Brown rice is a must-have staple for healthy eaters. I used to think I wasn’t a fan—and then I was introduced to short-grain brown rice (long- and medium-grain varieties are much more commonly found but not nearly as tasty, if you ask me). The short-grain has a nuttier taste that I’ve truly come to crave. If you haven’t tried it, it’s definitely time to do so. One of the best things about brown rice is that you can make a pot on Sunday and it keeps all workweek if refrigerated in an airtight plastic container or resealable plastic bag.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 cups water

　　1 cup brown rice (I prefer short-grain)

　　Salt, to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in the rice and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer the rice for 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately, or allow to cool and refrigerate in a resealable plastic container or plastic bag for up to 5 days.

　　

nutrition information

Step 2

Each (1/2-cup) serving has:

　　

Step 3

Calories: 109

　　

Step 4

Protein: 2g

　　

Step 5

Carbohydrates: 23g

　　

Step 6

Fat: <1g

　　

Step 7

Trace Saturated Fat

　　

Step 8

Cholesterol: 0mg

　　

Step 9

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 10

Sodium: 1mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.