Healthy Rice Recipes With Vegetables And Chia Seeds
Rice with vegetables and chia seeds is an excellent option if you want to follow a diet that is low in calories and bad cholesterol (LDL). This combination can be served as a side dish for lunch or dinner. It takes no more than 30 to 40 minutes to prepare and the whole family will enjoy it!
The best main dishes that go well with rice and vegetables are dishes such as chicken and turkey. However, you can also combine this with hard-boiled eggs, tofu, seitan or tempeh. It all depends on your food preferences.
The main ingredient in this recipe is chia seeds, which have a wonderful taste and very high nutritional value. Chia seeds include:
- omega 3 fatty acids
- fiber
- minerals (including calcium, boron, zinc, manganese, potassium, and iron)
- essential starch
- vitamin E
- antioxidants
Today it is common to find chia seeds in a variety of dishes, from smoothies to recipes like the one we are going to share with you today.
Rice with vegetables and chia seeds
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 10 stalks of chives
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 medium carrot
- 200 g jasmine rice
- 30 g chia seeds
- Herbs: salt, pepper and fresh parsley
- Optional: 3 g garlic powder, soy sauce, mushrooms
Preparation
- First you need to wash the rice grains with cold water. Once the water runs clear after rinsing, you’re ready to cook the rice.
- In a saucepan, add the jasmine rice along with two cups of water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring this to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stir and then let it stand for a few more minutes.
- Wash and finely chop the peppers. Do the same with the chives and set aside.
- Peel and finely chop the carrot (you can also grate it if you like).
- Add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat, then sauté the peppers, chives and carrot. After a few minutes, add the herbs and remove from the heat.
- Add the vegetables to the rice and mix well.
- Add finally add the chia seeds and fresh parsley. This will give you a very aromatic and delicious side dish.
Rice with vegetables and chia seeds, asparagus and avocado
This is yet another delicious combination of rice and chia seeds, mixed with various vegetables.
Ingredients
- sunflower oil
- 1 avocado
- 20 g chia seeds
- 200 g brown rice
- 160 g asparagus
- 150 g green peas
- 30 ml lemon juice
- Spices: salt, black pepper, paprika
- Optional: cherry tomatoes
Preparation
- As in the previous recipe, wash and cook the rice first.
- Just before cooking is done, start preparing the remaining ingredients.
- Cut the asparagus into pieces and set them aside.
- Peel the avocado and cut it into slices. Set this aside as well.
- Drain the can of peas well. Then mix the peas with the other vegetables.
- Put a dash of sunflower oil in a frying pan, then sauté the vegetables over medium to high heat.
- In another bowl, mix the avocado and spices (salt, black pepper and paprika) with a little vegetable oil.
- Serve the rice with the vegetables on top and garnish with the avocado and herbs. Finally, add the chia seeds and you’re done!
You can make these recipes with all types of rice, so choose the rice you like best:
- brown rice
- basmati
- wild rice
- black or red rice
- etcetera
Most importantly, keep vegetable oil to a minimum and avoid other high-calorie ingredients, such as fried foods.
It’s also a good idea to opt for rice with vegetables and chia seeds as a light side dish with poultry or fish. This pairs especially well with shrimp, so take the opportunity to add them to these recipes or as a substitute for another ingredient. Try it yourself!
