motd Tues Jan 24, 2012 - rice

[Guest guest]

THE RICE IS

RIGHT!

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Ahhh, rice! It's a food staple but not only here in

American homes. In fact, rice is the predominant

staple food for dozens of countries around the world.

Did you know that rice provides 20% of the entire

world's dietary energy supply? You'll notice than

whenever one of the world's food agencies goes to work

helping relieve famine in struggling countries, huge

bags of rice are one of the first foods you see

shipped in. If a natural disaster strikes a country,

again, it's rice to the

rescue! And for good reason.

Rice is an inexpensive but

rich source of nutrients the human body needs

everyday.

Rice is an inexpensive but rich source of nutrients

the human body needs everyday. Those little grains of

rice pack quite a nutritional punch. Rice

contains essential vitamins and minerals including

thiamine, niacin and it's an excellent source of

dietary fiber.

There are thousands of varieties of rice grown all

over the world. (Over 25,000, in fact.) I think you

know, my favorite is brown rice. I like the texture

and taste better than white rice. It may take longer

to cook but I love its rich, nutty flavor. And

because it's unmilled,

brown rice retains more of its nutritional value. Now

don't get me wrong, white rice is still good for you,

too.

White rice has no cholesterol, helps your digestive

system, is low in fat & sodium and contains high

amounts of a nutrient called manganese which aids in

bone growth and even helps strengthen your immune

system. So looks like whether you prefer yours brown

or white, you can't go wrong with rice.

The other great thing about rice is that it's a great

starter for some really healthy recipes. Adding meat,

vegetables and some low-sodium soy sauce, you can

create an excellent Asian stir fry. You can also make

a healthy casserole that includes rice in the recipe.

And for us folks from New Orleans and all of the deep

south, what's better than some good-old gumbo scooped

onto a bed of freshly cooked rice. (Oh my, I'm

getting hungry!)

If you're a member of my Clubhouse, you

can go to the recipes section and find lots of very

tasty and healthy recipes that include rice. For

those of us working to lose weight or to maintain a healthy

weight, our kitchens should never be missing that bag

of rice.

Next time you're at the

supermarket, try a different variety of rice than you

usually buy.

Like I said, from brown to white, from Jasmine to

Basmati and even black, there's an endless

variety of rice for you to choose from. Next time

you're at the supermarket, try a different type of

rice than you usually buy. Experiment and have a

little fun.

It's versatile. It's tasty. It's nutritious and

oh-so good for you. It's one of the world's most

nutritious foods. Gosh, after all of that good news,

the only thing left for me to say is:

Come on down! The Rice

is Right!

Love,