Long live long-shelf life pantry items; rice comes out a winner each and every time. There’s so many reasons why I am always well-stocked on rice; it’s nutritious, affordable, versatile, reheats well, and makes for the best leftovers! We will address rice’s ample leftover potential as we explore 5 Easy Ways to make deliciously effortless weeknight dinners thanks to a little weekend meal prep magic.

There’s so many protein-heavy fad diets out there right now; but truth is- we need complex carbohydrates to function optimally. Rice also triggers our brain to produce serotonin; which directly boosts our mood much like sunshine or exercise would. Have you ever heard of the term carb-crabby? Well, it’s a very real thing, friends. Low carb diets often make some people irritable and grumpy.

Rice is considered an ancient grain and is naturally gluten-free. It’s also a low-allergen food; meaning there’s very few people out there with an allergy or intolerance to rice. The key to rice; is to use it as a vehicle to carry vegetables and lean protein into your body.  A tool to nourish and complement our meals; it makes them satisfying and filling.

For us in Canada, U.S.-grown rice is as close as we’ll get to locally grown rice. Rice calls for a very particular kind of climate; and ours is just too cold and there aren’t enough wetlands. I am always looking for great quality rice; and really enjoy more than one variety. Every Sunday night I like to prep two or more large batches of rice, place them in glass airtight tups in my fridge, and then leverage it in 5 Easy Ways/5 Days:

• Monday: Use rice as a side to your protein; plain rice with either salmon, chicken, steak, or tofu. I also like to add a side of roasted vegetables with hummus for dipping; or a little side salad with a lemony vinaigrette. Other uses for fresh rice? Curries or stews! I love to enjoy mine with a creamy red, yellow or green curry.
• Tuesday: Use the rice inside chicken, tomato or lentil soup; instantly making the soup more nourishing and hearty. Rice is a great alternative to egg noodles for traditional chicken noodle soup; I love to add a spritz of lemon and some fresh parsley or cilantro to enhance the flavors!
• Wednesday: By Wednesday, Sunday’s rice is in perfect condition to make an easy vegetable or chicken fried rice. Did you know 2-3 day old refrigerated rice works best when making fried rice? Yep; it brings forth the best texture and freshly- made rice would never work for this dish; as it would clump together, especially if still warm.
• Thursday: By now you could repurpose Wednesday’s fried rice and take it to dinner again with a few, minor modifications. Take some pastured-raised eggs and fry them over olive oil or high heat avocado oil. You could top them with sesame seeds and fresh chives and serve them on top of the rice with a side salad. The egg trick is great on next-day fried rice as the yolk injects moisture back into the rice as you’re eating it.
• Friday: At this point, I like to get creative with whatever rice I have in the fridge and I can use it for quick burrito bowls, inside omelettes with some cheese and veggies, or I have some cheese at hand and bread crumbs; I’ll make a quick arancini for the perfect Friday night appetizer…

As you can see; rice is the perfect little sidekick to your quick dinner needs. It can walk you from Monday to Friday and back to the weekend again. It’s a little chameleon with a ton of meal makeover potential; from sweet rice pudding, to fried rice, Thai-Style curry, and even inside soups, stews or chili.. you can’t go wrong!

As always, I love seeing your questions and if you are looking for more recipes or inspo on where/how you can use rice, be sure to check out the blog and also this link https://riceinfo.com 🙂  Great ideas, minimal prep time- and best of all.. you’re not compromising nutrition!

This post is brought to you in partnership with my friends at U.S.A. Rice. I only partner with brands and organizations I love and personally use myself. I really appreciate your support and theirs.

By: Aleyda Batarse | The Dish On Healthy