Give Brown Rice a Chance

Being part of the few lucky ones with a vegetarian mother and an omnivore father, I have incorporated, since childhood, a variety of aliments that aren't very usual these days and in this part of the world. One of the most important, versatile and nutritious is brown rice.

Rice with zucchini, seeds and red onions :3

Lately I've learned that brown rice is more healthy than white rice, not only because almost any nutrients are removed in its process (white rice process destroys most of the the vitamin B3,  vitamin B1, vitamin B6, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and ALL of the dietary fiber and the essential fatty acids), but because it helps to maintain a healthy weight, lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of several diseases.
Later I will talk about all these nutrients and why do we need them.


If you never tried brown rice and are interested in doing so, follow these tips for preparing and cooking.


1. Rinse it thoroughly before cooking.
2. Add one part of rice to three parts salted water, let it boil and turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. You have to try it once on a while to check if it's already done. 3. Rinse it again, if you see the remaining water has a milky appearance.


Now you have cooked rice, you have to decide if you want to serve it cold (in salads) or hot, as a side dish, risottos, etc.
Personally, I like to mix it with chopped olives, red bell peppers, sauteed mushrooms and dried tomatoes :)

Rice with asparagus, carrots, bell peppers and eggplants :yum:

If you like it and you want to have a healthier diet, you can try like me, little by little, to replace all your white rice recipes with brown rice. It's not more difficult to cook than white rice, and it can be stored in the freezer for months.