Lebanon — So, how are you coming on your resolutions? We’re nearly 90 days into the New Year and if you’re like most people, you’ve broken your resolutions already. Losing weight has always been my go-to resolution, and year-after-year when December 31 rolled around I would find myself a few pounds heavier than on the previous Jan. 1. After years of failure, I decided not to make a resolution for 2010 and guess what has happened, I’ve dropped 20 pounds since Jan. 1.
No secret diet, just the tried-and-true formula of eating less and moving more. As for eating habits, I’m trying to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. The whole grains, I’m confident, have been a key component of my weight loss.
Unless you’re completely oblivious to the media the last few years, you know that whole grains are better for us than refined grains. They include many more nutrients than their more-refined versions, and most also contain a substantial amount of fiber. When reducing calories, the more nutritional bang for your caloric buck is important and the extra fiber helps you feel fuller longer.
A whole host of products are boasting that they contain whole grains. Even Pop Tarts now come in a whole wheat option. It’s important to read labels carefully. Some of these products only “contain” whole grains along with more processed grains. And some foods, like many cereals, may have whole grains, but they also have high levels of sugar or other sweeteners.
For the last three months, I’ve banned white flour almost entirely from my diet. My family has always used whole wheat sandwich bread, but I was still eating plenty of white flour — in desserts, burger buns and melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls — when eating out.
A few days ago, I made a large pot of beef vegetable soup, and I really wanted some cornbread to go with it. The cornbread recipe I use calls for both cornmeal and white flour. I wondered how it would work to use whole wheat flour. I gave it a try and ended up with a hearty, flavorful cornbread that went perfectly with the soup.
I decided to add some chopped green chiles and sharp cheddar cheese to make it a little more interesting, and opted to prepare the cornbread in muffin pans instead of my standard cast iron skillet. With eggs, a little butter and the cheese, these are not fat-free muffins. But with those ingredients spread among a dozen muffins, they are not high in fat by any means. Whether you’re trying to drop a few pounds or not, these corn muffins are nice change of pace.
Whole-Grain Chile Cheddar Corn Muffins
1 3/4 cups stone ground cornmeal
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-4.5 oz can chopped mild green chiles
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 425. Spray a nonstick muffin pan (standard size cups) with cooking spray. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter, chiles and cheese. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until all ingredients are combined. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 to 15 muffins.
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