Do you like to hit up some carbs before you lift? I do, I feel like I have a little more power, or grit – bad pun SO intended. As weightlifters we have several carb options from which to choose, but the most popular by far are oats and rice. What about grits though? (I had a guy ask me once: “What’s a ‘grit’?”) For the uninitiated, grits are basically just stone ground corn – they are also known as polenta in Italian cuisine. Strongpeople and Powerlifters are beginning to tune into the benefits of adding good-ole-fashioned grits to their diets. Brian Shaw, four time World’s Strongest Man, recently started hitting the Bob’s Red Mill Grits in his videos.
Northwest kids like me were not likely to see grits growing up however. Grits are a Southern thing and a food staple most people up here were not exposed to culturally. But since my mother was an expat from Alabama and because I spent a decade subsisting in US Army chow-halls, grits are my jam.
Corn grits have a low glycemic load which makes them a good carb source. They have less fiber than steel-cut oats, but they are also lower in calories and won’t spike your blood sugar like rolled oats or wheat farina. So I suggest you try some grits, and I plead with you, please do us all a solid and buy REALLY good grits. Never buy instant grits.
Bob’s Red Mill is the best option in your local mega-mart, but I suggest you go further afield to get the really good stuff. Here are a few options all available through the mail.
Marsh Hen Mill
Formerly Geechie Boy Mill
Edisto Island, SC
Marsh Hen is a family owned and operated farm and mill. They grow several varieties of heirloom corn and I love their Jimmy Red grits – recipe here. As of this writing you are looking at about $12 a bag plus shipping.
I never said quality was cheap.
Boonville Flour and Feed Mill
Boonville, NC
This mill was first built in 1896 and minus a few modern power enhancements it is the same mill they have been using for over 120 years. Their Daniel Boone Grits are the standard No.2 Field Corn (aka Dent Corn) variety and we think and they are incredibly fresh tasting and bright.
My first purchase from this mill was a fun experience. They are not set up for online payments and their website looks like it hasn’t been changed since 1996. So I called and asked the nice lady to mail me a package of grits. She replied in a gravelly, very Southern voice, “Ok honey, this is how it works..” She explained they mail us the grits with an invoice, and we mail back a check. I was instantly charmed. Shipping is a little expensive here but well worth it.
Pro-tip: The grits here are way less expensive than the other vendors, and they can fit two packages of grits in the USPS Priority Shipping box so buy two at a time and it cuts the shipping in half.
Anson Mills
Columbia, SC
I have not tried grits from Anson Mills to date, but I am sure they are good. I have seen several videos with Southern chefs raving about their products, and Anson Mills carries several heirloom varieties of corn that look quite interesting and tasty.
I have made their Sea Island Red Peas several times, but that is another post for another day.
Now get cooking.
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