raisins

[Golden Ghost]

Jeff, I have two questions. To me the difference between Ezekiel bread or cereal with no raisins and with raisins is the difference between something that tastes bad and something that tastes great. So, are these raisins good or bad?
Secondly have you ever heard on Namaste pizza crust?

[JeffN]

Jeff, I have two questions. To me the difference between Ezekiel bread or cereal with no raisins and with raisins is the difference between something that tastes bad and something that tastes great. So, are these raisins good or bad?
Secondly have you ever heard on Namaste pizza crust?

Hi

I would direct you to my recent post in the "Is food really unlimited" thread, where I explain the principles of calorie density

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6032

The problem with raisins, even though they are a wonderful foods, is the drying process, which eliminates the water, making them very high in calorie density.

Grapes are around 300 calories per pound, which is very low. Raisins are 1350 calories per pound, which is very high. Removing the water increases the calorie density of them and thus makes them much easier to over eat.

I recommend people think of raisins as a healthy condiment. And if you are using them, use them on something that is much lower in calorie density, to balance out the overall calorie density.

So, a few raisins on a bowl of oatmeal, or a few raisins on top of a fruit salad, or a baked apples. This way, the fruit, or the apple, or the oatmeal will help fill you up and prevent you from wanting to overeat on raisins.

On the other hand, if you were to just take out a bowl of raisins, lets say as a snack, with nothing else to balance out the calorie density, you could easily overeat on the raisins.

Personally, I love to put a TB or two in my salads as it adds some natural sweetness.

Ezekiel Bread is in my opinion, the best bread out there and the one with cinnamon and raisin is the best tasting one. However, with or without the raisins, the bread is around 1200 calorie per pound, so enjoy the one with the raisins, but just don;t overdo the bread.

If you are talking about a hot cereal, then, as I mentioned above, enjoy some raisins on it. If you are talking about a dry cereal, then again, enjoy them, but cold cereals are much higher in calorie density, around 1500 calories per pound, so dont overdo the cold cereals, with or without the raisins.

IMH(professional and personal)O, the best way to eat cold cereal is as a condiment. Make a big bowl of hot cereal, like oatmeal, add in some fresh fruit and/or berries and then top it with some cold cereal and/or dried fruit. This way, the overall calorie density is much lower and you can eat more of it, feel fuller, and take in less calories.

I hope this gives you a clearer perspective on it all. If not, just let me know

In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD

[Golden Ghost]

Thanks for the reply. As I stated in another post I can eat just about anything and hold my weight. So calorie density is last on my list. I think I’ll enjoy my cold Ezekiel cereal and peanut butter sandwiches a little better now.