Healthier Alternatives To White Rice

Discussion in Food & Drink started by DrRipley • Sep 9, 2014.

  1. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2012
    Threads:
    740
    Messages:
    4,313
    Likes Received:
    315
    I eat white rice everyday and I've been considering alternatives because I know white rice is a bit too fattening and also I think it contributes a fair amount to making someone diabetic, though I'm not entirely sure on that one. Anyway, nonetheless, I've been trying out and looking for some healthier alternatives but unfortunately none of them taste good enough for me to use them regularly. I've tried out both brown and black rice but they taste kind of awful and I think I'd have to do a lot of extra work just to make them taste average to me. No offense to those who like it, but it's just not appealing to me. Anyone here who has suggestions on what better to use as a substitute for white rice?
     
  2. pennylane

    pennylaneActive Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2014
    Threads:
    30
    Messages:
    456
    Likes Received:
    3
    I find brown rice to have a lot more flavor than white rice does. What do you put on your white rice? Maybe you could add some seasoned salt to your brown rice. Another alternative to try out would be quinoa. It's a superfood and much better for you than rice is.

    Rice is kind of a filler food so you could replace it with potatoes (still cheap) or veggies. I also like substituting seasoned black beans for rice sometimes.
     
  3. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    Threads:
    126
    Messages:
    2,256
    Likes Received:
    78
    If you've already tried other rices and didn't like them, then think outside the box entirely.

    As Penny mentioned, you can go with potatoes or quinoa. Have you tried couscous? That's another option that's healthier, but still has a nice texture to try for some of your rice-related dishes.
     
  4. Pat

    PatWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2012
    Threads:
    66
    Messages:
    2,725
    Likes Received:
    328
    When I get tired of white rice I eat quinoa cooked in chicken broth. I am not a big lover of brown rice so quinoa is a good alternative for me, quino has more fiber and is a healthier choice than white rice.
     
  5. DancingLady

    DancingLadyActive Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2014
    Threads:
    78
    Messages:
    867
    Likes Received:
    47
    Quinoa, Amaranth or even Barley are good options. They are all whole grains so they will not spike your blood sugar as much as white rice. I agree that brown rice does not taste very good unless it has quite a bit of sauce on it, and then of course it takes nearly an hour to cook it. You might also be interested in polenta. You can buy it ready made or make it yourself. Polenta does take some time to make, but you can always freeze and reheat it later.
     
  6. Serena

    SerenaActive Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2014
    Threads:
    16
    Messages:
    162
    Likes Received:
    5
    If you still want to eat rice, but do not like brown rice, how about basmati rice? Have you ever tried this one before? It's really quite lovely and the texture is nice. I would suggest Indian basmati. I have had some imported California basmati before and it just did not taste right. Basmati is very high in nutrients, unlike plain white rice, which is completely void of any nutrition. Basmati is also a long grain rice which is healthier for you, whereas plain white rice is a short grain and a simple carbohydrate.
     
  7. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2014
    Threads:
    16
    Messages:
    3,091
    Likes Received:
    552
    I can only assume that brown rice would be the healthier alternative. But both types of rice offer different benefits, I suppose. I have a friend who suffers from IBS (Irritable Bowel syndrome) and he told me that his condition has improved the last time that I saw him. I was asking him what changes he had made, and one of them was eating brown rice instead of rice. He said that it definitely helps his IBS, and so I would say that brown rice is a healthier alternative to white in that instance.
     
  8. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2014
    Threads:
    164
    Messages:
    1,811
    Likes Received:
    139
    Why don't you try short grain brown rice? It needs to be cooked really well for easy digestion. I am allergic to rice, but I like to cook it for my partner. It's a great staple that can be eaten at any time of the time in various forms. And, as it has already been mentioned by another poster, quinoa and amaranth are great alternatives to rice. They are packed full with nutrients and easily digestible. To that list, I would also add buckwheat, which is my favorite. For me, every day starts with a couple of light buckwheat pancakes with sesame butter and a sprinkle of stevia. :)
     
  9. Squigly

    SquiglyActive Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2014
    Threads:
    31
    Messages:
    604
    Likes Received:
    25
    If you're looking for other grains, try brown rice, quinoa or even amaranth seeds. If you find the texture too hard, you could always eat whole wheat noodles or other multigrain pasta or breads. The extra fibre can be great for your colon.
     
  10. Sugarhill

    SugarhillActive Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    Threads:
    27
    Messages:
    700
    Likes Received:
    9
    I will fall in line with the quinoa and barley. I will ask if you made the brown rice the same way that you made the white rice? If you did, then I'll let it go. If not, give it the same kind of cooking love and try it again. Not enough credit is given to many types of beans that you can eat and they are incredibly healthy, more so than any grain. The many varieties and combinations that you can make with and to beans can keep you going for a good while without even repeating a side dish.
     
  11. dandeliion

    dandeliionMember

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2014
    Threads:
    4
    Messages:
    75
    Likes Received:
    10
    My sister also hates the taste of brown rice so she makes a mixture of half brown rice and half white rice, so that may be something for you to consider! If you still don't like that, quinoa is a great alternative as is Israeli couscous or a wild rice mixture (they sell great mixes at Trader Joe's if you have one near you)!
     
  12. Allison2021

    Allison2021Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Threads:
    15
    Messages:
    194
    Likes Received:
    4
    Forget about brown rice. Here are additional alternatives. Kasha or Buckwheat Groats are delicious. I love Wolff's Kasha. Quinoa is OK. Have you ever heard of Spelt? It is an ancient wheat. It takes forever to cook. There is also popcorn which is a grain. Couscous is also a whet type grain. Good Eating!
     
  13. Hedonologist

    HedonologistActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2012
    Threads:
    91
    Messages:
    688
    Likes Received:
    20
    That depends if you want to avoid carbs entirely? If not potatoes are a good bet, as they have more nutrition than white rice. Although there isn't really many non-carb alternatives. What else are you eating?
     
  14. 003

    003Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2014
    Threads:
    174
    Messages:
    1,148
    Likes Received:
    36
    I don't eat rice and pasta. What I eat for my main meals like for lunch and a little of dinner is oatmeal. It plays around the instant one or the rolled oats, the one that would be cooked. Especially rolled oats, when you get to cook it perfectly, its texture plays far better than a white rice. Not only that, but also its finer content is far much more than your white rice. On the other hand, if you really can't get away with rice, then you can just switch to brown rice. It's just that they are not as tasty and as soft as the white rice.
     
  15. Nate5

    Nate5Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2014
    Threads:
    5
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    2
    Well, there's really no replacement for rice other than rice. If you're looking for healthy, then definitely go for brown. I like the texture of it, actually, and prefer it to white rice. However, lately I've been eating couscous and quinoa, and it still tastes quite delicious with a lot of other dishes and types of food.
     
  16. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2014
    Threads:
    16
    Messages:
    3,091
    Likes Received:
    552
    Another alternative to rice is couscous. The very first time that I tried it, I had actually thought that it was rice, but just cooked a little more tenderly, and with a little more flavor to it. Then my mother's boyfriend, who is a chef, filled me in on what it actually was. I settles a little lighter in your stomach, from my experience, and there are many different flavors that you can get. So I think that couscous would be also be a great alternative to rice.