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We've gotten completely away from the SAD (standard American diet) and had some great health gains, but finding a substitute for rice has been difficult. Isn't it odd that our usual carb diet in this country consists SOLELY of wheat, white potatoes, soy and rice? Where's the other stuff? Big Ag has really marketed what Big Gov pays them to grow, or often not to grow. Rice is a real mucus maker, whether brown or white, and we wanted something more alkaline. So we tried:
Wild rice: not rice actually, but a grass. It's loaded w/ vitamins and minerals, but can be pricey if you look for the real wild variety, so we went w/ the cheaper cultivated wild rice (bit of a self canceling phrase, that one). The taste was a little strong, but if you mix it w/ something else it's OK. Consistency depended on however long you cooked it, so it could be chewy or crunchy.
Quinoa: Everyone's favorite these days, which automatically makes it suspect in my mind. It's OK, not much rice like about it in taste or texture, and over priced.
Millet: Who knew? This stuff is neat and un trendy cheap. It's not known to be allergenic and is of course gluten free. Cooks best by roasting in a pan a little before hand (careful not to burn it), then cook w/ a lid on it w/ water just like rice. Looks beautifully golden, and has a fluffy texture like couscous, but w/ bigger grains. I usually saute some onions and garlic and add to the cooked millet along w/ salt and pepper. Apparently millet has been eaten by humans for 10,000 years or more, and 1/3 of the world's population subsists largely on it. The pilgrims grew it here, but seemed to have switched to other things later on, probably because they stored better. Most of us know millet as bird seed, but it's not just for the birds. It can be substituted for almost any other grain in your recipes including bread, and makes a delicious breakfast porridge w/ some coconut milk, nuts and fruit. It tends to dry out in the fridge over night, but just add a little water and nuke it in the microwave. Next we'll try buckwheat, which is actually not wheat.
Here's some info on millet. There's other grains or grain like foods out there, but for now we have several to mix and match for rice dishes w/o the rice. Millet is the best by far to my tastes (and I'm from the New Orleans area, so food has to taste good as well as be healthy) because of the mild, non obtrusive taste and great texture. There's a lot of false scare stuff on the web about millet, probably from the wheat and rice producers, but I've researched this to death and it's one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Soy is actually not a good diet staple either, but like the dairy industry had done w/ milk, the soy industry has made it into a great food. It's not. Nearly all of it is GMO, it is very acidic, is known to be allergenic to some people, and makes more mucus than any other carb.
If you're just looking for something to sub for rice and not specifically looking for a grain, have you tried cauliflower rice? Even my husband who won't eat any vegetable will eat cauliflower rice.
We've gotten completely away from the SAD (standard American diet) and had some great health gains, but finding a substitute for rice has been difficult. Isn't it odd that our usual carb diet in this country consists SOLELY of wheat, white potatoes, soy and rice? Where's the other stuff? Big Ag has really marketed what Big Gov pays them to grow, or often not to grow. Rice is a real mucus maker, whether brown or white, and we wanted something more alkaline. So we tried:
Wild rice: not rice actually, but a grass. It's loaded w/ vitamins and minerals, but can be pricey if you look for the real wild variety, so we went w/ the cheaper cultivated wild rice (bit of a self canceling phrase, that one). The taste was a little strong, but if you mix it w/ something else it's OK. Consistency depended on however long you cooked it, so it could be chewy or crunchy.
Quinoa: Everyone's favorite these days, which automatically makes it suspect in my mind. It's OK, not much rice like about it in taste or texture, and over priced.
Millet: Who knew? This stuff is neat and un trendy cheap. It's not known to be allergenic and is of course gluten free. Cooks best by roasting in a pan a little before hand (careful not to burn it), then cook w/ a lid on it w/ water just like rice. Looks beautifully golden, and has a fluffy texture like couscous, but w/ bigger grains. I usually saute some onions and garlic and add to the cooked millet along w/ salt and pepper. Apparently millet has been eaten by humans for 10,000 years or more, and 1/3 of the world's population subsists largely on it. The pilgrims grew it here, but seemed to have switched to other things later on, probably because they stored better. Most of us know millet as bird seed, but it's not just for the birds. It can be substituted for almost any other grain in your recipes including bread, and makes a delicious breakfast porridge w/ some coconut milk, nuts and fruit. It tends to dry out in the fridge over night, but just add a little water and nuke it in the microwave. Next we'll try buckwheat, which is actually not wheat.
Here's some info on millet. There's other grains or grain like foods out there, but for now we have several to mix and match for rice dishes w/o the rice. Millet is the best by far to my tastes (and I'm from the New Orleans area, so food has to taste good as well as be healthy) because of the mild, non obtrusive taste and great texture. There's a lot of false scare stuff on the web about millet, probably from the wheat and rice producers, but I've researched this to death and it's one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Soy is actually not a good diet staple either, but like the dairy industry had done w/ milk, the soy industry has made it into a great food. It's not. Nearly all of it is GMO, it is very acidic, is known to be allergenic to some people, and makes more mucus than any other carb.
I've only had millet prepared as dessert actually. Had millet pudding with pistachios and raisins in a French restaurant. It was so creamy you wouldn't have known it was a grain. If I ever bought it I'd be tempted to make sweets from it so there goes the health aspect!
I don't know why you have a problem with rice in the first place! I agree with expanding our diets if we can, but with that goal in mind there may be no gain at all in cutting out one grain to make room for another.
I absolutely want to try millet as a rice sub, but not sure where to buy it. I guess it could be found online, but I'd rather handle it, see it, before purchase, you know?
I suppose a health food store would carry it.
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