If you are trying to get the highest amount of nutrition in your food that you can, you may be tempted to use brown rice. And you’d be right, brown rice has a nice nutty taste and more vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. But there’s something you may not be aware of about rice.
It all contains arsenic. Very small amounts, but some kinds of rice have higher levels than others. Brown rice has 80% more arsenic than other varieties. Because rice is grown in flooded conditions, the water often contains arsenic picked up from the soil as well as other pollutants. So rice absorbs more arsenic than other average food crops.
Jasmine rice and basmati rice seem to absorb less arsenic than other varieties. Therefore, my choice is always organic jasmine or basmati rice grown in California. Never buy rice grown in China.
According to Consumer Reports, “You may be able to cut your exposure to inorganic arsenic in rice by rinsing raw rice thoroughly before cooking, using a ratio of 6 cups water to 1 cup rice for cooking and draining the excess water afterward. That is a traditional method of cooking rice in Asia. The modern technique of cooking rice in water that is entirely absorbed by the grains has been promoted because it allows rice to retain more of its vitamins and other nutrients. But even though you may sacrifice some of rice's nutritional value, research has shown that rinsing and using more water removes about 30 percent of the rice's inorganic arsenic content.”
My new favorite butternut squash recipe.
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup organic jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups organic chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup chickpeas
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 cup sausage crumbles or Morningstar Farms Griller Crumbles
Chives
In Dutch oven, sauté onion in oil. Add rice and stir until coated in oil. Add stock, chickpeas, squash and spices. Heat to boiling, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done and liquid has been absorbed. Add sausage crumbles and stir into rice mixture. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh chives.
