Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Social Life, Food & Drink, Travel › Alternatives to refined carbs (white rice, pasta, etc.)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Alternatives to refined carbs (white rice, pasta, etc.)

post #1 of 33
7/10/07 at 2:49pm
Thread Starter 
As a typical chinese family, my family has pure white refined processed-to-hell rice every night for dinner. I was just wondering what kind of alternatives there are for more complex, less refined carbs to replace white rice?

Preferably suggestions that doesn't take much longer to prepare, and doesn't taste like tree bark.

Thanks
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 33
7/10/07 at 3:24pm
Try quinoa
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 33
7/10/07 at 4:21pm
Brown rice, wild rice, products made from whole grains, fruits, vegetables.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 33
7/10/07 at 6:45pm
All good suggestions so far. We mix brown and Japanese style 50/50 to cut down on the white rice.

Do not forget whole wheat couscous. You can find it all over the place and it's just boil water with some butter, stir in, let sit 5 minutes.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 33
7/10/07 at 7:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
All good suggestions so far. We mix brown and Japanese style 50/50 to cut down on the white rice.

Same here. We mix multi-grain rice with regular white. Now that I am used to it, I think it tastes better this way.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 33
7/10/07 at 7:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Milhouse View Post
Brown rice, wild rice, products made from whole grains, fruits, vegetables.

+1

I don't know if you have Trader Joe's up in Canada, but they sell a frozen organic brown rice that microwaves in 3 minutes. Also, check out some of the whole grain pastas that are out in the market. I particularly like Ronzoni brand.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 33
7/10/07 at 7:41pm
Quinoa is pretty awesome when prepared correctly, I believe it's Far East that does French Herb and Tomato Basil mixes that are great and available at Whole Foods or Fresh Market. Men's Health did a big article a few months ago on what a "superfood" quinoa is, it has less carbs than white rice, is considered a complete protein, has a bunch of vitamins in it and might even be full of those highly desired "good" fats. I like Cous Cous a lot too, but I'm unaware of it's nutritional properties compared to white rice or pasta.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 33
7/10/07 at 9:30pm
In my limited experience, there is no perfect substitute for the delicious high of pure white refined rice. But brown rice/multi-grain stands on its own merit.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 33
7/10/07 at 9:31pm
Brown rice is awesome. It has a nutty flavor that makes it taste much better than plain white rice. You can also prepare it in rice cookers if you have them. Just double the water. The bagged brown rice at Trader Joe's is pretty good, but pales in comparison to fresh cooked brown rice. Steel cut (not quick or instant) oats are also pretty good. Similar nutty flavor. You can also cook it in a rice cooker, but it's a little messier since the water bubbles a lot more. You can add some natural peanut butter to increase the protein and fat content while upping the flavor.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 33
7/10/07 at 10:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by drainpipe View Post
Steel cut (not quick or instant) oats are also pretty good. Similar nutty flavor. You can also cook it in a rice cooker, but it's a little messier since the water bubbles a lot more. You can add some natural peanut butter to increase the protein and fat content while upping the flavor.

Steel cut oats go great in a small crock pot with some raisins and a little evaporated milk.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 33
7/11/07 at 12:17pm
I made slow transistion from white rice to brown rice. For each combination, I continued it until I was used to eating it. Started with 20% (brown) / 80% (white) rice. After that 40%(brown)/60%(white). After that 60%(brown)/40%(white). Now I eat 100% brown rice mixed with nuts, seeds, and other whole grains. Once you start stop eating white rice for most of your meals, your body start to feel better (you'll take sh!t better too) and look better. My health has never been better and I look great!
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 33
7/11/07 at 3:34pm
Thread Starter 
Are there different kinds of brown rice, or are they all pretty much the same?
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 33
7/11/07 at 5:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MilanoStyle View Post
Now I eat 100% brown rice mixed with nuts, seeds, and other whole grains. Once you start stop eating white rice for most of your meals, your body start to feel better (you'll take sh!t better too) and look better. My health has never been better and I look great!


lolololol

i do agree. brown rice is good for you.


that white rice and the bleached flour pastas are KILLERS for your blood. it poisons your blood in the long term and lot of health problems stemming from them.

but i cannot help myself. i need my white rice. i need my pasta. only way i can be happy in this life.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 33
7/11/07 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by diorshoe View Post
lolololol

i do agree. brown rice is good for you.


that white rice and the bleached flour pastas are KILLERS for your blood. it poisons your blood in the long term and lot of health problems stemming from them.

but i cannot help myself. i need my white rice. i need my pasta. only way i can be happy in this life.
+1 here, i grew up on white rice, and billions of people in asia still eat white rice not to mention all the europeans who eat white pasta, i agree there is a benefit to brown rice and pasta but i think an overall improved diet is more important.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 33
7/11/07 at 6:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MilanoStyle View Post
I made slow transistion from white rice to brown rice. For each combination, I continued it until I was used to eating it.
Huh, I always figured that since brown and white rice cook at different rates it wouldn't work to mix them. Did you guys run into any problems with one of the two grains being mush or hard?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sonick View Post
Are there different kinds of brown rice, or are they all pretty much the same?
Every kind of white rice has a corresponding brown. That's where babies come from. There is also parboiled rice, which is how rice is traditionally prepared in India and closer in nutritional value to what was traditionally eaten in all of Asia before industrial husking. Note: now that China uses industrial husking, there is an obesity problem - coincidence?
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Social Life, Food & Drink, Travel › Alternatives to refined carbs (white rice, pasta, etc.)