October 27, 2008 09:00 AM

There are many types of rice on the store shelves today, but it all boils down (ha, ha) to brown and rice. Brown rice is always healthier than white, right? We recently looked further into this little truth to see if it really was fact, and if you can substitute brown for white.

If you look at the nutritional information on the back of the bags, it looks like white rice wins the contest over the brown – white rice has fewer calories and less fat, as well as more thiamine, niacin, iron and folate. However, looks can be deceiving.

Brown rice is simply white rice that hasn’t had the outer (brown) bran removed. When rice is processed to make it white, extra steps are involved — the germ and the inner husk are removed and the grain is polished. During this process, some of the nutrients are removed, which are then put back into the white rice by way of synthetic sources. (These same nutrients were in the rice the whole time it was brown; turning it from brown to white removed them.)

Brown or white? Brown is also chewier than white, and some dislike the texture. But if you’re looking for an unprocessed whole grain, brown is the way to go.

Photo by Dru McPherson

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October 20, 2008 09:00 AM

We love potato chips – but they can be unhealthy to say the least. So when we found that Jugalbandi had an easy recipe for potato chips made in the microwave, we had to try them. Using no oil, they actually crisp up quite beautifully. Just add some coarse sea salt either before or after baking them, and you’ll swear they didn’t just come out of the microwave.

If you can, use a mandoline slicer to cut the potatoes into consistently thin slices. Also be sure to watch your microwave times to make sure they don’t get too done, too quickly.

Grab some dip and give yourself a pat on the back for making a quick (and healthy!) snack.

Photo by Dru McPherson

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September 29, 2008 09:00 AM

Ahh … fall. The leaves are changing, pumpkins are beginning to make their appearance outside…Continue reading

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September 02, 2008 09:00 AM

September means the raspberries are ripening, and fast. While a bowl of berries and either…Continue reading

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