Advantage of Higher-Fiber Foods

cookingdiabetes
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Take a look at the breakfasts and dinners below. Note how the second selection, which contains more natural, whole foods, weighs a lot more for the same amount of calories and contains more fiber. You get to eat more!

Breakfast

Bagel Breakfast:
Food: Fiber g: Calories:
1 bagel (4 ounces) 2 g 311
Light cream cheese 0 g 70
Milk, skim 1 cup 0 g 85
Total 2 g 466

Total weight: 13 ouncesOatmeal Breakfast:

Food: Fiber g: Calories:
Cooked oatmeal (2 cups) 4 g 281
Skim milk (1 cup) 0 g 85
Orange (1) 3 g 61
Total 7 g 427

Total weight: 29 ounces• You get twice the amount of food by weight by eating the Oatmeal Breakfast and you get more than 3 times the fiber.• The Oatmeal Breakfast contains 10% fewer calories!!• It also contains 3 less grams of saturated fat and 751 milligrams less sodium than the Bagel Breakfast.

Dinner

Macaroni and Cheese Dinner:
Food: Fiber g: Calories:
Mac & Cheese (1 cup) 1 g 390
Salad (2 cups) 5 g 81
Apple sauce (1/2 cup) 1 g 86
Total 7 g 557

Total weight: 22 ouncesStir Fry Dinner

Food: Fiber g Calories:
Broccoli Stir-fry Brown Rice (2 cups) 6 g 259
Salad (2 cups) 5 g 81
Diced apple with skin 3 g 55
Total 14 g 395

Total weight: 27 ounces• You get 22% more food by weight by choosing the Broccoli Stir-fry with Brown Rice versus the Macaroni & Cheese. By volume, you get 42% more food with the Broccoli Stir Fry – 5 cups versus 3.5 cups!!• The Stir-fry dinner has 162 fewer calories and 7 more grams of fiber.• It contains 14 less grams of fat, 7.5 fewer grams of saturated fat and 480 fewer milligrams of sodium.Exercise more frequently and consistently and find activities that you really like that will keep you coming back for more! Exercise makes you crave the right carbs.

Here are a few suggestions to help you switch from a refined-foods diet to a better, higher-fiber diet:•    Baked potatoes instead of potato chips and french fries•    Vegetable soup or stir fry instead of deli sandwiches•    Cooked oatmeal or whole grain cereal instead of breakfast pastries•    Yogurt and fruit instead of cookies

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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