Malnutrition in England

I was thinking as a porridge?
Some of us can't eat wheat or oats.

Well polenta was good enough for the ancient Romans. It has health benefits - just google!

I don't need "carb-loading".

ronib

Well polenta was good enough for the ancient Romans. It has health benefits - just google!

I'm not an ancient Roman either! The only time I had it, I almost gagged.

Callistemon21

I was thinking as a porridge?
Some of us can't eat wheat or oats.

It's wonderful porridge. Especially if you can tolerate cream and cheese (we can't). More savoury than sweet. Our daughters add fried crumbled sausage, parn, herbs.

Just looked up the so-called health benefits of polenta. It's not that high in fibre or protein when balanced against the carb content and all the vitamins and minerals can be found in other foods.

No, thank you!

parn (wrong) means Parmesan cheese.

Sorry, Norah, I eat most things but that's making me feel sick.

Of course it's mostly carbs - it's just corn/maise.

Still delicious, as are grits in Alabama USA and corn on cob.

Growstuff it’s not complete in itself - the sauces provide additional nutrients! Obviously never been introduced to it properly…. It kept my dad alive until nearly 91. Then he did have a stroppy attitude and never thought the State would provide!

ronib

Growstuff it’s not complete in itself - the sauces provide additional nutrients! Obviously never been introduced to it properly…. It kept my dad alive until nearly 91. Then he did have a stroppy attitude and never thought the State would provide!

Great as mushroom tomato lentil 'mix' on polenta bed.

I like polenta, and do cook with it, but to make it tasty you have to add cheese or butter along with the veg (or meat), so it's not really a health food - or not the way I eat it, anyway. I sometimes have it as a pie topping instead of mashed potato.

You used to be able to get it in blocks, ready made, and could cut the block into chips for baking or grilling. My children liked those as finger food when they were babies, but I haven't seen the blocks for years now. You can cook it and cool it, then cut it up and bake/grill it though.

Doodledog

I like polenta, and do cook with it, but to make it tasty you have to add cheese or butter along with the veg (or meat), so it's not really a health food - or not the way I eat it, anyway. I sometimes have it as a pie topping instead of mashed potato.

You used to be able to get it in blocks, ready made, and could cut the block into chips for baking or grilling. My children liked those as finger food when they were babies, but I haven't seen the blocks for years now. You can cook it and cool it, then cut it up and bake/grill it though.

I've not seen the blocks or tubes outside Italy in a long while. But cooked with herbs/cooled in a flat container is same. Our GC love it!

Doodledog polenta can be cooked in a large pot with boiling water and constant stirring. It erupts like a mini volcano. It’s poured out onto a slab left to cool and then sliced. Not too sure about ratio of water and polenta but it was a childhood experience.

Polenta is the rices, potatoes, pastas -- the great carbs of a meal.

I always serve (to non-dieters) main-protein, carb, veg, salad, fruit, bread, dessert, liquid. I vary menus, but not often numbers of dishes/sides.

Callistemon21

I was thinking as a porridge?
Some of us can't eat wheat or oats.

Rice pudding for breakfast?

I make with coconut milk, sugars, spices, maybe raisins/dried fruit - GC and GGC love it as does my husband and a few of his workers whom I feed (some don't prefer rice, of course).

growstuff

I've had polenta once. I thought it was revolting and it's full of carbs and nothing much else.

I agrée with you growstuff I can think of other carbs I’d much rather eat.

Norah

Of course it's mostly carbs - it's just corn/maise.

Still delicious, as are grits in Alabama USA and corn on cob.

Exactly! And as a diabetic I control carbs very strictly.

You obviously love the stuff - I don't. In fact, I dislike most grains.

Nobody is going to solve problems of malnutrition with polenta.

Callistemon21

I was thinking as a porridge?
Some of us can't eat wheat or oats.

If you're looking for something for breakfast, I'd stick to eggs and yoghurt with fruit and nuts.

Raisins/dried fruit? Even more carbs!

Norah

Polenta is the rices, potatoes, pastas -- the great carbs of a meal.

I always serve (to non-dieters) main-protein, carb, veg, salad, fruit, bread, dessert, liquid. I vary menus, but not often numbers of dishes/sides.

Norah Have you any idea about diabetes? The body doesn't actually need carbs.

PS. I don't have stroppy attitude!!! I've been diabetic for 30 years and I control it by avoiding carbs. It's not some faddy diet - it's a way of eating to keep me well.

I assume we all eat polenta, no?

Yuck no, it is truly disgusting stuff! I'm also a diabetic so carbs are not for me in great quantities. Carbs turn to sugars so unless I am looking to a slow suicide, I don't want them.

ronib

Doodledog polenta can be cooked in a large pot with boiling water and constant stirring. It erupts like a mini volcano. It’s poured out onto a slab left to cool and then sliced. Not too sure about ratio of water and polenta but it was a childhood experience.

Yes, I cook it quite often. The 'instant' stuff isn't as bad for scalding as the type that was available when my children were young . It's not really instant like Smash, and you do have to stir it for quite a while, but it's a lot better than the old type.

It has the advantage over the packs as you can add cheese and other flavourings before cooling and slicing it.

Doodledog Jamie Oliver was serving polenta chips in his upmarket restaurants for awhile. They were great.