I recently partnered with General Mills Big G Cereals to help support the #ButFirstWholeGrain challenge, asking me to increase my whole grain consumption in September. Read on to see how I incorporated whole grains into my daily meals and snacks!
The Haupert family is officially back-to-school! Mal is a teacher, so school started for him right after Labor Day. Quinn is back at full-time preschool, and I’m happy to have a schedule that allows me to work “normal” hours – instead of waking up at 4:00 AM. Haha!
With a new schedule, it’s the perfect time for our family to reassess our eating routines and reset with healthier choices, especially after quite the indulgent summer. (Holy cow, there was no shortage of treats and booze!) September is actually National Whole Grain Month and time for the #ButFirstWholeGrain Challenge, so I figured it was a great time to try adding more whole grains to my diet. Did you know 99% of the population is not getting enough whole grain in their diet? I know, it surprised me, too. My goal is to increase my whole grain consumption in September (at least 48 grams of whole grain is recommended daily for adults). That said, here’s a recap of how I incorporated whole grains into my diet with some fun family adventures mixed in!
On days when I exercise in the morning, I typically eat a breakfast that is balanced between protein, carbs, and fat to provide me with the energy needed for my workout and keep me full until lunchtime. This morning, I poured myself a bowl of Cheerios with unsweetened almond milk and banana slices along with a scrambled egg. Cereal is such an easy way to add whole grains to your diet. All of General Mills Big G cereals have whole grain listed as the first ingredient – unlike a lot of cereals on the market. And one serving of Cheerios has 23 g of whole grain oats, so Iām already off to a strong start in the challenge!
Since it’s one of our first days back to school, I especially appreciate an easy breakfast since I’m running around the house trying to get myself ready while helping Quinn and taking Murphy for a walk before Mal leaves the house. I’m a hot mess, but I manage to get us out the door and to preschool and CrossFit on time.
The workout at CrossFit a fun one. It combines running and high-intensity movements, which, of course, are my favorite way to work out!
I’m a sweaty mess by the end – just the way I like it! š
Post-workout, I refuel with an oatmeal cookie protein shake, which is oats soaked overnight mixed with vanilla protein powder and almond milk. Adding oats to my protein shake gives it a nice, thick texture and the combination of carbohydrates + protein is a winning combination when it comes to post-workout recovery. (I just thought of this right now, but adding Pumpkin Spice Cheerios to my next protein smoothie would be really delicious!)
After the gym, I stop by the grocery store to grab a few things. Grocery shopping doesn’t me long, but I’m more than ready for lunch when I arrive home. I immediately put away the groceries and make lunch. On the menu: Ground chicken, brown rice, baby spinach, and jarred cowboy caviar.
Lunch comes together in no time!
After lunch, I break out my laptop and get to work. I have a conference call, so I take the call outside and cuddle with Murphy.
After my call, I take Murphy for a walk and then head to preschool to pick up Quinn. He’s super talkative on the drive home and tells me all about his friend Blake and how they played with magnets. Then, he told me all about the new fish tank in his classroom and that it had a light inside that would change the color of the water when you pushed a button – but only big kids can do it.
When we pull into the driveway, Quinn grabs his hand-fan from the car and tells me he’s going to cut the grass. Ha! So cute.
Before I know it, everyone says they’re hungry for dinner, so I throw together a quick meal using some leftovers from the fridge. In the mix: Shredded chicken, quinoa (a good source of whole grains), kale, carrots, and feta. It was a little random, but tasty and nutritious!
After dinner, I enjoyed a bowl of Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, which was the perfect sweet ending to my day without adding a ton of sugar to my diet. The first ingredient in Pumpkin Spice Cheerios is whole grain oats, so I felt good about having a snack at the end of the night.
Giveaway time!
With the start of the #ButFirstWholeGrain Challenge, it’s a great time to try adding more whole grains to your diet, including your favorite General Mills Big G Cereals.
To enter to win this amazing prize package pictured above, just leave a comment on this blog post about how youāre adding whole grain to your day with the challenge. I’ll randomly pick a winner next week. Good luck!
235 Comments
I’ve starting eating overnight oats daily. I don’t know what took me so long to get on the bandwagon. They are so yummy and so versatile. I also starting buying Dave’s Killer Bread thanks to you!
Thanks to you and General Mills for the giveaway š
I add whole grain to my day by starting it with oatmeal š
I am obsessed with all kinds of Cheerios!!! Love that the pumpkin are finally here and now I can have them for breakfast and dessert!!
I am eating ALL the pumpkin spice cheerios this fall! They are my favorite!
I’ve found all kinds of possibilities for adding more grains to my diet with Buddha Bowls! And that Pumpkin Cheerios Cereal sounds so good!
I found Dave’s Killer bread near me! Sooo good! I have that with almond butter almost every day!
I definitely need to join in on this challenge! I’m going to start trying to get whole grains in for breakfast every day! Thanks!
I’ve been snacking on dry cereal when I just want something crunchy š
I am trying to add whole grains in my evening meals.
I am all about leading and living a healthy lifestyle now and I love whole grain foods. It is super important to put good things in your body.
I add flax to my oatmeal and cereal
I make overnight oats for the week every Sunday night!
I put flax in lots of stuff, salads, oats, protein drinks…
I just bought a new bag of quinoa and plan on getting my grains in with breakfast quinoa. š
Quinoa and black beans with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the farm are a staple for me!
I use whole grain bread for my lunch sandwich everyday & make one for my husband to take to work too!
We try to stick with Meatless Mondays by incorporating more quinoa, barley, and the like into our diet as well as snacking on pumpkin spice Cheerios. They are addictive!
Well, I’m preggo, so cereal has been the easiest way lately! It has sounded good to me since the day I found out I was pregnant. Even the days of high nausea. š
I’m luckily to have always been a cereal fan. I love starting my morning with a mixture of cereals and fruit. Such an easy and tasty way to get my whole grains in!
I make homemade veggie burgers with a mix of veggies, a whole grain (I’ve used oats, couscous, quinoa, barley, etc) and beans. They are delicious, versatile, and affordable to make!
With cooler weather, I am adding hot oatmeal back into my routine!
We are cereal monsters in our house. A box does not last long! Makes it easy to start my day with whole grains. Yumm!
I recently have been eating a small bowl of Cascadian Farms multi grain squares every morning to get more grains and it has been so good! Especially with my daughters organic whole milk!
I eat oatmeal every single day and love it! That’s how I get my whole grains in š
I am eating brown rice instead of white rice.
Obviously eating more General Mills cereal š
I LOVE oatmeal and prunes!
By adding ground flax seed, fresh blueberries, and 1 cup mixture of whole grain cereals( cheerios, kashi cinnamon hearts, puffins, and bran flakes) to my Greek plain yogurt! Delicious and very filling!!!!
I’ve been getting whole grain breads and cereal.
I am so thankful for General Mills to have gluten free cereal now so I can add whole grains to my diet everyday!!!
Cheerios topped on my oatmeal or sprinkled on my icecream not to mention having a baggie full to snack on. Love mixing all the fun flavors too….hoping to try that Pumpkin Spice!
I love cereal for dessert! I’m adding more whole grains by just buying whole grain products, instead of a mix!
I love snacking on my lactation cookies made with oats and chocolate!
I’ve been opting for oatmeal for breakfast to increase whole grains and fiber! I love it!
whole grain bread- this is so filling for me and I love bread! No reason to deny myself of it!