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Rice Bowls Offer Variety, Nutrition

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 25, 2008

Rice bowls are an easy, quick meal idea that can please everyone in your household.

Rice is a staple of two-thirds of the world's population, and for good reason. It's sodium-free, fat-free and gluten-free. For the estimated 3 million Americans with celiac disease, rice is an important grain because unlike wheat, it contains no gluten — the protein people with celiac disease can't digest.

Rice contains about 15 essential nutrients. And while brown rice is often touted to be nutritionally superior, enriched white rice is no nutritional slouch. Enrichment adds nutrients lost in processing.

White rice has more iron and B vitamins, thiamin and niacin than brown rice. It also includes folate, the important B vitamin that can reduce the risk of birth defects. A half-cup of enriched white rice has 46 micrograms of folate compared with 4 micrograms in brown rice. Women of childbearing age are urged to consume 400 micrograms each day.

The basic recipe for a rice bowl is 1/2-cup cooked rice, 1 cup cooked vegetables and 3 ounces lean protein. Let everyone assemble their own rice bowl and add your favorite toppings and seasonings For the quickest cooking, use "ready rice" that comes in a microwavable pouch (you can find it in white or brown, as well as flavored, but stick to the white or brown for a rice bowl

Here are some rice bowl topping suggestions. More ideas can be found at www.usarice.com.

Asian: 1/2-cup cooked brown rice, 1/2-cup canned bean sprouts, 1/2-cup baby corn, 3 ounces cooked chicken breast, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce.

Vegetarian: 1/2-cup cooked brown rice, 1/2-cup cooked broccoli, 1/2-cup cooked carrots, 3 ounces stir-fried tofu, 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce.

Greek: 1/2-cup cooked white rice, 1/2-cup sliced grape tomatoes, 1/2-cup romaine lettuce leaves, 1/4-cup pitted kalamata olives, 1/4-cup crumbled feta cheese, 1 tablespoon Greek-style salad dressing.

Texas: 1/2-cup cooked white rice, 1/2-cup diced tomatoes, 1/4-cup chopped onion, 1/4-cup diced bell pepper, 1 cup drained black beans, 1 tablespoon pepper jack cheese, 1 tablespoon salsa.

Breakfast bowl: 1/2-cup cooked white or brown rice, 1/2-cup sauteed mushrooms, 1/4-cup diced bell pepper, 2 ounces chopped ham, 1 diced hard-cooked egg.

Cox News Service

Special Needs Foods Boom Continues

Think simply having organic, fair trade or nutritionally enhanced menu items means you're ahead of the game? Think again.

There's a growing category of special needs food that means adding terms like "gluten-free," "low-glycemic" and "allergen-free" to your vocabulary — and your offerings. Even Anheuser-Busch has contributed to the movement with Redbridge, a gluten-free beer.

The Food Products Association reports about 6 million to 7 million Americans have a food allergy, prompting estimates that low-glycemic food sales will grow more than 45 percent a year from 2007 to 2011, when sales could reach a whopping $1.8 billion.

"The people who are paying attention to [the organic movement] will look more deeply into what it is they're eating, and they'll probably find that they're allergic to stuff that they didn't know about," says Stephen F. Hall, a specialty food business development consultant.

And the demand for sweets will continue to surge, despite special dietary needs.

"Combinations of allergen-free foods such as milk-, egg- and wheat-free baked goods will be a natural growth area because Americans love desserts," says Anne Muñoz-Furlong, CEO of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

Entrepreneur.com

Mom Was Right: Eating Breakfast Essential To Good Health

Eating breakfast may be one of the best ways to get enough fruits and vegetables in the American daily diet, says nutrition consultant Elizabeth Ward, author of "The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids."

With less than 11 percent of Americans meeting the average dietary requirements, Ward suggests tackling common excuses for skipping the first meal of the day:

Time: Mornings are often hectic. Have healthy breakfast foods such as whole grain breads and cereals, low-fat yogurt and orange juice to make the meal easier to assemble. Bring breakfast in the car. Don't just pack lunch; pack breakfast as well.

Lack of appetite: You don't have to eat within 30 minutes of waking up. Squeeze in a snack before lunchtime. Stock your kitchen or office with healthy, convenient foods.

Calories: Eating more may actually help you weigh less. A University of Nottingham study found that women consumed about 100 fewer daily calories when they ate breakfast.

Hate breakfast foods: Non-traditional breakfasts and even last night's leftovers like chicken pack the nutrients you need to get your day started right. Grab a dinner roll and spread it with peanut butter.

Getting fuel in the morning is important as research shows eating breakfast every day contributes to increased attention and performance at work and school.

FloridaJuice.com

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