Crackers

mkdon05

Are crackers an acceptable substitute for white bread?

g'em

mkdon05 wrote:

Are crackers an acceptable substitute for white bread?

Not particulalry, no. They tend to be highly processed, made from crappy vegetable oils and high in salts and sugars, and calorie dense for the serving size. If you're particulalry partial to crackers though, read the ingreadients list - the more ingredients they have, the worse they are. Try to choose brands that have no hydrogenated fats, no added sugars and if possible made from whole wheat.

Or stick to bread, just make sure it's soemthing really nutritious like McCambridges Stoneground Wholewheat bread.

mkdon05

thanks for the reply g'em,
it was my girlfriend wanting to know. Personally i have cut out all white bread and its associates because its the only way i drop weight.

Why is it when your a kid, all you want is sweets but your parents make you eat a sandwich, then you grow up and you want a sandwich but have to settle for broccoli and the likes :rolleyes:

Transform

I say yes drop the bread and stick to oatcakes - pattersons or nairns

or

Ryvita with oats and pumpkin/sunflower seeds.

They work really well for all my clients as long as the feckers don't put cheese spread or jam on them.

Have them with nut butters, tuna, salmon, egg etc

nesf

I'll second Ryvita + Nut butter (I like Dark Rye + Organic Peanut Butter personally).

They can kill the craving for something carby very nicely.

Gumbyman

Is peanut butter not really high in fat? Something like 42%? Or is it that the peanut fat is good for you? Sorry for jumping into this thread!

g'em

Gumbyman wrote:

Is peanut butter not really high in fat? Something like 42%? Or is it that the peanut fat is good for you? Sorry for jumping into this thread!

It's full of fat, but it's good fat. Natural PB will have nothing but peanuts and maybe a little bit of salt in it, and eaten in small amounts (because of its calorific density) it's a brilliant addition to any diet. Cashew butter is a personal favourite (I eat it with cottage cheese before bed, but I'm weird like that ), and hazelnut and almond butters are great too.

nesf

Gumbyman wrote:

Is peanut butter not really high in fat? Something like 42%? Or is it that the peanut fat is good for you? Sorry for jumping into this thread!

It's very high in fat, but it's good fat for the most part. Depending on what you are trying to do it may or may not be an issue.

Gumbyman

Wow! This has made my day. I've been steering clear of it for ages. A wee bit on brown toast is splendid. I presume that the organic stuff is just pure good stuff. I have a jar of panda (I can feel the disapproving looks!! haha) in the cupboard so I may replace that. Thanks!

nesf

Gumbyman wrote:

Wow! This has made my day. I've been steering clear of it for ages. A wee bit on brown toast is splendid. I presume that the organic stuff is just pure good stuff. I have a jar of panda (I can feel the disapproving looks!! haha) in the cupboard so I may replace that. Thanks!

The organic stuff tastes waaay better. Health food shops tend to stock 100% peanut stuff.

Hermione*

nesf wrote:

I'll second Ryvita + Nut butter (I like Dark Rye + Organic Peanut Butter personally).

They can kill the craving for something carby very nicely.

I love this combo! Except my Ryvita are multigrain I also love them with hummous.

siochain

g'em wrote:

and hazelnut and almond butters are great too.

Have never seen these in any of the health shops, where can you get them?
cheers

Malteaser!

siochain wrote:

Have never seen these in any of the health shops, where can you get them?
cheers

they have them in most Health Food shops...I've seen them in Nourish and Natures Way deffo!!

siochain

cheers, will check them out again.

hardCopy

On a similar note, how good or bad are rice cakes?

hardCopy

*bump*

Transform

They have high Gi so before/after workouts only or as treat have the ones covered with dark chocolate (2 just).

hardCopy

Transform wrote:

They have high Gi so before/after workouts only or as treat have the ones covered with dark chocolate (2 just).

Thanks for the reply, I've just been eating the plain ones with cottage cheese. I'll have to try and time them better though.

rubadub

Learning how to read nutritional values and ingredients is important. All the info is there yet some people are shocked when they hear stuff about certain foods, as if it was a secret or something.

I remember a guy in work started eating lots of crackers. He mentioned something as though they were a "healthy option". There was a pack of buiscuits and I was showing him the figures comparing the 2, he was shocked they had so much fat and calories overall. His perception of them was "but they don't taste as nice as buscuits, not that nice at all, thought they had to be good for you".

Just like people chugging down raw eggs- no pain no gain, tastes bad must be good for you, tastes good must be bad for you.

I get ryvita or brown pitta. If I buy a wholemeal sliced pan I end up scoffing it down real quick, it is 800g and goes stale faster so I convince myself I cant let it go to waste!! Must start freezing it.

Leon11

rubadub wrote:

it is 800g and goes stale faster so I convince myself I cant let it go to waste!! Must start freezing it.

handy tip, cut it in half when you buy it, keep one and lob the other in the freezer!

Gumbyman

Also if you keep your bread in the fridge it'll last way way longer. We have a tumble dryer in the kitchen and breads would get mouldy in a day if it were on. Started putting the bread in fridge and it lasts well beyond the best before.

rubadub

Gumbyman wrote:

Also if you keep your bread in the fridge it'll last way way longer. We have a tumble dryer in the kitchen and breads would get mouldy in a day if it were on. Started putting the bread in fridge and it lasts well beyond the best before.

Yeah, a full sliced pan wont fit in mine though. Freezing half is good.

If keeping bread in the fridge it is best kept in a totall airtight bag/container. Most bags have little holes, and bread can dry out fast in some freezers.

I dont mind frozen bread, I just toast it up and cant tell the difference.