The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a daily intake of at least three ounces of whole grain--such as brown rice and wild rice--along with dark and leafy vegetables, orange vegetables, dried beans or peas and canned, dry or frozen fruit. A rice, fruit and vegetable diet is effective and sustainable if the food is wholesome, nutritious, flavorful and enjoyable to prepare.
Rice
According to the Food Reference web site, more than 40,000 varieties of rice exist around the world. Avoid refined grains like white rice, which is high in starch and devoid of fiber. If you want to vary your diet, use enriched, vitamin-fortified white rice--one cup of cooked rice is equivalent to two ounces of refined grain.
Middle Eastern, Thai and Indian cuisines in particular offer a variety of rice dishes ranging from long-grain Basmati pilaf (brown Basmati is a healthier choice) to stickier, short-grain white rice used in steamed South Indian idlis. Light, medium-grain rice such as Sona Masuri is ideal for Indian puddings such as kheer and South Indian specialties such as lemon rice, tomato rice and vegetable rice. Both Basmati and Sona Masuri are aromatic and flavorful when cooked with a medley of spices such as clove, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and cumin. Add powdered coriander to tomato or vegetable rice. Freshly chopped mint, spinach, coriander and thyme, as well as dried nuts, blend well with most varieties of rice. Enhance plain Basmati rice and black wild rice with channa (garbanzo gravy), rajma (red kidney bean gravy), black-eyed peas, lentil gravy or spicy, dry vegetables. (For recipes, visit www.tarladalal.com.) South Indian cuisine expert Mallika Badrinath and eclectic foodie Madhur Jaffrey are reliable sources. For Qabali Afghan rice and Indonesian spiced rice, see Resources.
Nishiki, a medium-grain Japanese rice, and long-grain Thai Jasmine rice, blend well with sauces, tofu and vegetables. Many people enjoy adding sliced pineapple and pine nuts to Thai fried rice. Spanish rice soaks up gravies and sauces, taking on just about every flavor you can whip up.
Italian rice such as Arborio, Vialone Nano and Carnaroli are excellent for creamy, rich, risotto. Red yeast rice, used primarily in Chinese and Japanese cuisines, is advocated in traditional Chinese medicine as a cholesterol-lowering agent.
Fruit
Get creative with fruit by making salads, smoothies, sorbet, fresh homemade juice and toppings for rice.
The USDA recommends women between 19 and 30 years to consume two cups of fruit daily. The amount for women aged above 31 is one-and-a-half cups. For men aged 19 and above, the requirement is two cups.
Vegetable
You can flavor almost any vegetable with different kinds of curry powder, chopped nuts or just a pinch of mustard seeds, fennel, cumin, powdered turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. Equip your kitchen with utensils that can grill, bake, saute, steam and pressure cook vegetables and lentils. "Vegetable" from Williams-Sonoma, "Vegetarian: The Best-ever Recipe Collection" by Linda Fraser and "Indian Vegetarian Cookery" by Rajalakshmi Subramanian are helpful resources.
The USDA recommends the following daily servings of vegetables: Two-and-a-half cups for women aged 19 to 50 years, two cups for women over age 51, three cups for men between the ages of 19 and 50 and two-and-a-half cups for men over 51.
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