Rice... I'm a fan...

Rice isn't on my "eating plan".  The author of my book has decided that it's fattening, and should be avoided.  He is certainly entitled to his opinion... but I beg to differ...

I believe... in moderate quanities, BROWN rice is a wonderful alternative to breads and meats...

BROWN rice has fiber and minerals that our bodies require.  It's also a GREAT filling food.

In the past 9 months of my personal plan, I had pretty much followed to the letter, the LDL plan, with a few exceptions...

I eat dried fruit from time to time, I don't worry about eating only chicken breast (I love thighs), and I eat rice... when I eat sushi or want just a "little more" for breakfast.  Do I eat cups and cups of it? Heck no!  But I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sushi and Sashimi... and you just can't eat those things without rice... and I refuse to do it... It's another "deal breaker" for me.  So when the server asks me if I want a side of white or brown rice... I simply say... Yes, please... brown. 

I know I've been preaching and preaching about not buying things in "boxes" and off the shelves pre packaged... but there is ONE item I love... that I DO buy pre packaged... and that's  Trader Joes, precooked Brown Rice,in the frozen food section... in a green box. I LOVE THAT STUFF!  It has one ingredient... BROWN RICE... and it's the MOST convenient way to prepare it, when in a hurry... 3 packages for 3 bucks... and it's delish!

I don't know about you... but when I cook rice, it sometimes turns out mushy... I still eat it... but when I was lead to this product at TJ's... I was hooked...

No, I will not buy a rice cooker...we have hard water, and cleaning them takes more time than cooking the brown rice...

Don't get wrong... I don't use this ALL the time... just in a pinch... sometimes I need MORE rice than the box can handle...and making it myself is waaaaay cheaper... but... if you work full time, and want a great product.. get it.

Not all rices are equal.  My personal advice is to STAY AWAY from ANYTHING white.  White rice is like white bread... stripped of all goodness and nutrients... why eat it?

I also love a good WILD RICE... technically not a "rice" but a "grass seed" but still delish and healthy and filling. It's pictured above...

Another product I love, for my family, that isn't a rice... and takes VIRTUALLY no time to cook, is Cous Cous.  Actually a small pasta, it is a cinch to cook and it's an AWESOME alternative to rice... if you buy the Whole Wheat Cous Cous... MY FAVE??? Isreali Cous Cous from Trader Joes... {{Hello TJ's... I'm available for radio and TV spots for your fantastic store... call me!)

It's bigger, has a bunch of flavorful little tidbits of wheat berries and other wonderful grains... and cooked with a little chicken stock and some frozen peas and saute'd mushrooms.. and you have a GORGEOUS feast of a side dish.  It's pricier, but I only cook 1/2 a bag at a time for 4 people and it's plenty with leftovers too, so you can get 2 meals out of one bag...

So... just because some would say that Rice is not a good food...I look at it this way...

If I put a greasy, globulous cheeseburger in one hand... and a cup of brown rice with a little milk, and some raisins and tsp of brown sugar in the other...

Which one is better for me?

Exactly... now you see my point...

It's all about choices... and what time of day we are eating our food, and what we AREN'T eating at night before bed...

Rice...

If it's brown, or black, it's a wonderful food.

If it's white... put it back... feed your body... don't just fill it.