how can i make brown rice taste better?

2

Replies

  • jardimgirl
    jardimgirl Posts: 522 Member
    thanks everyone, i'll have to try these, but if all in all, ill continue with white rice once in a while :)
  • fat2strongbeth
    fat2strongbeth Posts: 735 Member
    I cook all my rice, quinoa, couscous, etc in chicken or veggie broth. If you are cooking it in just water make sure you add salt and seasonings.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Brown rice might still be a better option if weight loss (or cholesterol mgmt) is your goal. Though if you eat it only occasionally, it probably doesn't matter much.

    http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/brown-rice-really-better-white-rice

    Same study, the actual abstract- http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/brown-rice-superior-white-rice-improving-physiological-markers-associated
  • GothicaAdore
    GothicaAdore Posts: 82 Member
    Brown rice is amazing, White rice is amazing too. Really, now that I'm dieting, even foods I don't usually like taste good. Hunger is the best seasoning.
  • thatgorsuchkid
    thatgorsuchkid Posts: 23
    You heard wrong, eat white rice, it's delicious

    It has been refined to the point of having no nutritional value, so that is false. Eat brown rice. I lost thirty pounds in five weeks just because I ate brown rice once a day and the fiber was off the charts and kept me so full.

    I like to add lite soy sauce to mine. Or fat free chicken gravy. i am obsessed with brown rice, just not plain brown rice.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    You heard wrong, eat white rice, it's delicious

    It has been refined to the point of having no nutritional value, so that is false. Eat brown rice. I lost thirty pounds in five weeks just because I ate brown rice once a day and the fiber was off the charts and kept me so full.

    I like to add lite soy sauce to mine. Or fat free chicken gravy. i am obsessed with brown rice, just not plain brown rice.

    Please see the studies I posted above. White rice has nutrients added back into it. Claiming it has "no nutritional value" is entirely false.
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
    Butter makes everything better!
  • LKPMiller
    LKPMiller Posts: 6 Member
    Try Minute Rice version. It's already partly cooked so you won't get such a lengthy exposure to the cooking smell! Make sure you put :smooched: a little salt and some fat (even half a teaspoon makes it better!!)
  • thatgorsuchkid
    thatgorsuchkid Posts: 23
    You heard wrong, eat white rice, it's delicious

    It has been refined to the point of having no nutritional value, so that is false. Eat brown rice. I lost thirty pounds in five weeks just because I ate brown rice once a day and the fiber was off the charts and kept me so full.

    I like to add lite soy sauce to mine. Or fat free chicken gravy. i am obsessed with brown rice, just not plain brown rice.
  • lgumert
    lgumert Posts: 20
    I don't like regular brown rice, but I love brown basmati rice; it has a totally different flavor. I also eat Japanese rice that has part of the hull removed so it has more fiber than white rice but tastes more like white rice.

    If you don't have a rice cooker, you can get the same texture (and more nutritional value because more digestible) by soaking the rice (in the water in which you will cook it; don't drain this water away) for at least a half hour. Then bring to a boil and cover. Then lower heat to a very low simmer for 30 minutes. Then raise the heat to high for a few seconds to evaporate any excess water. Then let it sit for 10 minutes before you raise the lid to fluff it.
  • thatgorsuchkid
    thatgorsuchkid Posts: 23
    You heard wrong, eat white rice, it's delicious

    It has been refined to the point of having no nutritional value, so that is false. Eat brown rice. I lost thirty pounds in five weeks just because I ate brown rice once a day and the fiber was off the charts and kept me so full.

    I like to add lite soy sauce to mine. Or fat free chicken gravy. i am obsessed with brown rice, just not plain brown rice.



    Please see the studies I posted above. White rice has nutrients added back into it. Claiming it has "no nutritional value" is entirely false.
    I do not go off of internet studies. Anyone can post anything and say they are a doctor or nutritionist. I had a nutritionist for a year because of my stomach problems, and I still keep in communications with her. It does not have the nutrition you NEED. That is a fact. Just go get a nutritionist and they will tell you the exact same thing about internet "studies". Thank you :)
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    You heard wrong, eat white rice, it's delicious

    It has been refined to the point of having no nutritional value, so that is false. Eat brown rice. I lost thirty pounds in five weeks just because I ate brown rice once a day and the fiber was off the charts and kept me so full.

    I like to add lite soy sauce to mine. Or fat free chicken gravy. i am obsessed with brown rice, just not plain brown rice.



    Please see the studies I posted above. White rice has nutrients added back into it. Claiming it has "no nutritional value" is entirely false.
    I do not go off of internet studies. Anyone can post anything and say they are a doctor or nutritionist. I had a nutritionist for a year because of my stomach problems, and I still keep in communications with her. It does not have the nutrition you NEED. That is a fact. Just go get a nutritionist and they will tell you the exact same thing about internet "studies". Thank you :)


    I see. You have an interesting method of choosing your facts.
    How do you suppose certain populations who have a high consumption of white rice, also have good health markers? Certainly a diet with lots of nutritionally void foods (per your claim) would lead to deficiencies?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I like the texture.

    But then I like white rice, too.

    Serve it with a smokin' hot chilli. It'll taste fantastic then and still have a great texture.
  • MirandaDeCrane
    MirandaDeCrane Posts: 78 Member
    I like both, but prefer to cook/eat brown rice. White rice can raise blood sugar and spike it more than brown rice. White rices are also enriched. I prefer to eat foods that naturally have vitamins and minerals, instead of people adding them to it. I avoid white enriched breads/pastas as well...

    HTH! :) I hated brown rice before, but it has slowly grown on me and now I love it! I am from Louisiana, where white rice is a staple in just about every Cajun dish. Having some red beans or gumbo to eat with the rice helped me get over the texture.
  • journey_man
    journey_man Posts: 110 Member
    You heard wrong, eat white rice, it's delicious

    ^ this. Nothing wrong with white rice.

    White rice was something I used to eat literally every day, in prodigious quantities. It's a staple food for me, whereas it's a side dish for most in the US.

    Hated brown rice for a long time, but finally made the switch last fall based on the near-universal idea that it' better for you. I got used to it and began really enjoying it.

    Now after some additional research, I find the nutritional benefits of the switch vastly overblown.

    HOWEVER, one significant benefit still makes the switch worth it for me: for whatever reason, perhaps owning to the chewy texture, I find that I eat considerably less of it (in any one sitting and overall), eat it more slowly, and require less of it to feel satisfied. And that, my friends, is why I won't be going back to white.
  • Santasmincepie
    Santasmincepie Posts: 32
    I've had to switch to Brown rice as it's the only one the kids will eat.

    Try cooking it in stock instead of plain water or adding a stock cube (low salt if poss) to the cooking water.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    You heard wrong, eat white rice, it's delicious

    It has been refined to the point of having no nutritional value, so that is false. Eat brown rice. I lost thirty pounds in five weeks just because I ate brown rice once a day and the fiber was off the charts and kept me so full.

    I like to add lite soy sauce to mine. Or fat free chicken gravy. i am obsessed with brown rice, just not plain brown rice.



    Please see the studies I posted above. White rice has nutrients added back into it. Claiming it has "no nutritional value" is entirely false.
    I do not go off of internet studies. Anyone can post anything and say they are a doctor or nutritionist. I had a nutritionist for a year because of my stomach problems, and I still keep in communications with her. It does not have the nutrition you NEED. That is a fact. Just go get a nutritionist and they will tell you the exact same thing about internet "studies". Thank you :)

    Nutrition content in this context really doesn't matter that much to me. But what if your nutritionist were to post her knowledge and findings on the internet? Would this suddenly void her information?
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    There's nothing wrong with white rice. But brown rice is nutritionally superior. Here's a couple good reads on it.

    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
    http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-difference-between-brown-rice-and-white-rice.html

    When all else fails, A-1 sauce covers the taste of just about anything. :smile:


    Brown rice is not "nutritionally superior".


    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9302338/
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2822877/
    Those might not be the best arguments for the inferiority of brown rice. One is a Portuguese study from 14 years ago. The other is a Japanese study from 27 years ago. Not that the only relevant research is American and current but it looks a bit like data mining, when presented alone. (Though I'd rate it more convincing than anything on Fitday or Livestrong, from any date!)
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
    If you want the higher fiber, try mixing the two (I kinda hate brown rice too but I could use the fiber.} You can do the same with black rice but a word of caution: cook them separately and then mix otherwise the white rice will turn pink from the anthocyanin in the "black" (actually really really really dark red) rice - rather off putting.
  • grillnchill
    grillnchill Posts: 772 Member
    I love both white and brown rice. :drinker:

    The trick for me is to not to eat them everyday like I used to.

    I do know that brown rice has (but not considerably) fewer calories and is richer in fiber. If I ever find myself having to select brown vs white I usually go for brown. It fills me up w/ less of a serving than say regular white rice.

    As far as "white" rice goes, I love either basmati or jasmine rice. (depending what I'm cooking) I don't care for the national store brand stuff. i.e minute rice, uncle bens, etc.
  • grillnchill
    grillnchill Posts: 772 Member
    Oh, and to answer your Q. lol I tend to have my brown rice coupled with turkey chili, or "saucy" type meals. If you want to go for the fiber/protein gusto, have black bean soup w/ a little brown rice as a meal. For dessert brown rice pudding ain't bad. ;-)
  • kornaco
    kornaco Posts: 146 Member
    By itself, soy sauce still helps it go down a little easier.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    There's nothing wrong with white rice. But brown rice is nutritionally superior. Here's a couple good reads on it.

    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
    http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-difference-between-brown-rice-and-white-rice.html

    When all else fails, A-1 sauce covers the taste of just about anything. :smile:

    When all else fails, cover the "nutritionally superior" grain in a completely processed sauce full of sugar and you are good to go! :wink:

    Don't get me wrong, I love me some processed sauce and all the grains, but kind of a funny recommendation, IMO.

    Eat what you love! Just eat the appropriate portion! If you love white rice, eat one serving of it with some veg and protein. With a well balanced meal you really shouldn't have to worry so much about feeling hungry quickly.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I do know that brown rice has (but not considerably) fewer calories and is richer in fiber.
    I think brown rice actually has MORE calories than white, though not much. It has a higher fat content due to the bran and germ being left intact. It has a shorter shelf life for this reason, too.
  • maleva720
    maleva720 Posts: 165 Member
    I put soy sauce (low sodium) on mine.
  • richardositosanchez
    richardositosanchez Posts: 260 Member
    I usually add cilantro, garlic, pepper and lemon or lime juice.
  • RachyLovesRattys
    RachyLovesRattys Posts: 143 Member
    I'm going to say something I didn't see mentioned here that is my devil's advocate for white rice--

    Mind you, I love brown rice on MANY things (always brown rice in my sushi for example!) but just plain brown rice really sucks. At minimum i'll add some salt to cheer it up, but it really does need an herb and spice overhaul to be tasty.

    BUT--- brown rice is also INCREDIBLY high in arsenic. Because of the little fibrous part that holds all the nutritional benefits, it also leaches a lot of bad nasty chemicals from the soil it's grown in. Obviously, a cup or so a week isn't going to make you die in your sleep- but if you ONLY eat brown rice, and eat it frequently, it could start to cause some problems for you. The same study that had that information said to definitely eat brown rice, but to alternate with white rice throughout the week to avoid a buildup of the nasties.

    So if you really hate brown rice, use it in things you can tolerate it in, like sushi or a good fried rice stir-fry. If you're eating plain rice with your chinese food, go for the gold and just have the white you crave :) It's all good!
  • mhasita
    mhasita Posts: 93 Member
    I add dried parsley, garlic powder and drizzle a bit of olive oil. Tastes like perfection
  • amandasimons50
    amandasimons50 Posts: 19 Member
    I actually prefer brown rice. It has a nuttier flavor and a chewier texture. Maybe it's an acquired taste...

    I'd bet on that! After I had my son, I switched everything to whole wheat or whole grain in an attempt to start eating healthier which included brown rice, I really couldn't stand the taste at first and loaded it down with way unhealthy things which kind of defeated the purpose... But it's been 2 years and I haven't been sticking to the healthy eating thing but I have kept eating the brown rice, I guess it kind of grew on me... I like to mix veggies and soy sauce with it when I'm actually trying to eat healthy...
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    There's nothing wrong with white rice. But brown rice is nutritionally superior. Here's a couple good reads on it.

    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
    http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-difference-between-brown-rice-and-white-rice.html

    When all else fails, A-1 sauce covers the taste of just about anything. :smile:


    Brown rice is not "nutritionally superior".


    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9302338/
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2822877/
    Those might not be the best arguments for the inferiority of brown rice. One is a Portuguese study from 14 years ago. The other is a Japanese study from 27 years ago. Not that the only relevant research is American and current but it looks a bit like data mining, when presented alone. (Though I'd rate it more convincing than anything on Fitday or Livestrong, from any date!)

    I'm not claiming brown rice to be inferior. I'm claiming that we can't say that it's superior. Ultimately unless your diet is dominated by rice, the nutritional differences aren't significant anyways which leads us back to choosing based on taste/preference, which I'd urge everyone to do assuming they aren't eating massive quantities of rice.

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