Did you know that you can improve your health by adding healthy grains to your diet?! Grains seem to always get a bad rap. As healthy and nutritious as brown rice is, white rice is often perceived as a “filler food.” However, both rice types contain healthy nutrients and should play a healthy part in a balanced diet. In addition, there are many grains such as quinoa and spelt that should be introduced into your daily routine too.
While this may sound strange, you can improve your health by adding these healthy grains to your diet. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of healthy grains.
1. Fiber-Rich
Both brown rice and white rice contain healthy doses of dietary fiber. As a general rule, women need about 25 grams of fiber per day while men require about 38 grams per day. Since one cup serving of cooked rice contains only 2 to 4 grams, try increasing your intake slowly to get at least six to eight servings per day or more if possible. Not only does dietary fiber speed up metabolism, but it also helps to balance blood sugar levels, which can lower LDL cholesterol levels and risk for heart disease.
2. Affordability
Grains like rice are healthy, nutritious and they are very affordable. White rice costs about $0.25 per serving, while brown rice is slightly more at $0.33 per ounce. Healthy organic foods can cost anywhere from three to five times the amount of healthy grains. By adding more grains to your diet, you will be able to save money on healthy ingredients!
3. Easy to Prepare
Both white and brown rice may be cooked using a traditional cooking pot. You might also choose to use an Instantpot or an automatic rice cooker. There are plenty of ways to cook rice quickly and easily with little effort involved. In addition, spelt flour is excellent for making pancakes or breads while quinoa can make a great breakfast cereal. Orzo is another easy option that works well in many side dishes and salads. You can find affordable orzo here: https://riceselect.com/product/orzo.
4. Low-Calorie
Prepared properly both white and brown rice can be healthy, low-calorie foods. Make the switch from eating crispy snacks or fried foods to healthy grains. Not only will you improve your health, you will be adding healthy ingredients to your diet. Eating fewer calories overall is great too and will aid with healthy weight loss.
5. Healthy Fats
While healthy whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and millet do not contain any trans-fats, they are rich sources of healthy fats. Healthy fat is essential for healthy cell membranes, nerve transmission, maintaining body temperature, absorbing vitamins A, D, E and K, promoting healthy cholesterol levels, and regulating blood sugar levels, among other benefits.
Healthy grains are… healthy!
Rice, quinoa, and other healthy grains are whole foods that you can consume by themselves or as part of a healthy dish such as a stir-fry or casserole. White Rice makes an excellent healthy side dish. It is versatile enough to add extra fiber and protein to other dishes. Brown rice is healthy and contains healthy nutrients such as fiber, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Quinoa is healthy and contains healthy nutrients such as iron, fiber, healthy fats, healthy carbohydrates and protein. Integrate these ingredients into a well-rounded diet to see positive results.
