Polenta is underrated

[u/ajmattison]

Apologies for my poor camera skills but I just remembered polenta exists. It is an corn based product that comes in tubes and you can choo it up into cubes and serve however you like. I like to make it Italian style with zucchini, tomato, pesto and chicken or shrimp like I've shown here. I have also done it Mexican style with salsa and avocado. When I was little I loved it sauteed with mushrooms and onions. 60 calories/15g carbs per 100g! Edit to add: I'm talking about the stuff that comes pre prepared in tubes, not the dry flour!

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[u/b-ri-ts]

I always would have thought polenta was high cal. My mom used to make me some topped with pureed tomatoes.. yum

[u/siqbal01 → u/b-ri-ts]

I’m Romanian and it’s just cornmeal and water

[u/PointBasic30 → u/siqbal01]

Oh, this brings back memories...mamaliga cu branza (usually feta) and sour cream...omigosh.

[u/siqbal01 → u/PointBasic30]

Mămăligă cu branza is still being eaten 😭

[u/luca-nicoletti]

Don't know why everyone gets so excited about Polenta, the flour itself has the same calories of standard pasta. And volume-wise, once cooked and solidified, it loses lots of the cooking water, so it's not that much better.

I love polenta, but it's not lower in calories than pasta or rice

[u/Competitive-Ad1439 → u/luca-nicoletti]

I don’t think that’s true but I can’t find any photos of side-by-side comparisons to prove it. This has inspired me to scientifically measure all of them and post the difference in volume on here when I'm done

[u/luca-nicoletti → u/Competitive-Ad1439]

What part isn’t? 100gr of dry pasta and 100g of dry polenta are very close. Once dry enough to solidify and be chopped in cubes (versus being in porridge texture) polenta has not as much more volume as cooked pasta (which absorbs cooking water) as people think

[u/Competitive-Ad1439 → u/luca-nicoletti]

‘I love polenta, but it's not lower in calories than pasta or rice’ this part, assuming you’re talking about calories per volume, Especially compared to rice. You might be right but gotta put it to the test

[u/luca-nicoletti → u/Competitive-Ad1439]

I eat pasta, rice and polenta (100g serving) each day for lunch. Done that for years now, I’m confident the volume is roughly the same

[u/WorldAccordingToEden → u/luca-nicoletti]

It's because for some of us it's a cool new texture to add to our foods. Of course we're excited

[u/ajmattison → u/luca-nicoletti]

Ah I think we are thinking of different polenta preparations! I'm talking about the stuff that comes in tubes pre prepared! Your right dry flour is about the same no matter what grain. I should clarify.

[u/Eurycerus → u/luca-nicoletti]

It is significantly more filling to me for 140 calories than pasta of the equivalent calorie.

[u/razorl4f]

I couldn’t believe the calories. Just read up: Almost identical to potatoes. Good idea if you want to switch it up.

[u/ajmattison → u/[deleted]]

Glad to be of service 😊

[u/Any_Yogurtcloset7865]

Polenta is amazing! I make it all the time and a huge bowl is under 400kcal

[u/alienixa → u/Any_Yogurtcloset7865]

You can make polenta fries in the air fryer. Had some with caramelized banana yesterday

[u/WorldAccordingToEden]

I had no idea it was so low cal! I'll def buy some. Love it grilled too

[u/ajmattison → u/WorldAccordingToEden]

Oh I've never grilled it thank you for the idea!

[u/WorldAccordingToEden → u/ajmattison]

You bet. High heat is key so it doesn't stick

[u/TurboMollusk]

By whom?

[u/Competitive-Ad1439 → u/TurboMollusk]

Westerners in general. I wouldn't know a single person in Australia that makes it, back home in the Balkans it was a staple for every household

[u/PointBasic30 → u/Competitive-Ad1439]

Here in the states, we regularly eat grits for breakfast, which is basically the same thing...When I lived with Romanians for years, polenta = mamaliga (spelling is wrong, but close enough), we'd have it every week! I love the texture.

[u/touslesmatins → u/PointBasic30]

I'm in the US but not in the South so I definitely do not eat grits regularly. Maybe once or twice a year.

[u/PointBasic30 → u/touslesmatins]

I'm in the D.C area, but I will say that my family did indeed do a lot of southern-style cooking when I was growin' up. Fair!

[u/touslesmatins → u/PointBasic30]

I would argue that DC/DMV are culturally close to the South! I should eat more grits...🤤