Today I’m excited to share with you the recipe for this savory and delicious Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread! Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, this rustic quick bread comes together in a snap and would be perfect for your St. Patty’s menu. I think your whole family will love it!

There’s just something about freshly baked bread, isn’t there? Anytime I make bread, all four of the boys seem to magically appear in the kitchen, sniffing around and asking the age-old question, ‘What’s for dinner, Mom?’ When I served up this warm and cheesy loaf with dinner tonight, even my pickiest eater ate every last bite of his slice and asked for seconds. I’d call that a major win!

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The Beauty of Quick Breads

Unlike a yeast bread, quick breads require no kneading and no rising time. Using leaveners like baking powder or baking soda, they rely on the chemical reaction between these leaveners and liquids to create gas bubbles and the resulting lift. Without them, the result would be more brick and less bread. Beer’s fizzy little bubbles boost this reaction even further.

The Cheese & Herbs

My twist on this Irish pub classic is equal parts delicious and nutritious. I have always had a soft spot for cheese (of most any kind) and fresh herbs. Though you don’t have to go extra-sharp with your cheddar, do be sure to get a good quality brand that is actually aged. We love Tillamook for this very reason.

As for herbs, you can really get creative here! This time, I kept it simple with some minced chives, but you could use any number of different herbs! Fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme would all be lovely, just to name a few!

Better for You

Whenever I can, I like to take a recipe and tweak it to make it just a little bit healthier. What can I say? I’m a dietitian! But that doesn’t mean I do so at the expense of taste or texture. It’s all about finding the right balance, no? So let me share with you the changes I made.

To add the power of whole grains, I substituted part of the white flour with whole grain flour. When doing this, I always start by replacing about 1/3 of the white stuff and see how that goes. If the end result isn’t overly heavy, I up it to 1/2 white and 1/2 whole the next time. Though I was quite happy with how this loaf turned out, I think you could definitely try the 50/50 ratio with your flours and get a delicious loaf.

I also decreased the butter and sugar by about half, compared to most recipes I came across. Knowing that I would be adding cheddar cheese to the mix (which would add both fat and moisture), I was confident this change wouldn’t be noticeable. And it wasn’t.

Finally, I made the call to go with a “light” beer for a couple reasons. Though it does lower the calorie count a little bit, that wasn’t the main reason. Knowing I’d be serving this to the kiddos, I worried that a more strongly flavored beer might not be appreciated by their little taste buds. So I opted for a good ole’ fashioned American lager, Bud Light. If you’ve got something else on hand you’d like to try, go for it! Just know it might alter the flavor and color of the end product a bit.

The Perfect Beer Bread

The end result is a wonderfully soft and slightly chewy bread that is ever so moist and delicious. Cozy and filling, each bite rewards you with a bit of gooey cheese and savory goodness that pairs equally well with a simple soup or a steak dinner. The crust has the just right amount of crispy crunch and there’s a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory. Our whole family loved this bread and I think yours will, too!

Print

Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread

Your family will love this cozy and filling quick bread made with cheddar, herbs, and of course, BEER! Pairs perfectly with a simple soup or steak dinner and comes together in a snap!

Course Appetizer, Bread

Cuisine American, Irish

Keyword Beer, Cheddar, Herbs, Quick Bread

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 3 Tbsp fresh herbs, minced (e.g. chives, parsley, rosemary, thyme)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 12 oz light beer (or your beer of choice!)
• Cooking spray for loaf pan

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Then add the grated cheddar and fresh herbs and stir again.
• Add the remaining ingredients to your bowl–the sugar, butter, and beer–and stir well to combine, but don’t over-mix. Your batter won’t be perfectly smooth.
• Spray a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray and then scrape your bread batter into the pan. Smooth to even out the top and then pop into your pre-heated oven.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes or until finished baking. The loaf will be lightly browned in places and when you knock on the side of the loaf, it will sound hollow. Mine was done in 45 minutes.
• Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information per serving (1/15 of loaf): 135 calories, 4 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein

Did you try this recipe for Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread? Let me know how it went down in the comments!

The post Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

Hey there! Welcome to our second installment in A Plan for Success! In this series, I want to show you how everyday people can lose weight and get in shape with personalized strategies and custom meal planning. Using the example of familiar (albeit fictional) faces, you’ll see that with a SMART goal and solid action plan, change is possible for anyone, no matter their circumstances. Whether your goal is to lose the gut and get in shape or improve your health and wellness, you can reach your goal!

Today we’re going to meet Chuck, a husband and father of two who’s had a bit of a reality check. Trying to recapture the glory days at a recent reunion, he made the startling discovery that the ole’ bod ain’t what it used to be. Let’s take a closer look at Chuck’s experience.

Meet our Busy Dad

Rude Awakening

Chuck’s a hardworking family man who woke up one morning and realized he’s pushing forty and has gained as much in pounds since his bachelor days. Working a hectic office job and keeping up with his family hasn’t left much time for hitting the gym and he knows his eating habits are nothing to brag about.

What meal pattern?

Chuck’s never been big on breakfast, relying instead on coffee to get him through the day. And what about lunch? Definitely hit or miss. With looming deadlines, Chuck will often work right through his lunch hour, though he does end up eating out a couple times each week with clients.

Naturally by the time he gets home, Chuck is ravenous and dinner is the main event. He loves a big steak with all the fixings. Never been much for vegetables, though he’ll take a few if only to avoid a scolding from his 4-year-old. Dinner is always followed up with some sort of treat. Perhaps a big bowl of ice cream or a few cookies and a big glass of milk. After a stressful day at work, it’s hard to beat dessert with his favorite people.

Workin’ for the Weekend

Chuck lives for the weekend and weekends are all about family, friends, football, and lots of great food! Ever a sports fan, he loves watching the big game, be it one of his kids’ little league matches or his favorite team on the big screen. And what’s a game without some snacks? Chuck loves a good spread with some good brew. Chips and dip, hot wings, bar mix, sliders–you name it.

Wake-up Call

Chuck used to play a variety of sports in high school and would love to join one of the local clubs, but a recent alumni game at his 20 year reunion proved he is way out of shape and useless on the field. Coming to grips with the trajectory of his weight and fitness level, Chuck’s decided it’s time to make some changes…even if it means eating vegetables.

When it comes down to it, Chuck knows he needs to lose weight and start exercising again. Though he doesn’t feel like he needs to get back down to his ‘fighting weight’ of days gone by, dropping 30 wouldn’t be a bad idea. Ultimately, he’d just like to lose the gut and be able to spend an hour on the field without keeling over.

Ready to Lose the Gut

Chuck has seen the writing on the wall and is ready to make some changes, but he’s definitely got some obstacles ahead of him. How many can you spot? Let’s go through them.

• To begin with, Chuck’s time and energy are stretched to the max. The demands of work and home life leave him with little wiggle room in his schedule. As a result, penciling in exercise will be a real challenge.
• Chuck’s eating habits are erratic, to say the least. He tends to skip meals–sometimes both breakfast AND lunch–only to indulge in huge portions later in the day.
• Chuck eats out at least twice per week, likely a huge source of extra calories.
• Chuck tends to graze all weekend long on high-calorie, high-fat snacks with reckless abandon. It’s something he associates with friends and family and not a habit he’ll be eager to give up.
• Though not a binge drinker, he does put down quite a few beers over the course of a weekend and could definitely cut back.

Fortunately, Chuck doesn’t have to try and change everything overnight. By tackling a few things at a time, he can begin to reshape his habits and that midsection. No doubt, it will take commitment and a willingness to do things differently, but with a solid and realistic action plan, he can lose the gut and reclaim his fitness.

In our next post, we’ll start to formulate Chuck’s battle plan and who knows? Maybe you’ll discover a few helpful strategies to work into your own battle plan!

The post A Plan for Success: Meet Chuck appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

So a guy is trying to lose weight and is looking for ways to cut calories.  While he doesn’t want to give up alcohol completely, he knows his weekend six-pack isn’t doing his gut any favors.  The solution?  He switches to liquor because beer, as everyone knows, is sky-high in calories because of all the carbs.  Problem solved! 

Sound familiar?  Over the years, I have heard this one over and over again.  In an effort to lose weight, dieters switch from ‘fattening’ beer to wine or hard alcohol, believing the latter options are more diet-friendly.  But are they?

Though alcohol is not a nutrient–something our body requires–it does provide calories.  While carbohydrate and protein each provide 4 calories per gram and fat provides 9 calories per gram, alcohol provides 7 calories per gram.  This means that while there may be a few calories from carbs, the bulk of the calories in your favorite nightcap are coming from the alcohol itself.

Different drinks have higher or lower percentages of alcohol by volume.  Beer, for example, might have around 4-7%; the Merlot on my counter has 13.5%; Jack Daniels has 40%.  This also explains why the suggested serving size decreases as the alcohol percentage increases.  Furthermore, as the percentages go up, so do the calories.  This is why a single serving of beer (12 oz), wine (5 oz), or spirits (1 1/2 oz) all have a similar calorie count despite such a varying portion size. Still a little confused? Below is a short list of a few alcoholic beverages alongside their percentage of alcohol and calorie content.

• 12 oz Bud Light (4.2%) – 110 calories
• 12 oz Hefeweizen (4.9%) – 150 calories
• 12 oz Guinness Extra-Stout (6%) – 176 calories
• 5 oz Champagne (12%) – 95 calories
• 5 oz Sauvignon Blanc (13.5%) – 120 calories
• 5 oz Merlot (13.5%) – 120 calories
• 1 1/2 oz Jack Daniels (40%) – 98 calories
• 1  oz Distilled Vodka (50%) – 82 calories

Now if you’re going to stick to just one or two servings, your caloric intake will be roughly equal regardless of what you choose.  But imagine our fellow above decides to swap his usual hefeweizen for a mixed drink, like a Long Island Iced Tea. Though both drinks are about the same in volume (12 oz), the latter has more than 500 calories!  Cocktails, which typically have multiple shots of alcohol, are also often high in sugar thanks to the various added mixers, juices, and sodas.  Bottom line?  If you’re trying to cut calories but still want to raise a glass, limit yourself to just one or two servings and watch out for those high-calorie add-ins!

Cheers!

The post What’ll ya have? appeared first on The Diet Oracle.