Keep cooked macaroni and cheese warm in a crockpot for serving at a potluck or anytime you need the dish to stay warm for hours. Spraying the crockpot insert with nonstick cooking spray prevents the macaroni from sticking to the insert without adding extra calories and fat.

Singapore noodles are a type of noodle dish found in Chinese restaurants. It includes thin rice noodles, peas, Cantonese-style pork and shrimp, and is seasoned with Indian red curry. Nutrition information for this Chinese dish can vary depending on the recipe and chef.

That soft noodle filling the bowl of your Vietnamese pho is not spaghetti but vermicelli rice noodles. These noodles, made from ground rice, are found throughout Asia and are used in a number of different cuisines including Thai and Chinese, in addition to Vietnamese.

You will get some protein from rice, although you’ll have to eat a lot of it to get close to your recommended daily intake. White rice is heavily processed and typically lower in protein than other varieties.

Pan fried noodles are a popular dish throughout Asia, as they provide a starchy base for meat, vegetables or other toppings. Pan fried noodles are rich in carbohydrates and high in calories, so they're not ideal for all diets.

Bran, butter or oil, milk, egg and sugar are the basic components of a standard bran muffin. The truth is all of these ingredients can be part of a healthy diet, but bran muffins can also be high in calories, fat and sugar.

Grains are the fruits of single-seeded grasses like barley, wheat and rye. Although grain-based foods make up a majority of the American diet, many are made from refined grains like white flour, which are low in nutritional value.

Shirataki noodles (also called konnyaku noodles) are traditional Japanese noodles that have recently gained popularity in Europe and North America because they are one of the few pasta choices available for many diet plans.

Fragrant basmati rice is frequently used as the base for pilafs or paired with curries. Like all other types of rice, this long-grain Indian variety is available in both brown and white forms.

A pretzel is a pastry that’s typically shaped into a three-looped knot but it can have many other shapes. A pretzel roll is made in the same way except that it’s shaped into a roll. They’re a specialty of south Germany and are now common throughout Germany according to The German Baker.

Amaranth and quinoa share many similarities, beginning with a common history. These ancient crops are native to South America and serve as staples in many parts of the world.

While you might not think of oats beyond steaming bowls of oatmeal or oatmeal raisin cookies, they actually have a number of uses in the kitchen. Oat groats -- another name for intact, hulled oat grains -- make a healthful addition to your diet.