Switch up your favorite rice-based recipes with some tasty substitutes like quinoa, barley, and bulgur.
Countries all over the world consider rice apantry staple.
It can befried with veggies, used as a base for acasserole, and evencreamy pudding.
Credit:BHG / Joules Garcia
While white rice is traditionally the grain kept on hand for mealtime, some excellent white rice alternatives exist.
Brown Rice
Perhaps the easiest swap among this list, brown rice makes an excellent white rice alternative.
It takes a bit longerto cook brown rice(about 40 minutes versus 20 minutes for white rice).
Quinoa
Quinoa(pronounced keen-wah) covers all the bases for a healthy rice alternative.
The tiny, cereal-like rice substitute is the seeds of a plant in theamaranth family.
Quinoa has nearly double the protein and almost nine times the fiber of white rice.
Expect a slightly nutty flavor but nothing too overpowering for your dishes.
Similar to white rice,quinoa cooksin about 15 minutes.
Cauliflower
Anyone trying toeat fewer carbscan rely oncauliflower riceto save the day.
It’s simply raw cauliflower pulsed in afood processoruntil it reaches a texture similar to rice.
Wild Rice
Wild rice isn’t just foryour favorite soup.
As a white rice alternative, it has fewer calories and carbs with almost double the protein.
The firm grain takes more water and time to cook, so expect a 45-minute wait.
The only difference with this rice alternative healthwise is that it’s got more protein and fiber.
It may be known to star insoup recipes, but it works great as arisottosubstitute.
Bulgur
Bulgur is a cooked, dried, and cracked whole wheat kernel popular inMiddle Eastern cuisine.
Bulgur is also another rice swap with a healthier dose of fiber.
Add it toyour saladsfor a nutritional boost.
Farro
A chewier grain among the list, farro is a protein-rich and fiber-filled rice alternative.
The whole-grain wheat product is also nuttier in flavor.
It takes about 30 minutes to cook in boiling water.
Try it as a rice substitute instuffed peppersor ahearty stew.
Chickpeas are utilized as aplant-based protein.
This rice alternative contains 11 grams of protein per serving (brown rice has 3 grams).
It has a similar texture to orzo pasta, with a neutral taste.
It also cooks super fast, needing about 5 minutes in boiling water.
It’s time to put some of these white rice alternatives to the test.
Enjoy somewarm quinoafor breakfast.
Or surprise the kids with an extra serving of veggies with achicken alfredo cauliflower rice bakefor dinner.
We’ve also got a lot of recipes already usingwhole grainsif you need some new ideas.
