Breakfast Brown Rice

Brown rice is about the only food (other than green veggies) I can think of that every diet and every nutritionist agree on. I've never heard anyone say "don't eat brown rice". In fact, I keep hearing doctors, nutritionist, and diets say the opposite,,, "you better be eating brown rice!" Why? Cause like most whole grains it helps bind and cleanse you from all the "bad" stuff. Ya know, toxins and all.

It took a long time to get my family switched over. We were a "white" family as Dr. Oz says....white not by our skin but by what we ate. White flour, white bread, white biscuits, white rice, white pancakes, white dinner rolls, etc. You get the idea. So, now we are trying to be a "brown" family. My kids finally LOVE brown rice! Woohoo! Victory. For those of you discouraged by trying to "switch over" your kids or in my case, my most difficult customer, my husband, be encouraged that it can take years of slowly introducing brown foods until they get used to them and develop a taste for them.

Meantime, here are some tips about brown rice.

~buy good quality long grain brown rice. It makes a big difference. Don't buy brand-x at your store, buy a brand like S&W that is "premium" brown rice. I thought I hated brown rice till I tried a good brand.
~introduce it first in other recipes before serving it plain as a side dish. Put it in soups or use it to stuff bell peppers, etc. This helps your family develop a taste for it before having to eat it as a side dish.
~try substituting chicken broth for the water when cooking it as a side dish. It gives it the familiar flavor of chicken. Butter and salt it as well when introducing it.
~it takes longer to cook than white rice so be sure to allow yourself about 45 min. prep time. I often like to pre-cook my rice earlier in the day or the day before because it re-heats well.
~don't use instant rice. It's been processed.
~try it for breakfast if you already like it. Here's a recipe idea that my brother's girlfriend, Holly shared with me and we love it.
~if someone in your house is having tummy trouble try having them eat mainly brown rice through out the day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). It's easy on the tummy, helps pull toxins out of your body, and is filling.

Dice one apple very tiny and cook it in with your rice. You can also substitute part of the water for apple juice for more apple flavor. When it's done cooking add a dash of salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Serve with butter and a bit of milk like you would oatmeal.

Hope you enjoy this whole grain breakfast!