I eat a lot of whole grains. For breakfast, I regularly have whole grain cereal such as oatmeal, muesli or bran flakes; or toasted whole grain bread with toppings (such as natural peanut butter, sliced cheese and tomato, or baked beans). A typical weekday lunch is a sandwich, stuffed pita, or wrap made with whole grain breads. When we make pizza at home, we’ll often use a large whole wheat pita as the crust. I also love bulgur (made from whole wheat) topped with stew, or in tabbouleh salad. And if I feel like a snack, I’ll often have some air-popped popcorn (popcorn is a whole grain) or a whole grain cracker.
But I’m certainly not a fan of all whole grain foods. I’ve tried brown rice several times, in several different ways, and each time I was thoroughly disappointed — not only with the flavor, but also with the texture. In comparison, white rice is light in texture and subtle in flavor. It embraces the flavors of the foods it’s paired with, whereas I find that brown rice does just the opposite and tends to overpower the taste of other food.
So I basically gave up on brown rice a long time ago. And I’m not the only one. White rice has been far more popular than brown rice throughout Asia and the Mediterranean for many generations. And no wonder — I couldn’t imagine sitting down to plateful of brown rice sushi, or eating brown rice paella or risotto either!
But what about all those naysayers who tell you that white rice is fattening and unhealthy? What a load of nonsense. The leanest, healthiest and longest-living peoples in the world eat white rice regularly. This makes it obvious that white rice is far from a dietary villain.
Indeed, research has found that for the last 30 years rice consumption in Japan has dropped by over 50 percent. (This is because many Japanese, particularly the younger generation, are embracing a Western-style diet.) Over the same period, guess what’s happened? Obesity rates have climbed steadily.
Now I’m not saying that the answer to a leaner healthier body is to rush out and grab a large sackful of white rice. But what I’m saying is that white rice, in all it’s wonderful varieties (including Italian arborio, Indian basmati, Thai jasmine, Spanish calasparra, Japanese koshihikari), can fit perfectly into a varied and balanced diet.
The key is to eat rice like people from Mediterranean and Asian cultures do: in moderate portions (yes, calories do count), and mixed with slowly-digesting foods like fish, beans, poultry, plant oils, and vegetables. This not only makes the rice taste a whole lot better, it also means that it’s digested at a slow and steady rate — so you won’t get blood sugar swings and rebound hunger.
The following risotto recipe — which contains a mix of arborio rice, chickpeas, vegetables and extra virgin olive oil — is a good example of what I mean.
Roasted Garlic, Pumpkin & Red Pepper Risotto with Spinach & Chickpeas
Serves 2 to 3
- 2 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin or winter squash (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1 red pepper — deseeded and cut into quarters
- 6 cloves garlic — left unpeeled
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 onion — finely chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 10 kalamata olives — pitted and quartered
- 2 packed cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
- 1 cup canned chickpeas — rinsed well and drained
- 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
PREHEAT an oven to 450F/230C. PLACE the pumpkin, red pepper and garlic cloves in a baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the balsamic vinegar and rosemary until well coated. BAKE for 20 minutes. WHILE the vegetables cook, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. ADD the rice, stir to coat the grains in oil and cook for 1 minute. ADD the wine, stock, salt, black pepper, olives and spinach, stir to combine and bring to a boil. COVER with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. REMOVE the red pepper and garlic from the baking dish. ADD the chickpeas to the baking dish with the pumpkin and return to the oven for 5 minutes. ROUGHLY chop the peppers. SQUEEZE the garlic pulp from the skins and stir into the risotto with the parmesan, lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of oil. STIR in the red pepper, pumpkin and chickpeas to combine.
4 Comments
This looks really gorgeous! I make a really similar baked risotto but wouldn’t have thought to chuck a can of chickpeas in there:
http://www.mostlyeating.com/2007/04/oven_baked_butternut_squash_an.html
I make mine (and most other recipes) with brown rice, which I’ve grown to love over the years. Brown rice has much more texture and a lovely nutty flavour to me now, though I must say it has taken me a while to find a brown rice that I love. In the end it was a sturdy italian shortgrain brown rice that won the day.
I also like knowing that I’m getting all the extra vitamins, minerals, fibre and general wholegrain goodness that you get with brown rice, but then again brown rice isn’t low GI like basmati. As you say, there’s a full spectrum of rice to enjoy and it’s definitely not the rice that’s fattening!
Ric, that looks so delicious and the photo is gorgeous! I agree that white rice gets a bad rap these days, much like pasta. As you said, it’s all about moderation.
I can also relate to your feelings about brown rice…I’ve always preferred white rice to brown myself and while I do like some brown rice now, like Sophie above, I had to search for a long time before I found a brown rice I really liked. I also find that adding a little extra water when I make it in my rice cooker really makes all the difference in texture and taste. (I’m also always searching for decent tasting whole grain pastas…some are great, and some just don’t seem to have the right balance between being good for you AND tasting good yet!)
Sophie - Thanks, it tasted really gorgeous too!
That’s great that you’ve found a brand of brown rice you enjoy. You’ll have to let me know what the brand is so I can try it with your very tasty looking Butternut Squash and Rosemary Risotto. (Although I still don’t think I’ll be in a hurry to try brown rice sushi!)
Emily - It sounds like you and Sophie went through similar dilemmas trying to find a decent tasting brown rice. Who knows, maybe the brand she likes is the same one you like.
Hi Sophie. Thanks so much for sharing your insights with us! We’re like you, and love how whole grains contain lots more fiber and nutrients than refined grains. We also love the taste of many whole grain foods, as Ric mentioned in his post.
But we find that we much prefer white rice with foods like curries, risottos, sushi and paella. Of course, at the same time, we always want to make sure our meals are full of vitamins and minerals, and contain plenty of fiber. That’s why we eat white rice like people from Mediterranean and Asian cultures typically do — mixed with nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, beans, fish and plant oils.
In fact I did some quick calculations, and according to the USDA Nutrient Database, this risotto recipe — which is made with white rice — actually contains more dietary fiber per serving than your Oven-baked Butternut Squash and Rosemary Risotto, which is made with brown rice.
This is simply because of the extra beans and vegetables in our risotto. And these beans and vegetables add lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, while also helping slow the digestion rate of the white rice. So we end up eating a nutrient-rich, fiber-packed meal, while still getting to enjoy our favorite rice.
But of course we’re not suggesting that people stop eating brown rice if they enjoy it. We’re just saying that if you can’t stand the taste of brown rice, there are still plenty of other ways to get whole grains and fiber into your diet.