2 Ways To Prepare Healthy Rice
Rice is one of the most basic foods. Known and used throughout the world, they are also one of the most versatile ingredients, capable of combining with almost everything. Today, we propose 2 healthy rice recipes, brown rice and wild rice, so you can fully enjoy its benefits.
Rice
Rice is the seed of the Oryza sativa plant and is the most widely produced cereal in the world after corn. Indeed, it is a staple food in practically the entire planet and, thanks to its ability to combine with almost everything, we can find it in recipes of all kinds: desserts, main dishes, side dishes, breads, etc.
Benefits of rice
Among the benefits of this extraordinary cereal, we can highlight:
- Rice is an important and healthy source of energy. Indeed, it contains about 86 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams.
- In addition, it is a source of fiber, vitamins such as B 1 , B 3 and folic acid. It also contains phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.
- On the other hand, rice does not contain cholesterol and is low in sodium, which is why it is considered a suitable food for people with hypertension problems.
- In addition to fiber, its natural antioxidants (such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids) help to expel free radicals from the body more quickly, protecting the body against free radicals.
- Some types of rice help to stimulate neuroprotective enzymes in the brain, thus being able to prevent the appearance of diseases such as Alhzeimer or dementia.
- Also, rice is a natural diuretic thanks to its high fiber content.
- On the other hand, its antioxidant content favors cardiovascular health.
What are the healthiest types of rice?
There are many types of rice: white, bomba, steamed, arborio, basmati, integral, glutinous, wild, red … Each of them is characterized by providing certain culinary characteristics to each dish (aroma, texture, color, etc.). However, although all are really healthy, some are more so than others.
Since the nutrients in rice are mainly found in the husk, whole grain rice varieties and wild rice are the healthiest.
- Brown rice can actually be obtained from any type of rice. It is a less processed rice, in which the grain has been left unpolished so that the nutrients in its husk are almost intact.
- For its part, although it resembles rice in appearance and qualities, wild rice is technically not rice. Indeed, it does not come from the same species, but from a different one, the zizania, a very similar aquatic plant. For this reason, it is known by other names such as “fake rice”, “manomÃn”, “zizania” or “grain of water”.
Two healthy rice recipes
Wild rice recipe with chicken and mushrooms
A nutritious and delicious recipe with one of the healthiest rice dishes. Take note!
Ingredients
- 200 grams of wild rice
- 1 chicken breast
- 2 carrots
- 200 grams of mushrooms
- soy sauce
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chives (optional)
Preparation
- First of all, we must cook the rice. Wild rice takes about 35 minutes to cook, so it’s best to bring it to a boil first while we prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Likewise, we cut the carrots into small pieces and put them in the pot where we cook the rice. In this way, we will also get the carrots to soften at the same time.
- Next, we cut the chicken into small pieces and sauté or fry them with a little oil until lightly browned on both sides.
- Then we add the mushrooms. If we have bought them frozen, we must have thawed them beforehand and make sure they have drained well.
- Later, once the rice and carrots have been cooked, we strain them well to eliminate the water and then we add them to the pan with the mushrooms and chicken to fry everything together. At this point, we also add a tablespoon of soy sauce.
- Finally, we fry everything well so that the ingredients are perfectly integrated.
- Finally, we season and serve our plate still hot. If you wish, you can cut the green part of the chives into small rings and add them on top of the rice to add flavor and to decorate the dish.
Recipe for brown rice with vegetables
In this recipe, the benefits of brown rice are combined with those of vegetables. Do not miss it!
Ingredients
- 200 grams of brown rice
- broccoli
- 1 Red pepper
- 1 zucchini
- soy sauce
- 5 garlic cloves
- Parsley
Preparation
- First, we boil the rice according to the instructions on the package.
- Meanwhile, in another pot, we put water to heat and, when it boils, we add all the vegetables previously washed and cut into pieces. After boiling them for 1 or 2 minutes, strain them and reserve.
- In a frying pan with a little oil, lightly fry the garlic and parsley. At this point, we must be careful not to stop stirring or the ingredients could burn.
- When the garlic has browned a little, add the vegetables, brown rice and soy sauce and fry until all the ingredients are well integrated.
- Your plate of brown rice with vegetables is now ready to enjoy and enrich your table with aroma, flavor and nutrients.
Take advantage of this versatile ingredient in a multitude of preparations. Today we propose these 2 recipes but you can make as many as your creativity allows. Let’s do it!
