On Wednesday the American Heart Association invites us to participate in
National Eating Healthy Day. "Take the first step to making healthier food choices by taking part in the American Heart Association's
National Eating Healthy Day on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. On this day, Americans are encouraged to commit to healthier eating. Celebrating National Eating Healthy Day is fun and easy!" All this week the LivingAfterWLS Blog will celebrate Eating Healthy with recipes and suggestions for meals that support our specific nutritional needs and satisfy the palate.
In general I find that people in the weight loss surgery community are dedicated to enjoying healthy foods that contribute to wellness rather than obesity. And most of us try to share this enthusiasm with our families, friends, and coworkers. There are times, perhaps, that we are challenged to eat a traditional healthy diet that is loaded with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains because our first rule of WLS is
Protein First. So we must find creative ways to include
complex carbohydrates in our meal plan.
Think Oatmeal!
Long revered as a nutritional powerhouse, oatmeal is a great platform for adding whole grain to our diet because it lends itself to a variety ingredients and flavors that boost protein and enhance the eating experience. In the recipe below,
Egg-White Whipped Vanilla Oatmeal provided by Quaker Oats, we add 14 grams protein per serving by whipping and cooking egg whites right into the oatmeal. The meal is further protein fortified with a topping of Greek yogurt giving this filling meal a potential of 22 grams protein! Once the technique of adding egg white in the final cooking step is mastered we can experiment with all manner of toppings to please the taste buds and meet our WLS nutritional needs.
Did you know that Quaker Oats was one of the first products to wear the
American Heart Association Heart-Check Mark?
Heart Health Mark over the Years:
"In 1997 the first food-specific health claim for oatmeal is approved by the FDA. The new heart health claim appears on Quaker Oatmeal cereals which qualify. The claim reads: "Soluble fiber from oatmeal as part of a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet, may reduce the risk of heart disease." This was also the first year of the Smart Heart Challenge." Quaker Oats
Give this recipe a try and introduce oatmeal back into your healthy diet!
Egg-White Whipped Vanilla Oatmeal
Recipe provided by Quaker Oats
Preparation: Begin cooking oats as usual on the stovetop. After oats have absorbed most of the water, pour in egg whites and vanilla and whip vigorously with a fork until mixture is well blended. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the butter. Continue to cook for 4 more minutes, bringing oats back to a simmer and stirring frequently. When all the water is absorbed and the egg whites have caused the oats to puff and appear creamy, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let the oats sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir oatmeal, add toppings, and enjoy!
3/4 Cup(s) Quaker® Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned)
1 1/2 Cup(s) Water
4 egg whites, beaten with a fork until frothy
1/2 Tablespoon(s) salted butter
1/2 Teaspoon(s) Pure vanilla extract
Toppings
1/2 Cup(s) Greek yogurt
1/3 Cup(s) sliced bananas
1/3 Cup(s) walnuts
1/4 Cup(s) dried cranberries
PREPARATION:
Begin cooking oats as usual on the stovetop. After oats have absorbed most of the water, pour in egg whites and vanilla and whip vigorously with a fork until mixture is well blended. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the butter. Continue to cook for 4 more minutes, bringing oats back to a simmer and stirring frequently. When all the water is absorbed and the egg whites have caused the oats to puff and appear creamy, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let the oats sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir oatmeal, add toppings, and enjoy!
Nutrition: WLS patients will need to adjust the serving size to give you pouch fullness without overeating, something that can easily happen before we realize it when enjoying a warm soft food such as oatmeal. Use this information only as an estimate of the nutritional values in your warm delicious bowl of oatmeal:
1 pouch of Quaker Instant Oatmeal provides 160 calories, 4 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fat. Two egg whites provide 34 calories, 7 grams protein, trace amounts of carbohydrate and fat. a 1/2-cup serving of non-fat Greek Yogurt provides 60 calories, 11 grams protein, and 5 grams carbohydrate.
What is the difference between Quaker® Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Quick Quaker®, Quaker® Steel Cut Oats and Instant Quaker® Oatmeal?
Quaker® Old Fashioned Oats are whole oats that are rolled to flatten them.
Quick Quaker® Oats are made the same way but are simply cut into slightly smaller pieces so they cook faster.
Steel Cut Oats are whole oats that have not been rolled into flakes. Instead, they are cut approximately into thirds. Cooking time is 30 minutes and the texture is heartier than rolled oats. Steel Cut Oats are also known as Scotch Oats, Pinhead Oats (in Great Britain because they resemble the size and shape of the head of a large pin) and Irish Oats.
Instant Quaker® Oats use the exact same oats, only they are rolled a little bit thinner and cut finer so that they cook very quickly.
All the types are equally nutritious because they supply all parts of the oat grain including the bran, endosperm and germ. It's the different size and shape of the oats that affects the cooking time and texture. Additionally, most/many varieties have some vitamins, minerals and flavoring ingredients added.
page 108.
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or your favorite vanilla flavored protein powder*
The fresh orange sections featured in this full-meal salad brighten the
turkey and enhance overall feelings of satiation. Consider this for
your day-after lunch following a feasting holiday like Thanksgiving.
You'll welcome the lightened change of plate.
