Whenever I watch the Big Bang Theory, I get the biggest craving for Chinese Take Out. Now, every once it awhile I splurge because I love eating out of the containers and sometimes you just don’t want to cook and the crispy fried egg roll just hits the spot.
However, to satisfy these cravings more often, I decided to get a little creative in the kitchen with tiny swaps to make big healthy gains.
Fried Rice is typically made up of a mixture of eggs, vegetables, seafood or meat all stir-fried in a pan with oil. It can be served by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish.
While it is quite a simple concept of a meal and has all the potential to be a well-rounded dish, when you order it from a Chinese Take Out spot, all those good nutrients get covered in high amounts of sodium and fat. This healthy version of Fried Rice will give you all the flavor and so many nutrients without the excess oils that are tough on your digestive system.
Rice Swap
Restaurants typically use Jasmine White Rice for their fried rice. While white rice has it’s healthy purpose for athletes performing high intensity workouts, for your everyday nutrients the best option is Basmati Brown Rice. Basmati has been shown to be the best rice choice because it contains the most amount of vitamins.
Oil Swap
Restaurants typically use palm oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil for their fried rice, and lots of it! Generally, I try to state away from vegetable oil as much as possible because it is guaranteed to be highly process. Due to the broad name, producers can use any blend of canola, corn, soybean, safflower, palm and sunflower oils. Needless to say, biggest health concern of whichever oil the restaurants is using, is that they are using lots of it when the dish doesn’t require it for flavor or texture.
Overall, Avocado Oil and Extra Virgin Olive oil have been deemed the most nutritious selection of oils for cooking. I selected avocado oil for this recipe because it unrefined and has a high-smoke point, meaning it can withstand the high temperature that a stir-fry requires.
Sauce Swap
Restaurants prepare fried rice with lots of soy sauce, which adds up to a lot of sodium in your system. Not only does my recipe minimize the amount needed, we swap in the flavoring to come from gluten free and soy free options – Coconut Aminos (soy free) and Tamari (gluten free).
Soy sauce gets its flavor from fermented soybeans, roasted grains, salt, water and a yeast mixture. And while for many years I have only swapped low-sodium soy sauce, thinking that was better, I learned it comes with more chemicals, such as the common diet soda debate. In fact, if you want to stick with your typical soy sauce, you are better off just buying organic and diluting the regular version. To do this, simply use a 1:1 ratio. One part water to every one part soy sauce.
Tamari is made with more fermented soy beans and no wheat, which not only makes it gluten free, but it actually gives it a bolder flavor.
Coconut Aminos was one of the greatest substitutes I found when I did Whole 30. I was very confused at first on how it would replace my soy sauce flavoring because I thought it would have a strong coconut flavor. Update – it taste nothing like coconut because it derives from coconut tree sap, not the coconut. While it has a slight sweetness and lighter umami flavor than Tamari, it is the perfect soy free option!
So based on your preference and dietary needs or pantry options feel free to use any of the three options in this recipe – diluted soy sauce, tamari, coconut aminos or a blend of any two!
Load it up with Vegetables!
Fried rice is the perfect opportunity to mix in all kinds of vegetables to your meal. The most common ingredients are peas, green onions, and shredded carrots. This recipe goes heavy on all vegetables because rice should be the binder, not the only star ingredient. Feel free to keep it simple with just the 3 main vegetables mentioned above, but this is also the perfect opportunity to use up any raw vegetables left in your refrigerator. It’s also an easy way to hide the vegetables from your children.
Here are my favorite vegetables to include:
- Shredded carrots
- Diced onions
- Edamame
- Broccoli
- Shredded cabbage
- Bell peppers
- Water chestnuts
Loaded Vegetable Healthy Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 3 large eggs
- 6 green onions, root and green tops
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen edamane, shell removed
- 2 cups additional vegetables finely chopped (onions, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower, etc)
- 2 cups cooked brown Basamati Rice
- 3 Tbsp organic tamari, coconut aminos or soy sauce (diluted, 1:1 soy sauce & water blend)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger, about 1 inch of the root
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- If your rice is not already cooked, measure out 1 cup of dry rice. This will yield 2 cups of cooked rice. Cook according to package. You may want to leave the rice on a simmer an extra 5-10 minutes to ensure it dries out as much as possible.
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Or spray non-stick spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together until yolks and whites are combined. Season wtih a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
- Add the eggs to the pan and scramble. Once cooked, remove the eggs from the pan and set aside in a small bowl for later.
- Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoons of oil to the pan on medium heat. Depending on the vegetables you selected saute as needed for desired texture. Typically 5-8 minutes will be enough to make them all tender, given you chopped them in bite size pieces. Cook the carrots and green onions with your other vegetables for the final 4 minutes.
- White vegetables are cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add in the frozen edamame and cook as directed, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove all vegetables from the pan and set to the side. Turn heat to medium low.
- Add the cooked rice, your choice of tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos, rice vinegar, toasted seasame oil, and grated ginger to the pan. Stire until well combined.
- Add the scrambled eggs and vegetables back to the pan and stir to incorporate into the rice.
- Reduce heat to low and let the rice and vegetables cook for about 5-10 minutes, stiring occassionally.
- Serve in a bowl and enjoy all your vegetables disguised in your rice! Pairs great with crispy tofu!