Sunday, July 19, 2009

My favourite slow-release carbs

Through much trial and error, I have come to realise that slow-release carbohydrates are fantastic things!! When I have slow-release carbs at breakfast and lunch, I stay 'fuller' or more satiated for much, much longer than if I cheat and have foods with a quicker sugar release (such as wholemeal bread). Eating slow-release carbs at breakfast and lunch not only keeps me feeling 'full' between these early meals, but right to the end of the day. I don't get that feeling of being super hungry at dinner time or feeling like I need to snack after dinner. I just feel, well, totally satisfied.

My favourite slow-release carb at breakfast is rolled oats. Specifically: Harraways Organic rolled oats. Yum! I like to take my 1/2 cup of oats and pour boiling water over them. I let them sit for 2-3 minutes until they've soaked up the water, then I mix in about 200ml of low-fat yogurt and slice a banana on top. Delicious! And so satisfying. I don't get hungry again for 3 hours.

My favourite slow-release carbs at lunch are: kumara (or sweet potato) or brown rice. An oven-baked kumara is just beautiful - it is super sweet and almost creamy. It is a wonderful way to eat kumara. However, I am usually not organised enough to bake kumara as it takes about an hour ... and it's not very eco-thoughtful to turn the oven on just for a couple of kumaras! I usually pop a few in the oven when I'm cooking a roast. So, the quicker way I deal to kumara is cube them - skin and all - and steam them. They are quite tasty this way - hot or cold.

I've found the best way to cook brown rice is on the stovetop. I have tried the microwave and no matter how I adjust the cooking time and water quantity, my rice always turns out hard and dry. Cooking rice on the stovetop is no-fail for me. One cup of rice, two cups of cold water, lid on top, bring to a boil, reduce to low and hey presto - I've got soft, fluffy rice in about 30 minutes.

Kumara and rice go great with boiled or fried eggs, canned salmon, tuna, lamb ... just about any type of lean protein. Even cottage cheese and kumara go well together.

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