Recently, I published a cookbook called Fit Food for Foodies with very tasty recipes that are gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free. The recipes are quick and so wonderful that you will never know that you are eating “healthy food”. I have found that Bob’s Red Mill gluten free products are widely available and are excellent (that is saying a lot because I am picky). I have several Bob’s Red Mill products in my pantry including a variety of the gluten free flours, baking mix, oats, and brown rice farina. By the way, the brown rice farina makes an excellent polenta (sorry the recipe will be in the next book but maybe I will post it on my website healthygoodeats.com for free- please ask). I made crepes with the teff and gluten free baking mix, they were yummy too.

There has been a lot of media attention lately about obesity linked to the Western diet heavily influenced by processed foods. The problem afflicts millions of people that have adopted a Western diet and can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, adult onset diabetes, and high cholesterol. Many are allergic to foods such as wheat and dairy, knowingly or unknowingly. It is difficult to find processed foods that do not contain some amount of wheat, dairy, or sugar.

Eating healthy, whole foods is healthy and people are becoming more aware of how foods affect energy levels and overall health. Benefits include more energy, weight loss (if you need to), clearer skin and eyes, reduce aches, pains and digestive problems, release yourself from addictive habits, and feel empowered by your choices to take control of your diet and health.

What we eat affects our bodies in many ways. The time is now to eat healthy, wholesome food and live life feeling great. Your health is in your hands and life is a gift, so make the most of it.

Fit Food for Foodies is now available and can be purchased online at Healthygoodeats.com

Giveaway

Peggie’s book, Fit Food for Foodies, is a great resource for healthy and delicious recipes. We have partnered with her to bring you a great giveaway just in time for the new year. We have three copies of Fit Food for Foodies to give out and we’ll throw in a package of our Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix and Organic Quinoa (gluten free) for the three lucky winners. Here’s how to enter for your chance to win.

1. Leave us a comment here, on this post, and tell us your health-related or food-related New Year’s Resolution. It doesn’t have to be crazy, it can be as simple as you like.
2. For a second chance to win, you may do one of these two things:
   1. Visit Facebook and “Like” Fit Food for Foodies, then report back here and tell us that you did so.
   2. If you are not on Facebook or already “like” Fit Food for Foodies,” you may visit HealthyGoodEats.com and tell us which “Freebies” recipe sounds the most appealing to you instead.

The contest ends on 12/16 at 11:59 pm. Winners will be chosen through random selection and announced on Friday, December 17^th- we’d like to get prizes out to people before the holidays.

Cookies that are actually good for you!

If you have ever tried our Stone Ground Oat Bran & Nuts Cookie Mix you know that it bakes into cookies that are quite rich in whole grains. These ultra-healthy cookies get their substance from 100% whole wheat pastry flour, heart-healthy oat bran and hearty rolled oats. These cookies make a great alternative to all the ordinary refined flour based treats that are surround us during the holiday season.

But if you find yourself craving a treat that combines the best of both worlds, do I have a recipe for you! After a bit of experimenting with the original mix, I wanted to emphasize nut flavor of the walnuts by adding peanut butter and flax seed meal. I found that adding some applesauce helps moisten all those whole grains to make the cookie softer and chewier. And of course, I couldn’t forget the chocolate chips – they make everything better. This particular recipe is vegan (dairy and egg free), but if you would like to make the bars using traditional ingredients, the substitutes they are listed right below the recipe.

These Oat Bran Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are perfect for both the whole grain lover, and anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter together. The recipe does double-duty by combining the nutritious qualities of whole grains with the flavor and sweetness of a traditional bad-for-you cookie. It has very little sugar, high protein and a high fiber content to keep you satisfied longer, although you might still want to eat them all at once. These bars are great for a midday treat, or a yummy dessert served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy them as much as the customers of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store have.

Thanks for reading and happy baking!

Oat Bran Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
½ cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup peanut butter
3 T. flaxseed meal mixed in ½ cup warm water
¼ cup applesauce
1 pkg. Bob’s Red Mill Oat Bran & Nuts Cookie Mix
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare flaxseed mixture.
In a mixing bowl, cream margarine until soft.
Add peanut butter, flaxseed mixture and applesauce and combine completely.
Incorporate the package of cookie mix, followed by the chocolate chips. This dough will be very similar to a cookie dough texture.
Press evenly into an 8 in. by 8 in. greased square baking pan.
Bake for 25 minutes in a conventional oven at 350 degrees.

Substitutes: Replace 2 eggs for the flaxseed mixture and ½ cup butter for the margarine.

Recipe and Writing By: Meagan Nuchols

Unprocessed starts at the beginning- here Bob inspects a new shipment of grain.

At Bob’s Red Mill, “unprocessed” foods are our bread and butter. We pride ourselves on keeping true to the ingredients we use. You know the drill by now- one pound in, one pound out. No preservatives, no weird chemicals, just grains, beans or seeds. When Andrew from Eating Rules approached us to write a blog post for October: Unprocessed, we jumped at the opportunity to become a member of this group and take on his challenge in our own lives.

What is October: Unprocessed? Struck by the realization that much of the food we eat in the United States is full of chemicals for flavor, freshness, color, as well as excessive levels of sugar, fat and salt, Andrew challenged himself to take a month off from all of these excessively processed foods. That was in October of 2009. This year, he’s taking it to a new level and challenging everyone to try a month without processed foods.

What is a “processed” food? This is sort of a nebulous territory- ‘processed’ can mean many different things. If you want to be strict about it- even an egg from a chicken has been ‘processed’ if it came from the grocery store. Fortunately, Andrew isn’t asking us to go that far. His definition is as follows: Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients.

That can mean different things to different people. I like to think of it in terms of Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, which basically says- if your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize it as food, it isn’t. Even then, it’s a little fuzzy, but I’m taking up his challenge anyway. Yep- even while we’re trekking through Scotland in our quest to win the Golden Spurtle again, I’ll be passing on the convenient convenience foods. I hate to admit that I ever eat them anyway, but I admit it- I, too, occasionally indulge in candy bars, soda pop and other sinful snacks.

Unprocessed tastes so good! Find this recipe and others on our site at www.bobsredmill.com.

One particular challenge in my household (yes, I did talk the hubs into taking the challenge too) is that we’re dairy free and vegetarian. So where do I draw my “processed” line?  I think this will apply to a lot of people on the gluten free diet or with other food issues. When you try to eat foods that are out of the ‘norm’, you find yourself eating foods that are a little on the questionable side. You find yourself wondering what IS that weird ingredient in the vegetarian sausage? Soy sour cream? That can’t be ‘unprocessed.’ Regular sour cream passes the test with flying colors and the soy version has less bad fats and cholesterol, but it also has a slew of weird stuff. Where does soy butter come into play? You get my drift. We’re cutting out anything that’s obviously processed- kiss my soy and veggie meats goodbye- unless I make them myself- and out with the fake sour cream and fake cheeses. We shouldn’t be eating them anyway- at least not in any appreciable quantity. I’m keeping the soy margarine and my KIND bars, thank you very much.

I challenge you to join us and take on a month of consciously choosing your food. We have several people taking the challenge here at Bob’s and we’d love your company. Head on over to Eating Rules and sign up for the challenge. Andrew has given a few guidelines to make the challenge functional for all types and is hosting guest posts from bloggers of every type all month long. Good luck! I’ll keep you posted on my progress and keep me posted on yours if you choose to join us.

Breakfast doesn't have to be fancy, but fancy tastes pretty good.

Last week we were pleased to see that our company made a list of top hot cereal brands in the Wall Street Journal. We weren’t number one, but we made the list. It was pretty exciting for us to realize that we’re now playing with the big boys in the hot cereal arena.

Perhaps more interesting than being ranked among the top selling hot cereals, was the statement that Jaya Kumar, president of Quaker Food and Snacks, made regarding the reality of breakfast. Kumar stated that, “Only 40% of Americans eat breakfast… even though 97% consider it the most important meal of the day.” That number bothers me. This means that 57% of people do not eat breakfast even though they acknowledge its importance.

Does this discrepancy come from simply not making time for breakfast, or do people lack the full understanding of why breakfast is so important? I have trouble getting up just like the next person, but I absolutely cannot function if I don’t have breakfast. Low blood sugar levels are as good a reason as any to eat breakfast, but the science behind the first meal of the day makes it clear that breakfast is possibly the best thing you can do for yourself all day.

Our brains rely heavily on glucose to operate. The brain uses approximately 70% of the glucose we consume every day in the form of carbohydrates. Your brain needs to be ‘fed’ with new glucose supplies about every 12-16 hours. On average, Americans eat dinner between 6 and 7 pm. Most of us get about 8 hours of sleep a night. If you eat at 6 pm, rise at 6 am and don’t eat anything until lunchtime (which these days runs between noon and two), you’re brain is hitting that 16 hour mark around 10 am. Fueling your brain (and tummy) first thing in the morning will improve mental clarity and memory retention in a way that a cup of coffee just can’t.* I’m not knocking the java, but it offers your brain absolutely no fuel. Yes, it will get you running, but you’ll be more irritable and less attentive than you would be with a solid breakfast.

Whole grains are one of the best carbohydrates you can eat for breakfast.

If time is your excuse- try a cup of yogurt, a banana or a quick piece of whole grain toast (heck, just eat the bread if it takes too long to toast it). It doesn’t have to be fancy- just fuel. The worst excuse is that you’re not hungry. “I just don’t feel like eating in the morning.” You know why? Because your body has already stopped sending you hunger signals. It sent them while you were sleeping and got no response, so it stopped for a while. Eating first thing in the morning is like putting fresh logs on a dying fire. You immediately get your inner fire (aka metabolism) going which actually helps with weight management. You have to eat to burn calories. Additionally, people who do not eat breakfast tend to overeat later to compensate because their bodies think they are starving.

If these aren’t compelling reasons to eat breakfast, I don’t know what would convince you. Tomorrow morning, grab a piece of fruit on your way out the door or take a few minutes to enjoy some whole grain cereal and see how much better your day will become.

*To read a great study published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition about the effects of breakfast on cognition and the long-term effects of breakfast on general health, click here.

Starting mid-September, Bob’s Red Mill will be taking its “No Grain, No Gain” challenge to thousands of racers and fans of cyclocross all across the United States. With over 40 cycling events in our calendar this year, we’re bound to have a blast while we stuff ourselves into skin-tight lycra, race our hearts out and (after we catch our breath) cook and share something like 15,000 steaming hot bowls of our World Porridge Making Championship Steel Cut Oats.

What in the World is “Cyclocross”?
Cyclocross bike races are usually held on closed courses with the majority of the course covering grass, trails or obstacles. A typical course includes several man-made or natural obstacles that require a rider to dismount the bike and climb stairs, carry the bike over barriers, or run with the bike through otherwise impossible terrain. These events take place between September and January, so it’s typical wet, muddy and cold. Races are generally timed and last between 45 to 60 minutes on a closed circuit of 1.5 to 2 miles.

Cyclocross is considered one of the most demanding types of bike racing because it requires speed, agility, mounting and dismounting techniques, physical power, and running while carrying a bike.  For spectators, cyclocross racing offers a festive, exciting, high-energy event because each race consists of many laps, so they get to see the riders pass by very frequently.

One of the neatest things about cyclocross is how inclusive the sport is. Most series have categories that range from beginner to elite so even people who don’t train per se can get in on the competitive thrill. Even better is the fact that it’s a timed event; when it’s over it’s more or less over for everyone on the course, so no one watching the finish line can tell the slow-pokes from the sandbaggers. Check out this clip that captures the leitmotif of the sport.

The Perfect Fuel
Whether you’re an elite or newbie racer, to run your body for a full hour of 100% effort, you’re going to need carbs. Carbs fill the glycogen stores your muscles use when you’re really putting the hammer down. But choosing the right kind of carbs can make all the difference in performance. That’s where our Steel Cut Oats come in. When Steel Cut Oats are digested, the starchy carbohydrates are released slowly and more evenly. That keeps your energy flowing and your hunger in check. What’s more, research shows that people who eat high fiber carbs burn more fat than those who practice that old habit of “carbo-loading” on refined grains. If that doesn’t grab you, well, there’s always the fact that they’re incredibly comforting and delicious.

Sharing is Caring
That’s darn compelling, isn’t it? Well that’s why we’re taking our mission of porridge proliferation on the road. We’re going to demonstrate the indefatigable benefits of Steel Cut Oats and our other fantastic whole grain products. We’ll be sponsoring, racing and serving at all the major cx series, including the U.S. Cyclocross Nationals, U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross, North American Cyclocross Trophy, Ohio Valley Cyclocross, Cycle-Smart International (Northampton, Ma), Seattle Cyclocross, and our beloved Cross Crusade here in Portland.

Grain Warriors
To show the power of Steel Cut Oats in action, we’ve teamed up with some of the fastest whole grain evangelists in the country. With 20 red and yellow clad Team Bob’s Red Mill racers in Portland, Oregon; Louiville, Kentucky; Madison, Wisconsin; and New England, you’re bound to see whole grain heroes armed with our centuries old training secret at just about any cross race you attend.

Because I do most of my exercise in the evening after work, I am often searching for a snack that will give me enough energy to get in a good workout, without making me too full to get my heart rate up. As someone who has made the mistake more than once of eating spicy chicken wings before heading out for a grueling endurance workout, I can assure you that some snacks are better decisions than others.

This is why I have fallen in love with wheat berry salad. These grains have a fabulous crunch and chewiness that fill me up before my evening exercise hour without the heaviness of say, a pulled pork sandwich. Wheat berry salad also has a surprising amount of protein and iron for something that’s made out of plants.

The best thing about wheat berry salad is that you can create so many different salads from the same humble beginnings. Once you make the basic recipe once, it’s easy to feel comfortable playing with all sorts of delicious variations on ingredients. Combinations of things like edamame, chopped nuts, fresh vegetables and dried cranberries can all be great additions to your salads. One of my favorite tricks is to toss in some chopped greens like chard or spinach while the wheat berries are drained of water but still warm from cooking to wilt the greens just a little.

So where should you start? I began making wheat berry salad just by making the basic recipe off the package, but I was soon inspired by both a recipe that I found online, and a delicious wheat berry salad New Seasons often features in their deli area. I would also suggest that once you get the hang of some recipes that you enjoy making, you should start experimenting with the tastes and textures of Kamut ®, spelt, and triticale, for a whole summer’s worth of salad variations.

Triticale and Edamame Salad is a great variation on ordinary wheat berry salad.

Since we were already aiming to inspire you to try going for a run this week, we thought we’d share some fun photos of Trey, our Director of Corporate Finance, and his son Brysen participating in Portland’s Annual 5k Starlight Run.

This great event which kicks off the Starlight Parade every year, is well known for it’s thousands of costumed runners and crowds of cheering spectators. Every runner has a chance to win for being either the fastest or just the best dressed.

Trey and Brysen finished the 5k in under 30 minutes, which is pretty fast for a bag of Steel Cut Oats. It probably helped that the oats were being chased by a hungry chef armed with both a spoon and a spurtle!

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When you’re contemplating how to get in your daily 30 minutes of exercise, one of the simplest yet daunting activities to consider is taking up running. Unlike many other exercise plans, the equipment is pretty straightforward and the skill level is basic. All you really need to get started is some motivation and a decent pair of sneakers, and if you listen to the growing segment of barefoot running enthusiasts even the sneakers requirement is debatable.

So, what if you want to start running, but haven’t tried to run in years? Of course, talking to your doctor is always the most important step before starting any new fitness routine. But after that, starting with a combination of running and walking can be a great way to get your exercise routine started. Some studies have even shown that using a combination of running and walking to train for a marathon can improve speed and endurance in experienced runners.

The only other big question is where to run. Should you start running in the gym or on a track, or should you head out onto the sidewalks of your neighborhood or to a local park to try some trail running? Each has its obvious advantages and challenges. Running on a treadmill in the gym can be a great way to get started because you can control your speed and gauge your distance and pace accurately. Also, with both track and treadmill running you will never run the risk of getting too far away from a good place to stop and rest.

But if the monotony of running in circles or in one place is enough to make you want to avoid running entirely, running in a local park or on a jogging path can also be great places to start. Just be sure to use common sense when picking your jogging spots in terms of level of difficulty and personal safety. When running outside, especially if you’re planning on running a long distance, make sure to bring a cell phone and dress for the weather. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water no mater what the weather and of course, make sure you’ve eaten something healthy ahead of time to fuel your run!

Get started running!

The argument over the importance of protein is over, but let’s rehash it a bit., okay? Protein is a vital ingredient of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.  If there is something important going on in your body, protein is involved. Just like fats and carbs, protein is a “macronutrient,” meaning that the body needs a bunch of it every day. Unfortunately, our bodies don’t warehouse protein for when it’s needed.

Usually, we thumb our noses at products that are derivatives of some otherwise healthy food. We’re all about advocating for nutrition from the whole food, just as it was grown. Keep it simple, right? Well, every once in a while we see something that doesn’t exactly fit our ethos, but has benefits that are so compelling that we just can’t resist. That’s protein powder. Aside from being absolutely necessary for life, check out what a powerhouse it is.

Rebuilds muscles faster

Boosts energy

Increases the body’s fat burning

Makes you feel “full” longer

Improve the appearance of you hair, skin and nails

So whether you’re a jock trying to bulk up your biceps, a busy mom struggling to stay strong through her step class, or just someone trying to lose a few of those lingering Winter pounds, a diet high in protein has some real benefits for you. Getting it into your diet is easy. Along with our plethora of protein rich whole grains, Bob’s Red Mill has three fantastic protein powders to make a boost to your protein intake easy as can be. We have Whey Protein Powder (made from Oregon’s best milk) and two plant-based powders, Soy Protein Powder and Hemp Protein Powder.

Unlike many other protein products in the marketplace, ours are simple, unflavored, natural, and inexpensive. What’s more, these three products are so easy to use! You can protein to just about anything, but the best way to use them is with a refreshing breakfast or post-workout smoothie. Here’s how we like to make them at the mill