You may have noticed packets of finely grated cauliflower lining the shelves of your local supermarket, or maybe you’ve seen a feature on your Facebook feed about this latest craze. Why is this trend taking off, and what are the benefits of eating cauliflower rice?
Grated cauliflower makes a healthy alternative to normal white or brown rice. Normal rice has a high carbohydrate content, whether white or brown, and white rice is full of starch. While eaten in moderation, natural carbohydrates such as rice aren’t too harmful, but they can lead to weight gain if eaten in large quantities as carbohydrates produce fast-burning energy, and can leave you feeling hungry not too long after eating. If you don’t exercise, eating a diet full of carbohydrates can become unhealthy.
Cauliflower rice is a carbohydrate-free alternative to rice, and therefore makes a filling side dish for a multitude of recipes, from curries and biryanis to chillies, goulash, stroganoff and chicken. As we here at Love Your Greens know, cauliflower has a great savoury taste that can add depth to any dish whilst nourishing us with an array of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, and cancer-preventing antioxidants.
The trend for cauliflower rice comes from the currently popular Paleo diet, also referred to as the ‘caveman diet’. The premise is simple – eat only foods that are as biochemically similar to those eaten by our ‘cavemen’ ancestors. This means the diet is high in proteins from vegetables and meats, fats, fruits, unrefined carbohydrates (such as unprocessed fruits and vegetables) and no refined carbohydrates, such as processed wheat and corn, flour or sugar (bread, pasta, white rice).
Eating cauliflower rice doesn’t have to mean declaring allegiance to the latest fad diet, however. Replacing rice with cauliflower rice all the time or just occasionally will lower your intake of processed and starchy carbohydrates, which is great for anyone who doesn’t have time to constantly raid the gym.
All you have to do to make your own cauliflower rice is grate some florets with a cheese-grater or a food processor, and then add the cauliflower to a frying pan over a medium-high heat with some olive oil, or, for carb-free diets, coconut oil, fry until the cauliflower begins to turn golden brown, add a splash of double cream (optional, but great for those following a carb-free diet), and serve with cracked black pepper and sea salt. Another benefit of cauliflower rice is the ease of cooking – no draining is required, it’s quick, and the frying process means that the cauliflower will retain its texture.
Why not switch to cauliflower rice today for a healthier, tastier and more nutritious alternative to processed carbohydrates?