If You're Going to Do It, Do It Rice

"Rice is really great, if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something". - Mitch Hedberg

Rice is really great. An easy go-to for a meal sidekick and millions of people consume rice on a daily basis. A lot of broccoli and rice combo's floating around the body-building world. However, there are issues with rice and rice products (rice cakes, rice milk) containing arsenic. Through no fault of its own, rice just has an easier time absorbing the toxic element from soil, water and air as it grows. So don't hate on rice as an individual - just be cautious when you use it - everything in moderation people.

There are some ways you can still reap all the nutritional benefits of rice, while avoiding as much of the toxin as possible. To er on the side of caution however, I strongly limit myself (especially while pregnant) and my baby to rice consumption altogether. For the rest of us, rice can be safe if prepared properly. Rice has protein, its low in fat and is a good source of fibre, vitamins, minerals - if you like texture you can't go wrong with rice and it even tastes great.

Doing it the rice way...

Soak your rice overnight - if you are going to do one thing, this is the best advice. Like how a good soak in the tub opens up and cleans out your pores, soaking rice grains allows the arsenic to escape.

Drain and rinse, drain and rinse, drain and rinse... if you like doing the drain and rinse - you really can't to it too much. Its fun for the kids too!

Use more water than is required by the label - don't over cook your rice - the arsenic in the water will find its way back into the rice. Plus, light fluffy rice is the bomb!

Drain and rinse cooked rice again. - Yay, you get to drain and rinse again... get the kids to do it - once it has cooled of course. #momhacks

HINT: If you are going to eat it, choose Basmati rice which seems to harbour the lowest amounts of arsenic.

Organic or not, there is no difference in the amount of arsenic in rice as a grain.

Switch out rice cakes and crackers (which hold the highest levels of toxin) for organic corncakes. You can get them at Bulk Barn, Kardish and most health food stores carry one or more brands - they do the same thing as a rice cake - hold the food you really want to eat - like nut butter... mmm, nut butter.

Links/Creds: BBC program Trust Me I'm a Doctor - Michael Mosley and Prof Andy Meharg from Queen's University, Belfast.

Melissa Breyer. Living/Green Food: How to cook rice to remove the most arsenic

#organic #protien #fitness #mom #veganbaby #veganbabyfood #workoutmeals #veganmealideas #nutrition #veganbikiniprep #nongmo #rice #doitright