Lose Weight: say NO to rice and YES to bulgur
Healthy Living
So…I am still trying to lose those last 5 pounds and am definitely having trouble. One of my biggest downfalls is RICE!!!! I have yet to believe that your health is not affected when you eat “no” carbs. As I was making my tabbouli the other day…it hit me …. Bulgur is an excellent substitute for rice.
I grew up eating tabbouli at least once a week. It was definitely a staple in our family diet, but I never took the time to really understand the health benefits of the dish. So this week….I decided to dissect it and specifically look at bulgur since it is one of the main ingredients in tabbouli.
Bulgur is also known as bulghur or bulghurl. Bulgur is made from precooked wheat berries and is a natural whole grain food. There are no chemicals or additives used when processing bulgur. It can be cooked very quickly and is an excellent substitute for rice because it has more fiber, iron, vitamin Bs (i.e. folate), and protein; it is also low in fat AND calories. In addition, bulgur is a low glycemic food which is important because it prevents large fluctuations in blood sugar. It is great for people who are diabetic, prediabetic or who are trying to lose weight.
Comparison
Compared to brown rice: bulgur has fewer calories, less fat and double the amount of fiber.
Compared to white rice….well there is no comparison 🙂
Compared to oats, buckwheat or corn: contains more fiber
Bulgur is a suggested daily food item on the Mediterreanan Food Pyramid, and it has been used in the Mediterranean diet for thousands of years. It is an inexpensive low-fat, low-calorie protein that is high in fiber and helps promote a healthy digestive tract.
Availability
Bulgur is available in three forms: course grinds, medium grinds and fine grinds. Coarse bulgur is best used in stuffing or pilaf; medium is used in cereals and fine grinds are used in TABBOULI 🙂
Have you tried bulgur before??? What do you think?
May 5th, 2011 at 11:29 am
I think I’ll pick some bulgur up when I do my weekly shop 🙂
May 5th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
I have tried it, and I do like it. I def notice how much fiber it has in it shortly after eating it 🙂 I never thought to sub bulgar for rice.. what a great idea! Thanks suzy 🙂
May 5th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Bulgur is one of those grains that you can buy rather inexpensively in bulk from your natural foods store. I have eaten it in tabbouli, but never considered having is as a side dish. Thanks for the suggestion!
May 6th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
Oh, I’m a rice junkie, too. I’ll have to try bulgur…I know I’ll like it…the kiddos will be the hard sell 🙂 Just more for me if they don’t like it, right?
May 6th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
We have a giant rice addiction around here but I think a a little bulgur is definitely in order!
May 6th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
i am a rice lover too…lol. lately, i have been trying to eat brown rice but i am not patricularly enjoying its flavor. i will pick up a bag of bulgur next time i am in the market…
May 7th, 2011 at 1:16 am
I am all for cutting the carbs mid week, would be great stuffed in vegetables instead on rice
May 7th, 2011 at 8:18 am
Great to see all of these heatlh benefits of bulgar. I love tabbouli, so it is nice to know how good it is for me:)
May 7th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
I adore bulgar wheat – I actually prefer it to rice, and tabouleh is a firm favourite since my sister-in-law introduced me!
May 7th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Thanks for sharing this bit about bulgur… Bulgur is going on my grocery list! I haven’t had it since I was a kid…time to change that because I also have about 5 to 10 pounds I would like to get rid of before bikini season! 🙂
May 7th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Glad to stumble upon your blog! I eat way too much rice because I simply love it, but I think I really have to watch out because my diet is too carb-concentrated. I’ve never tried bulgur, but I will definitely give this a go. Thanks for the info :).
May 7th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Thanks for the visit. Let me know how you like it.
May 7th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
It does really taste good so I can see why you prefer it to rice 🙂
May 7th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
great idea!!
May 7th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
you won’t regret it 🙂
May 7th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
yeah i don’t enjoy the flavor in brown rice much either.
May 8th, 2011 at 9:11 am
I am now going to try Bulgur. Thank you for sharing the facts and comparisons for it.
May 8th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
i need to try it 🙂
May 8th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
a great full of nutrition meal is brown lentils with bulgur (mjaddara) . its very flavorful and good for you.
May 9th, 2011 at 7:54 am
Going to the market today and this will be on my list! Thanks for being so informative. I love that.
May 9th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
thanks!
May 12th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
hi
i’m sorry for the delay in accepting on foodbuzz. i’ve seen bulghur recipes but have never given it a try. you’ve a fantastic space here.
here’s to wishing you glorious pound loss!
May 15th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Hmm, I’m really starting to consider bulgur. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried it before, but not quite sure.
I usually use quinoa to substitute rice, but I guess trying out some new substitutes won’t hurt 😉
February 3rd, 2012 at 10:28 am
I eat bulgur instead of white rice. I eat only 5 tablespoons full, but I feel full longer. The taste is great and I’m losing weight.
July 4th, 2012 at 10:53 am
as a child i used to get bulgur for lunch at school and i enjoyed it as porridge or rice. its great to have it on the shelves it is the only rice i now eat. Thanks to Bulgar its very tasty and filling
February 11th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
I have tried bulgru today. it is delicious. the best part is my kids loved it to , I think bulgru will replace rice.