Brown rice that doesn't taste awful?

weightofyourskin
weightofyourskin Posts: 173
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
I like plain steamed/boiled white rice as a side dish a lot. I've made a few attempts to switch to brown rice because it's healthier and has more fibre and everything, but it just tastes awful to me, like warm mushy cardboard. I've mostly tried the store brand or whatever was cheaper because I suspected I wouldn't like it.

If you eat brown rice and actually ENJOY IT, what brands do you get? Do you prepare it in a different way than white rice?
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Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I would suggest (seriously) that you keep eating white rice instead, and get your fiber from other sources.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I second continuing to eat white rice and getting the fiber/whole grains from other foods. There are just too many other ways to get good nutrition without forcing yourself to eat food you don't like just because it's 'healthy'.
  • Ipster
    Ipster Posts: 20 Member
    How about putting a little chicken broth in there when you are cooking it?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    i 3rd eating white rice
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    Personally, I love brown rice, but I have never eaten it plain. Today, I made a mixture of turkey sausage, banana peppers and diced tomatoes in it and it was delicious.

    However, if it is the texture you hate, don't bother. Try getting some whole grain pasta or whole grain bread for your whole grain fix instead. Don't eat something if you don't like it. You'll never see me chowing down on spinach or brussel sprouts, no matter how good they are for me.
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    I love brown rice; my husband loves white. We alternate. I will mix it with wild rice and barley to get a mix of textures and steep it in unsalted chicken boullion. I agree with the others though if you really prefer white rice, go with it. There are plenty of other roadblocks to get through.
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
    Wow. . interesting replies. .I absolutely love brown rice and there are so many ways to incorporate it into your diet, so that you aren't grabbing up empty calories. . I also like wild rice and Quinoa. . . . If you would like some ideas. .feel free to PM me. . Good luck dearie!:flowerforyou:
  • jskaggs1971
    jskaggs1971 Posts: 371 Member
    Seconded the "cook it with chicken broth/stock" suggestion. I've also learned that (to me) brown rice tastes better and doesn't get that musty stale taste if you store it in the freezer. No kidding. Go look at your bag of brown rice. I bet it says to store it frozen. Mine does.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
    I use the success boil-in-a-bag brown rice and honestly don't see that it tastes that different. However, if you really can't stand it, don't eat it. I can't stand almond butter. I stick with the plain ol peanut butter.
  • cloneme_losehalf
    cloneme_losehalf Posts: 356 Member
    I am with you, I can definitely live without brown rice!!! I can eat white rice, jasmine rice, risotto, wild rice, couscous etc. Brown rice so far is the only one I have not found a way I even remotely like it. I have eaten it many times but by the time I have added everything to it I am sure the calories would have been less and sodium would have been less if I would have used one of the others.
  • onetwothreeme
    onetwothreeme Posts: 20
    definitely eat BROWN RICE over white rice! not only does white rice have a higher glycemic index and all its essential nutrients removed when PROCESSED for it to cook easier.. but brown rice is CLEAN eating. awesome awesome source of magnesium, manganese, vitamins B1, B2 etc.. if you don't believe me, do a simple google search on its benefits vs. the white rice. its hands-down much more beneficial to our health.

    Lundbergs Organic Brown Rice is fantastic. i use it with my rice cooker and it comes out to perfection!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I actually prefer it to white rice, flavor-wise. I always make it with a little Better Than Bullion (which is basically equivalent of making it with broth or stock). Maybe that's the key?
  • farrellb2
    farrellb2 Posts: 120
    I try to "hide" mine in my foods, like I had a hot sauce chicken burrito the other night and I added it and the chicken at the same time, then added my cheese, corn and plain greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) didn't really taste the brown rice.

    I always try to eat it with chicken or hamburger it makes it taste better, because you have the overwhelming flavor from the meat taking over your mouth instead of the odd flavor from the brown rice
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    definitely eat BROWN RICE over white rice! not only does white rice have a higher glycemic index and all its essential nutrients removed when PROCESSED for it to cook easier.. but brown rice is CLEAN eating. awesome awesome source of magnesium, manganese, vitamins B1, B2 etc.. if you don't believe me, do a simple google search on its benefits vs. the white rice. its hands-down much more beneficial to our health.

    Lundbergs Organic Brown Rice is fantastic. i use it with my rice cooker and it comes out to perfection!

    GI is mostly irrelevant to the avg person

    and guess what brown rice may contain things that actually lower the absorption of various minerals int he body making it worse then white rice

    Comparison of the nutritional value between brown rice and white rice

    Callegaro Mda D, Tirapegui J. Arq Gastroenterol. 1996 Oct-Dec;33(4):225-31.

    Cereals are considered an important source of nutrients both in human and animal nourishment. In this paper nutritional value of brown rice is compared to that of white rice in relation to nutrients. Results show that despite higher nutrients contents of brown rice compared to white rice, experimental data does not provide evidence that the brown rice diet is better than the diet based on white rice. Possible antinutritional factors present in brown rice have adverse effects on bioavailability of this cereal nutrients.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9302338

    Effects of brown rice on apparent digestibility and balance of nutrients in young men on low protein diets

    J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1987 Jun;33(3):207-18. .Miyoshi H, Okuda T, Okuda K, Koishi H.

    The effect of brown rice with low protein intake was studied in five healthy young men. Feces were weighed, the digestibility of nutrients was determined, and blood tests were made. Each subject followed a diet consisting mainly of polished rice for 14 days and one consisting mainly of brown rice for 8 days. Both diets contained 0.5 g protein per kg of body weight. The brown rice diet had 3 times as much dietary fiber as the polished rice diet. On the brown rice diet, fecal weight increased, and apparent digestibility of energy, protein, and fat decreased, as did the absorption rates of Na, K, and P. The nitrogen balance was negative on both diets, but more negative on the brown rice diet. The phosphorus balance on the brown rice diet was significantly negative, but other minerals were not affected by the diet. The levels of cholesterol and minerals in the plasma were not significantly different on the polished rice diet and the brown rice diet. Comparing these results with data on standard protein intake (Miyoshi, H. et al (1986) J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol., 32, 581-589.), we concluded that brown rice reduced protein digestibility and nitrogen balance.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2822877
  • onetwothreeme
    onetwothreeme Posts: 20
    bottom line is, white rice has been stripped of its nutrients only to have artificial ones added. eat all the white rice you want, but in no way suggest to someone white rice is healthier than brown rice, because it is not.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    bottom line is, white rice has been stripped of its nutrients only to have artificial ones added. eat all the white rice you want, but in no way suggest to someone white rice is healthier than brown rice, because it is not.

    o rly? so it's an undeniable fact brown rice is healthier then brown rice?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    double post
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    bottom line is, white rice has been stripped of its nutrients only to have artificial ones added. eat all the white rice you want, but in no way suggest to someone white rice is healthier than brown rice, because it is not.

    How are you defining healthy? Your above statement completely lacks context and to claim that brown rice is arbitrarily healtheir than white rice is ridiculous.
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    carolina brown rice...i eat about 1 and a half cups everyday
  • weightofyourskin
    weightofyourskin Posts: 173
    Wow, thanks for all the replies!

    I love whole-grain pasta and don't eat any other kind, and I have no problem with whole-grain bread (although I don't eat bread all that often). I might give brown rice another try, cooked in chicken stock like some of you have suggested... otherwise I think I can stick to white rice without feeling too guilty about it. Hundreds of millions of people in Asia can't be wrong!
  • heykatieben
    heykatieben Posts: 398 Member
    How about quinoa? It's a stronger taste - nuttier - but I much prefer it to brown rice. I was disappointed when I made brown rice, too. GL! :)
  • Cathy92
    Cathy92 Posts: 312 Member
    Lunenburg brown rice. I like it's mild, nutty flavour. I don't eat as much brown rice with a meal as I do white rice as the brown rice is really filling. I don't use instant rice, but use an Asian rice cooker with a lid that fastens down tightly. You need to add more water to brown rice than white rice when cooking it...experiment to get the right consistency. It tastes fine.
  • robinogue
    robinogue Posts: 1,117 Member
    Not sure where you're located but trader joes has so good brown rice. I couldn't stand the stuff but after trying there's I could hang with it lol
  • KokomoJoe
    KokomoJoe Posts: 435
    Instead of plain white rice, move to white basmati rice. It has a wonderful aroma and IMO find it better than plain white rice. For brown rice add chicken stock and vegetable stock add spices and cook. I won't eat white rice unless I have to, but love the basmati rice. Smells like popcorn when it is cooking.
  • gdb86
    gdb86 Posts: 126 Member
    I'm a fan of Near East products. They have whole grain options too and the seasonings are already in there. There is a brown rice pilaf that is delish and they also have some couscous and quinoa options as well! :)
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
    I agree; if you don't like it, don't eat it.

    I love brown rice. I use the cheapest brand from Walmart. I chop up onions and bell peppers and mushrooms (if I have them) and saute those in a bit of oil...then add the water and rice and cook...it's one cup water to one cup rice but usually takes a bit more water for the rice to get soft. I also add in some salt, and a lot of seasonings, garlic powder, onion powder, red peppers and fresh cilantro if I have it. Don't cook it until it is mushy if you don't like the mush, keep it a little firmer. I don't like mine mushy either. When it is as soft as I desire, I add a can of dice tomatoes (usually the Italian kind) and a can of tomato paste. Cook a little longer till it's all cooked in good but not till it's mushy. I divide into bowls and eat all during the week.

    I don't like mine mushy either. I cooked mine in a rice steamer last week and it got really mushy. My white rice usually didn't do that, so I've decided in a skillet on the stove top is the best for me.....but putting less water in the steamer would keepit from cooking so mushy.

    I tried quonia last week and totally did NOT like it..the taste and the texture.
  • amom1986
    amom1986 Posts: 1
    Brown rice is quite tasty if you add curry seasoning/powder, garlic powder, thyme and rosemary (seperately, of course). You may also want to try boiling it with olive oil and topping it with Smart Balance (butter substitute). As far as the "brand", I have purchased everything from Success, Uncle Ben's, Mahatma, Blue Ribbon and the local grocery chain generic LOL!!!...ALL of which worked out just fine! I hope this is of some help to you. :-)))
  • tanyaMax
    tanyaMax Posts: 524 Member
    you defitnately do NOT cook it like white rice. i made that mistake when i first switched and wondered why it would come out mushy and watery. this is how i cookl it and i like it.


    *Rinse rice under cold water in strainer for about 30 sec.
    * BOIL WATER (use 3-4 cups for every one cup of rice)
    *ADD RICE
    *turn heat to medium and BOIL with NO LID for THOURTY MINUTES (stirring occasionally)
    *pour rice over STRAINER in kitchen sink
    *return to pot. OFF THE HEAT and PUT LID ON.
    *wait ten minutes, fluff, season and enjoy
  • FoamyRiver
    FoamyRiver Posts: 276 Member
    You might also try mixing some white and brown rice together and gradually add more brown rice to the mixture every time you cook it. I didn't like brown rice at first but I love it now and that's how I started acquiring a taste for it. My husband can't stand whole wheat spaghetti so I've started mixing it with regular pasta. Right now I'm at 25 regular/75 whole wheat mixture and he hasn't noticed the difference yet.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I like the taste and texture of brown rice better than white now - but it took a bit of getting used to it.
    However, my husband prefers white rice, so I tend to alternate between the two. If you aren't a big fan of it and you are eating wholegrains in other meals, then stick with white rice.
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