Joanna asked; Could you review why you like wheat bran in favor of other foods like oats or Cream of Rice? Why do you consider wheat bran to be no calories or free food? How do you cook it? How much at a time for meal planning?

My comment: wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat grain. The nutrients are not found here but in the nucleus. Wheat BRAN is made up from insoluble fiber which are NOT digested in the large intestine. It goes through without being processed and turned into energy. All it does is add bulk to the food which is good for the gut and the bowel movement. In American Dietary Law or whatever you call it, fiber is classified as a carb and thus it theoretically contains calories. These are however not absorbed.

I eat wheat bran to satisfy my hunger. I do not want the calories from this kind of food. If I were to eat oats or cream of wheat I get energy or calories just like I would get from other carbohydrate rich foods like rice, pasta, bread etc. Wheat germ comes from the wheat nucleus and is very nutritious. Thus all nutritious things contain calories more or less.

Wheat bran is IMO a free food because fiber is not absorbed and packed into energy in your body. That is why I eat it. If I wanted to eat grains for energy I surely would go for oats etc, but it does not fit in my diet as much since I want to stay somewhat lean constantly.

When I refeed I use oats and other high carb foods. This time i DO want the calories and the carbs.

So, I use these for two different reasons.