Healthy Rice Suggestions

Sprootles
Sprootles Posts: 16
edited December 21 in Food and Nutrition
I love rice. Despite this love, I know it's not the greatest thing to eat. Especially those Lipton Rice & Sauce (now they are Knorr) packets...the mushroom flavor is so yummy.

Anyway, I was thinking it would be a good thing to find a HEALTHY rice to replace those packets with.

Suggestions? Brown rice...would that be better?

Also, any healthy rice recipes?

I'd appreciate the input.

Replies

  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Rice is bad? I eat rice all the time. I imagine the worst thing in those Lipton rice things is about 2 weeks worth of sodium and probably more calories than regular rice. I eat white rice, brown rice, rice pilaf, wild rice and any combination of the above. I'm a horrid cook-so you don't want any recipes from me. But I don't see the problem with rice-as long as you don't have medical carb concerns and as long as it isn't the only thing you eat.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    Why don't you make white rice and put your own stuff in it?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I love rice. Despite this love, I know it's not the greatest thing to eat. Especially those Lipton Rice & Sauce (now they are Knorr) packets...the mushroom flavor is so yummy.

    Anyway, I was thinking it would be a good thing to find a HEALTHY rice to replace those packets with.

    Suggestions? Brown rice...would that be better?

    Also, any healthy rice recipes?

    I'd appreciate the input.

    Douse your rice in soy sauce, wa la you got tasty brown rice :)
  • VeganPanda
    VeganPanda Posts: 582 Member
    Those packets are salt central! Rice is great in moderation alongside veggies, with minimal salt and sauce. I love all rice: Jasmine, basmati, wild, plain white, brown... Just don't go overboard!
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    Try brown rice.

    Sautee onions and mushrooms and peppers in Pam. Mix the brown rice in and add a dash of apple cider vinegar, if you want. And cut up a grilled chicken breast and toss that in as well.

    One cup- cooked brown rice
    One cup onions sliced
    One cup Mushrooms sliced
    One cup peppers sliced
    One grilled chicken breast.

    You will be so full for about 350 calories.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Try brown rice.

    Sautee onions and mushrooms and peppers in Pam. Mix the brown rice in and add a dash of apple cider vinegar, if you want. And cut up a grilled chicken breast and toss that in as well.

    One cup- cooked brown rice
    One cup onions sliced
    One cup Mushrooms sliced
    One cup peppers sliced
    One grilled chicken breast.

    You will be so full for about 350 calories.


    That sounds delicious-if someone else cooks it. You lost me at sautee. I really need to learn how to cook.
  • lindsy721
    lindsy721 Posts: 350 Member
    I eat plain, organic brown rice, and I love it. Sometimes I mix in some veggies near the end of the cooking process (so the vegetables are like steamed). Sometimes I throw a grilled chicken breast on top of it :) Brown rice is FAR from bad for you! Complex carbs = happy muscles and liver!
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    Try brown rice.

    Sautee onions and mushrooms and peppers in Pam. Mix the brown rice in and add a dash of apple cider vinegar, if you want. And cut up a grilled chicken breast and toss that in as well.

    One cup- cooked brown rice
    One cup onions sliced
    One cup Mushrooms sliced
    One cup peppers sliced
    One grilled chicken breast.

    You will be so full for about 350 calories.


    That sounds delicious-if someone else cooks it. You lost me at sautee. I really need to learn how to cook.

    Cook the brown rice first. Leave it to the side.
    In a pan, heat it up. spary Pam in it. Toss in the onions, peppers and mushrooms. Sautee, cook, in pan. Add pepper and garlic powder. That is Sautee. It ain't rocket science. LOL. It is sooooo easy to do.
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    Just a thought as an add-on.

    If you teach yourself how to cook, dieting becomes soooooo much easier and fun.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Just a thought as an add-on.

    If you teach yourself how to cook, dieting becomes soooooo much easier and fun.

    And probably way less expensive and less boring too. I eat the same stuff (I mean the SAME stuff) every day because it's something I know I can prepare without burning it. There's a lot that sounds so tasty-I think I'm just going to have to give it a whirl before I turn into fish & vegetables. Not that fish & veggies aren't tasty-but man I need to branch out before I grow gills. Maybe if I unplug the smoke detector while I give some of these things a try....Thanks for the pointers-I think it's time to try something new.
  • jayjrf
    jayjrf Posts: 25
    I eat a lot of rice...

    That being said.

    1 cup rice
    1 cup water
    1 cup chick broth reduce sodium

    Will taste a lot better. The broth has almost no calories and has enough salt to flavor the rice. Very good
  • Hood25
    Hood25 Posts: 201 Member
    I buy the rice a roni wild rice kind and only use half the flavor pack. The rice and flavor packet is seperate. This cuts down even more on the sodium and it is a great compromise with flavor. I also buy plain brown rice and use the other half of the flavor packets in there. You can wean yourself to 1/4 a packet and have the rest for your brown rice.
  • shaynak112
    shaynak112 Posts: 751 Member
    I'm not sure what's wrong with rice!
    I mean, if you eat TONS of it, it's not good. But you'd be pretty full by then!
    Just get plain white or brown rice. I don't know how you get your rice but it sounds like pre-packaged stuff? Of course that stuff isn't good for you!! lol :p

    My favourite way to make rice is with veggies (carrots, celery, peas), spices (salt, pepper, lemon pepper), Romano beans, and soy sauce (low sodium). Oh sometimes adding scrambled eggs is good. Also adding leeks is good. Soooo delicious and filling too!

    My boyfriend puts tumeric and a bunch of other spices in a rice cooker and goes from there.
  • misskarenq
    misskarenq Posts: 10 Member
    Home-made fried rice - don't be put off by the word 'fried', you only use a little oil. This is a method rather than a recipe - you just use whatever flavours you like best, and whatever vegetables or meat you have at hand, although onion, ginger and garlic are essential.:happy:
    In a deep frypan or wok, heat a little oil (measure so you can count the cals). Add some chopped LEAN bacon, some onion (or spring onion/scallions/shallots - whatever you call them in your part of the world) crushed garlic, grated fresh ginger, and finely chopped bell peppers and cook until fragrant. You can also add some Chinese five-spice, chillies or garam masala at this stage. Add COLD, cooked rice and stir-fry until nicely heated through. You can add any leftover veggies or meat you have. Bean shoots work really well, so does cooked broccoli, Chinese greens, corn and pumpkin. Add some soy sauce and oyster or black bean sauce to taste and ... voila! You have your own healthy version of fried rice without all the nasties you'll find in those flavour packets.
  • trybabytry
    trybabytry Posts: 181
    I love making a rice pudding with 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1 cup vanilla almond milk, sweetener (optional), nutmeg, vanilla extract, and half a tablespoon of cornstarch. Just bring the milk to a boil with the rice, add the cornstarch and spices, stir, remove from heat, chill, and MMMM IT IS DELICIOUS. I add frozen berries to it sometimes as well. "Healthy," I don't know -- but low-calorie, yes! It's under 200 calories for a huge serving.
  • Sprootles
    Sprootles Posts: 16
    Wow! These are great suggestions! Keep 'em coming! I need as many ideas as I can get. I'm trying to get my kids to like it better, too. They just keep turning their noses up at whatever I try to give them if it has rice in it...gah!
  • jmcconathy
    jmcconathy Posts: 7 Member
    Try whole wheat couscous. You cook it the same as instant rice and it's yummy. I usually use broth instead of water for better flavor.
  • Jugie12
    Jugie12 Posts: 282 Member
    Quinao - it's a whole protein
  • benich3043
    benich3043 Posts: 252 Member
    Here is one I made out of the blue the other day.

    1 cup of white rice
    1/2 cup of peas
    1 onion, diced
    1 egg, scrambled
    2 tbsp worchestshire sauce
    salt and pepper to taste
    2 cups of water
    1 chicken bullion cube

    Coat pan in cooking spray and saute onions. Add 2 cups water and bullion cube and bring to boil. Add peas and rice to boiling water and stir. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Scramble egg and add to rice. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Delicious and simple!
  • trudefaith
    trudefaith Posts: 50 Member
    when you cook the rice use low sodium broth, add a grated or chopped carrot and chopped onion (or green onion) maybe a clove of garlic minced ( or garlic powder) and if you want to you can also add chopped mushrooms you can chop up any veg and toss it in the cooking pot with the rice like broccoli or cauliflower or even use some frozen veg
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    try some other grains, like quinoa (keen-wah) or "rice" other vegetables, like cauliflower. rice isn't bad for you, but the seasonings in the boxes are maybe not so great.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    it's funny, before i started caring, those knorr sides were a staple in the house...
    i cant believe how much garbage is in them, and how caloric they are.

    im with the person who said make rice and add your own stuff....you like mushrooms? get some baby bellas and saute em up, make some rice, combine...yay!

    i've become a big fan of brown rice. make some, toss it in a frying pan with a little olive oil, get it sizzlin then add an egg and some soy sauce...maybe some mirepoix and some other veggies...hell, throw some chicken or shrimp in there and you got yourself a meal!
  • Funsoaps
    Funsoaps Posts: 514 Member
    I put brown rice, artichoke hearts (frozen from Trader Joe's), some sea salt and wild rice (also from Trader Joe's) in the crockpot, it's good together and chewy.

    I make brown fried rice, put egg or egg white, turkey sausage and tons of veggies and soy sauce (I buy an organic gluten-free low sodium version).

    They have Lundberg's brown rice cous cous which is good...some are flavored.

    I will get the packets by Road's End Organics in alfredo sauce, cheezy sauce and/or their ****ake gravy and I will pour it over rice making it with rice milk and olive oil or something. They are healthy and soy/dairy/gluten/wheat-free. Made with nutritional yeast, garlic, herbs/seasonings, etc. I love them! They are flavorful for rice, but not overly salty, no MSG or anything bad you get in boxes at stores.


    Quinoa is also good, I like to add chicken broth to the rice cooker with it and onion for flavor.
  • daylily2005
    daylily2005 Posts: 203 Member
    I also eat lots of rice! Growing up it was always plain white, but the last couple years have found me eating brown. My new favorite is the organic brown bismati rice from India at Trader Joe's. I use rice in casseroles all the time. my fave is a mexican:

    3-4 cups cooked rice
    1 pound (or less, depending on your tastes) cooked chicken, cubed
    1 cup 2% shredded cheddar
    1 cup low fat or no fat sour cream
    1.5 cups salsa
    1 cup frozen corn (or 1.5)
    1 can rinsed/drained black beans (or more, also depending on your tastes)
    seasonings! I use taco seasoning, but you could just use some cumin/paprika/garlic instead

    mix it all together, bake it at 350 for 20ish minutes, and you have a nice, dense, not-too-unhealthy-mostly-rice-dish :)

    when I make this i usually get 8-10 servings out of it. also hits that mexican craving :)
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