A better grain

For many of us, the only starches we ate growing up were potatoes, pasta, bread and rice. Every single one that I ate as a child was white. My dad even joked that I was a bread racist because I wouldn't eat brown breads. I always gave him the rye bread that came as a side dish with every Friday fish fry.

As an adult, I rarely eat white bread, unless it's a fancy french baguette or it's part of a grilled cheese sandwich. It turns out that white bread grills up better than a hearty wheat. Other than that, all bread that I eat is wheat and filled with as much fiber as I can find.

I try to eat whole wheat pasta, too. Sadly it doesn't cook up as well as standard semolina pasta, though. If someone can come up with a whole wheat pasta that wasn't tough and chewy, they'd be my hero. I have replaced the white potatoes of my youth with yams, rutabagas, and turnips which all provide more fiber and nutrients than the standard Idaho potato.

I try to get brown rice when having Asian food, but don't have the patience to cook it at home. I have been trying to find a healthier, yet still easy alternative that is still tasty. I have tried quinoa and enjoyed it, but the texture is still a bit weird. I can't tell if that's because I'm not familiar enough with it yet, or just because I'm not a fan of the small crunchy, poppy texture of quinoa. I bought a bag of bulgur at the store last week and have really enjoyed it. It cooks as quickly as white rice and has a similar texture. It also has more fiber, protein and vitamins.