Black Rice Breakfast Porridge
Super easy, meal prep, breakfast porridge made with black rice, almond milk, jam for sweetness and fruit.
- 1 Cup Black Rice (Like: Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice)
- 1 3/4 Cups Water
- 1/4 Cup Almond Milk ((or other milk alternative))
- 1-2 T Tbsp Jam ((Blackberry or Raspberry works well))
- 1 Cup Fruit of choice ((Nectarine, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries))
Follow Instructions for preparing Black Rice on package. I personally like to us Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice. Combine 1 ¾ cups of water, 1 cup rice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for a few minutes. Fluff and serve. A rice cooker may be used with the same water-to-rice ratio.
Once the black rice is done, you can put it into containers for lunches, or this breakfast a few times this week.
To prepare the breakfast bowl, if reheating, add 1/3-1/2 cup of the black rice to a pot with the almond milk (or milk alternative) and re-heat on medium-low.
If you are making this in the morning, after the black rice is cooked, add 1/3 – 1/2 cup of rice to a bowl and top with almond milk like you would oatmeal.
Add favorite jam or honey, top with fruit of choice and enjoy! You may need to adjust the sweetness a little bit to your preference.
You could also add a vanilla protein powder to this to give it a bit more protein, or make this with a side of eggs and you have a good source of fat, protein and carbohydrates for a perfect start to your day!
Black Rice for Breakfast?!
When I first started eating a paleo style diet, I realized that breakfast can get really boring, really fast. I’ve also had many friends and patients ask for breakfast ideas because eggs, bacon, sausage and veggies are great, but… they wanted a flavor change.
Black Rice is a starchy carbohydrate. There’s 43 grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 cup, so if you are counting macros – it can be a fantastic way to fill up those carbohydrate numbers, but Ketogenic followers be aware!
That being said Black Rice is packed with nutrients like:
Anthocyanins – black rice contains more antioxidant powerhouses anthocyanins than blueberries. Antioxidants in general help fight something called free radicals. Free radicals are products in the body from toxins, certain food preparations (like oxidized oils) etc. They are known cancer causing agents. Eating foods high in antioxidants helps to neutralize and eliminate free radical damage in the body. In addition, the antioxidant benefits include protection against cardiovascular disease, inflammation and may also improve brain function.
Vitamin E – some, if not most, dark colored foods, fruits, veggies are a good source of Vitamin E. It is also considered an antioxidant, but it’s benefits are important for eye, skin and immune health.
Iron – Black Rice is also a great source of iron. You can also get iron from red meat and beans. Iron is needed for healthy blood! You need iron in order for your blood cells to bind oxygen to take it to your tissues. Women are more common to be anemic due to monthly cycles. Periodically making sure your diet is full of foods high in iron can help prevent the need for supplements.
Fiber – most starchy carbohydrates contain fiber. Fiber is important for gut health. First, fiber helps with motility of the intestines – meaning it helps move food through your digestive system at a healthy rate. If food moves through to slowly, there’s a chance for toxic build up in the digestive tract. If it moves through to quickly, then the body loses out on absorbing enough nutrients from food. Balance is key. Second, fiber is necessary for keeping enough bulk in the gut so that the liver can dump the products it is trying to eliminate from the blood into the intestines to be removed and eliminated from the body.
Whole Grains – Because black rice is gluten free, it is a great source of healthy whole grains. Healthy diets need to include sources of whole grains. Unfortunately, it can be really difficult to find good sources of whole grains that do not contain gluten. Even if you do not have symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), or celiac disease, many people are still sensitive to gluten. Continuing to consume gluten may not lead to a disease or illness related to the gut, but it can cause an inflammatory condition called Leaky Gut – which can eventually lead to wide spread inflammation in the body, and autoimmune disease.
Black rice, or forbidden rice, can be consumed in place of unhealthy refined and processed flour foods – which can ultimately lead to a reduction or even resolution of many digestive issues that can be caused by eating foods that contain gluten.
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Research:
Effects of anthocyanins on health – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613902/
