Blog

A rice-based delicacy you can enjoy without remorse

In order to promote and maintain good health, healthy eating is paramount. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension among other non-communicable diseases can arise after following an improper diet. However, most people tend to be confused by the information -in many cases exaggerated- they can find on the Internet.

Eating healthy doesn’t necessarily mean eliminating food from your diet or avoiding those dishes that you love the most. This would never be feasible since it wouldn’t be possible to maintain over time… and that is key to living a healthy life.  What you should aim at is feeling good about yourself, having more energy, boosting your mood and improving your health, all at the same time, through a balanced and moderate consumption of food. 

It is a fact that there are certain foods or nutrients that will be better for your health than others;  what we recommend is to enjoy all you want but also keep a healthy balance between the two extremes. By following some simple tips, you’ll be able to learn how to achieve and stick to a healthy, nutritious, tasty and varied diet with almost no effort.

Balance and moderation

In order to follow a proper diet, we all need the right amounts of vitamins, fiber, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and fat in our meals. It is important to understand some basics: bad fats can increase the risk of getting certain diseases, but the consumption of good fats, such as avocado or olive oil, are great to protect your heart and brain; these are vital to boost your mood and improve your well-being. Proteins will support your mood and will upgrade your cognitive function as well (you don’t necessarily need to obtain your proteins from animals, because plant-based sources of protein can help you get all the essential proteins that you need). All in all, these nutrients can be found in many foods, but the actual message that we want to get through is that you should have a balanced diet.

Why would moderation be needed, then, if we have a balanced diet? And what exactly is eating in moderation? Eating in moderation will help you eat what your body needs. By doing so, you’ll feel satisfied after eating without feeling stuffed or heavy. It is needed and much important so as to maintain your good health without eliminating what you love the most.

This approach does not encourage you to eliminate the foods that you like and love, try to think about reducing the intake of unhealthy foods, or consuming smaller portions.

But what about sweet treats? Most people have difficulties when it comes to eating sweets in moderation. What we recommend is that, instead of buying ice cream, sweets, or ultra-processed foods that are almost impossible to eat in small portions, you make your own desserts at home. That way, you'll know exactly what ingredients you are using and you'll be able to replace many unhealthy ones with healthier options.

You’ll be surprised when you see it will not only be easier, it will also be cheaper. Keep on reading this article to find out a white rice recipe by Carolina® rice that will be sweet enough to satisfy your sweet cravings!

Healthy and delicious dessert: vegan rice pudding

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup of uncooked white rice.
  • 3½ cups of almond milk. 
  • ½ teaspoon of vanilla beans.
  • ½ cup of brown sugar.
  • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
  • A pinch of salt.
  • ½ cup of raisins.

What you’ll do:

  1. Start by rinsing the rice; this is an important step that you should do before using it to remove the excess starch.  
  2. After it's rinsed, put it in a saucepan and add 2½ cups of almond milk, ½ tablespoon of vanilla beans and ½ cup of brown sugar; heat the mixture over medium heat. 
  3. When the milk starts boiling, lower the heat, cover the saucepan and let it simmer. 
  4. Wait until the liquid soaks into the rice; the rice should be fully cooked, fluffy and the mixture thick and shiny. 
  5. Add the rest of the milk (1 cup) and let it boil again. 
  6. Cover the saucepan and remove from the heat. Let it rest for about half an hour.

Serve hot, top it with raisins and enjoy!


More to Read: