Rice, Vegetables And Chia Seeds: Foods Low In Calories And Cholesterol

By incorporating chia seeds into your rice and vegetable recipes, you can awaken your taste buds in a healthy and nutritious way without sacrificing taste.

Rice with vegetables and chia seeds is one of the best options to choose for maintaining a diet low in calories and low in bad cholesterol (LDL).

It is a set of foods that can be served as an accompaniment to lunch or dinner.

Its preparation does not take more than 30 to 40 minutes and manages to satisfy the diners. It’s good to keep in mind that just because it’s light doesn’t mean it won’t satiate you.

• The ideal accompaniments for a dish of rice with vegetables and chia seeds are white meats such as chicken and turkey.
• However, it can also be served with hard-boiled eggs, tofu, seitan, or textured soy protein.
• Everything will depend on your type of diet and your preferences.

Chia seeds are the main ingredient in these recipes because it is a seed with a pleasant taste and high nutritional value.

Chia seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, minerals (calcium, boron, zinc, manganese, potassium, iron), essential starches, vitamin E and even antioxidants.

Nowadays, it is not surprising to find it in different preparations, ranging from smoothies to dishes such as the ones we will present to you below.

Rice recipe with vegetables and chia seeds

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 bunch of chives
• ½ red pepper
• ½ green pepper
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 cup of jasmine rice (200 g)
• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds (30 g)
• Condiments: salt, pepper and fresh parsley
• Optional: ½ teaspoon garlic powder (3 g), soy sauce, mushrooms

Preparation

• First of all, you need to wash the (raw) rice with plenty of cold water. When the water becomes clear after washing, it means you can cook it. Filter the water.
• In a saucepan, pour the cup of jasmine rice with two cups of water and, add half a teaspoon of salt.
• Cook for about ten minutes, stir and let stand for a few minutes. Once ready, turn off the heat.
• Then wash and chop the Julienne peppers. Do the same with the onion and set them aside.
• Peel and cut the carrots into small pieces (you can also grate them).
• In a saucepan over medium heat, pour a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the peppers, chives and carrots. After a few minutes, pepper to taste and turn off the heat.
• Add the vegetables to the rice and mix well with a spoon.
• Finally, add the chia and fresh parsley. This way you will have a very aromatic and delicious dish.

An exceptionally delicious variation

Ingredients

• Sunflower oil
• 1 avocado
• 2 tablespoons of chia (20 g)
• 1 cup of brown rice (200 g)
• ½ bunch of green asparagus (163 g)
• 1 can of green peas (150 g)
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (30 ml)
• Condiments: salt, black pepper, spicy paprika
• Optional: cherry tomatoes

Preparation

• As in the previous recipe, the first thing to do is to wash the rice and cook it. Once the cooking time is about to end, start preparing the rest of the ingredients.
• Cut off the base of the asparagus and set aside. Cut the rest into small pieces.  On the other hand, for the avocado, peel it and cut it into julienne. Then set it aside.
• Separately, take the canned peas and drain well. Then, mix them with the other ingredients.
• Pour a drizzle of sunflower oil in a saucepan and sauté the vegetables over high heat.
• In another bowl, take the avocado strips and mix them with the condiments (salt, black pepper and chili) and with a little vegetable oil.
• Serve the rice with the vegetables and add the avocado vinaigrette in a balanced way.
• Finally, add the chia seeds, and it’s ready!

Additional Info on Rice with Vegetables and Chia

These recipes can also be made with other types of rice  : brown, golden or steamed, basmati, wild, parboiled, black or red, among others.

The important thing is to limit the use of vegetable oil in its preparation as much as possible and to avoid incorporating ingredients with a high calorie content, such as fried foods.

It is recommended to choose a rice with vegetables and chia seeds as a light garnish, to accompany grilled white meats or fish.

It should be noted that this dish goes very well with shrimp. Make sure to take this opportunity to add them to one of the recipes offered here or to replace one of the ingredients.

Take the test and enjoy!