3 Rice-Based Healthy Breakfasts
Some say breakfast is the most important meal of the day while others choose to push it closer to midday. Still, whatever the case may be, there’s rarely someone who doesn’t like breakfast food, even if they eat it at 2 pm.
Rice-based dishes are excellent providers of energy and fuel and they are the perfect pre-workout as they’ll give you the strength and power to push through even the toughest exercises. If you’re not keen on working out on a full stomach, due to a higher-carbohydrate content, they can also be the perfect post-workout to replenish your glycogen storage.
Here are some of my favorite rice-based breakfasts that make for a healthy start of your day.
1. Rice Porridge
If you love porridge and oatmeal is your staple, switch it up for rice one of these days and see how different you’ll feel. Ever since I tried making my rice porridge with Cream of Rice, I’ve never gone back to oats. The creaminess and smooth texture it provides pair perfectly with my favorite toppings and it gives me the perfect amount of sweetness when I’m not craving a savory breakfast.
Ingredients:
¼ cup Cream of Rice
½ cup almond milk (or any other milk of choice)
⅓ cup granola
2 Tbsp peanut butter
½ cup fresh berries
2 Tbsp cacao nibs
Directions:
Pour milk into a small pot and bring it to a simmer.
Mix in 1/4 cup Cream of Rice and stir well. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of milk. (the thickness will depend on your milk of choice as well as the brand)
Remove from heat and let sit for a minute or two
Top with granola, cacao nibs, peanut butter, and fresh berries.
Enjoy!
2. Rice Pancakes
Better-for-you, gluten-free pancakes? Yes please! I love making these for dessert or breakfast and they’re rich in essential vitamins and minerals to nourish you with every bite.
Ingredients:
¼ cup Cream of Rice
1 whole egg
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
⅓ cup almond milk
A pinch of salt
1 tsp coconut oil for cooking
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk your egg and add a pinch of salt.
Mix in the almond milk and stir until well combined.
Add the sugar and mix well, and then add the cream of rice. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of milk and if the mixture is too runny, add a Tbsp of cream of rice.
The dough should be thick enough but still be able to pour into your pan.
Coat your pan with oil and turn up the heat.
Slowly pour the mixture into the pan, making small pancakes.
Once you see bubbles appearing on the surface, flip them over and cook for an additional minute.
Serve with any topping of choice!
3. Cinnamon & Cardamom Rice Pudding
You can’t have a post about rice-based breakfast without some delicious rice pudding. Cinnamon and cardamom are some of my absolute favorite spices and I add them to everything. Literally everything. Rice pudding reminds me of my childhood as my grandma used to make it pretty often and whenever I make it I think of her.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
½ cup water
2 Tbsp Cream of Rice
4 cups almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
¼ cup coconut sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
Directions:
Put the jasmine rice, Cream of Rice, and water in a medium saucepan. The water should just cover the rice, so add extra if the top layer of kernels is still left dry.
Heat the pan until boiling and then reduce to a simmer and let the water reduce for 10 minutes, or even sooner if the liquid has already evaporated ( but be careful not to let the water evaporate out completely). In the end, if there is any excess water left, simply drain it out.
Add almond milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt, and bring up to a gentle simmer on medium to medium-low heat. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent the rice from sticking.
Add coconut sugar and bring the heat to low. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice thickened up and absorbed most of the liquid.
Take out the creamy goodness, sprinkle some extra cinnamon on top and add any other toppings if you want.
Bon Appetit!
And there you have it, the perfect three recipes to bring a delicious scent and flavor to your mornings. I love using Cream of Rice from Cream of Wheat because their quality is unparalleled. Their product contains no added sugars or artificial ingredients, comes with a plethora of essential micronutrients, it’s really affordable, and it tastes absolutely divine.
