Not Just Plain Rice

I moved to Dayton 11 years ago for my 3rd clinical in Occupational Therapy at Dayton Children's and have been working there ever since.  I had only done a handful of triathlons at this point (1-2 olympic distance races a summer...on a Trek hybrid) but once I got my first tri-bike I was hooked and started racing more.  I quickly met and started training with other racers in the area.   I've never pictured myself living in Dayton quite as long as I have but the people I've met through work, church and triathlon, have been the reason I've stayed in town. 





Squirrel, Kromer, Scuba, and Amy (guys and nicknames...?) 



Over the past 8 months 4-5 of us have been meeting once a week for dinner.  Each week one of us cooks a meal for the group at their house.  We alternate weeks and throw in a "restaurant week" every now and again. 







The majority of us live within a couple miles of each other so we can walk, bike, or drive (depending on the weather).  So far we have had some amazing dinners!  I'm not saying each meal is low calorie and diet friendly, but we've had a great time relaxing and unwinding from the day.





Many discussions have the "what's said here, stays here" stamp, but conversation returns to our common link at some point throughout the evening.  I look forward to our get-togethers each week not only for the good food but spending time relaxing with friends away from training/racing.





We have not repeated any meals, so our creative juices and cooking skills have been put to the test. Do you tend to buy or fix the same meals over and over?  Sometimes it's hard to eat healthy and have variety at the same time - especially if you are only cooking for one.  Simplicity in meal planning often prevails when working with a busy schedule.  I did a comparison of some grains (all readily available at local groceries) to add variety to your meals.  Who wants to keep eating plain rice, right?  Variety is the spice of life!  Read over the details and see how each of these might fit into your diet, depending on your need for calories, protein, carbohydrates, etc.  (serving size = 1cup, cooked)

FOOD	CALORIES	FAT	PROTEIN	SODIUM	FIBER	CARBS	IRON
white rice	242	0g	4g	0mg	1g	53g	15%
brown rice	218	2g	5g	2mg	4g	46g	6%
spelt (aka farro)	246	2g	11g	10mg	8g	51g	18%
bulgur	151	0g	6g	9mg	8g	34g	10%
couscous	176	0g	6g	8mg	2g	36g	3%
quinoa	222	4g	8g	13mg	5g	39g	15%
oatmeal	166	4g	6g	9mg	4g	32g	12%
wild rice	166	1g	7g	5mg	3g	35g	5%

enjoy :)

miss