, fairly high in calories. I prepare about a weeks worth of a mixed variety of beans at a time. I used to open a couple of cans, rinse, and mix them together for a variety of taste and texture. Now I mix a bunch of dried beans, soak over night and cook for about an hour. It's a little laborious, but well worth it.
I mix half a banana into my oatmeal/bean concoction. "Why half a banana?" you might ask. Three reasons. A half because it's considered one serving on the diabetic exchange. A banana because my son (at the moment) is doing this science experiment on the effects of ethylene gas on the ripening rates of bananas, and my house is full of bananas. I really like bananas, but once the stock pile is gone I'll go back to a variety of fresh fruits. I never drink fruit juice, too much sugar, just fresh fruit and berries.
The absolute, must have food web site: whfoods.org
Next time, Don T
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