For many centuries rice has been a fundamental part of the diet of most of the world’s population. Our ancestors discovered countless different ways to prepare it and today we continue to try and create new recipes with this fantastic and versatile food.
Being such an important staple and with such a high demand worldwide, it is very important to know its different variations: i.e.: white rice, black rice, brown rice, theirnutritional properties and how to integrate them into our diet to make it healthy and balanced as doctors often recommend.
Why choose Brown Rice over White Rice
Although white rice itself is quite nutritious and rich in vitamins, proteins, healthy fats, and minerals, it may lose many of these depending on the way the raw rice is processed in the mills and later when cooked.
During the last few decades, the consumption of brown rice has been increasingly recommended, based on the fact that this rice type preserves its husk and endosperm, where all the nutritional components are concentrated.
If this still does not convince you, here are some othernutritional facts about brown rice that will likely make you choose the right side of the story:As it is richer in vitamins (A, B1, B3, and B12), fiber, and minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium), it provides greater digestive work, which translates into a better feeling of satiety.It contains fewer calories than traditional white rice so you won’t have to worry about counting all the calories in your meals.Its carbohydrate contents make it an excellent source of energy.
Overall, thanks to its high nutritional value, brown rice helps prevent the risk of many chronic heart diseases, diabetes, and even stomach problems. You have nothing to lose and quite a lot to gain by adding this food to your diet.
Brown rice has many properties and, although it takes a little longer to cook, it can be used in any recipe as a substitute for traditional white rice. There are an increasing number of brands nowadays on the market that sell brown rice at affordable prices.
And what about taste? Well, nothing to worry about, actually. Even though the nutritional properties are considerably different, its flavor does not vary significantly and if you prepare it properly you won’t even notice the difference.
Now you can test at home how delicious cooking with brown rice can be, so next you’ll see these easy brown rice puddingrecipes. Enjoy and bon appetit.
Brown rice pudding
Ingredients:1 ½ cups of heavy cream.1 ¼ cups of water.½ cup of short-grain brown rice.¼ teaspoon of salt.½ cup of raisins.3 egg yolks.¼ cup of white sugar.½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.1 tablespoon of softened butter.
Preparation:In a saucepan, bring heavy cream, water, brown rice, and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 80 minutes, or until liquid is entirely absorbed.Stir the raisins into the mixture and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the raisins are thick.In a mixing dish, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and cinnamon; gently pour into the cooking pot while stirring. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring thoroughly (about 5-6 minutes).Take the pan off the heat and add the butter and vanilla essence.
Healthy vanilla milk and mango rice pudding
Try it for dessert, breakfast, as a sweet main dish, or as a delicious and nutritious snack. If you’re bored with traditional rice pudding, you definitely won’t be with this mango and vanilla combination.
Ingredients:1 cup of brown rice.3 cups of almond/coconut/cow milk.2-3 tablespoons of honey (or stevia to taste).1 vanilla pod.2 mangos.toasted coconut (optional).
Preparation:In a pot, cover the rice with milk and boil until soft, it will take about 15 minutes.When the rice is done, add the honey and vanilla pod to the mixture.The mango can be cleaned and then pureed or chopped into tiny pieces.Mix in the mango with the rice.Flaked coconut can be sprinkled on top of the rice pudding for garnish.
