Healthy Easy Eggs, Rice, Noodles, Pasta, Legumes & Grains Recipes

This chapter introduces a range of recipes that should be in the repertoire of every low-fat cook. They are universally low in saturated fat, with several dishes registering below 1 gram.

Eggs Nutrition and Specialty Eggs

Eggs contain high amounts of vitamins, nutrients and all nine amino acids, making them a complete protein. For healthy diet, opt for specialty eggs such as free-range eggs, organic eggs and Omega-3 eggs. Though a bit costly, these specialty eggs are healthier as these eggs are laid by hens that are treated more humanly and allowed to live outdoor (free-range eggs), fed on drugs-free and hormones-free diet (organic eggs), and fed on grains that contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (Omega-3 eggs). These omega-3 fatty acids are passed onto the eggs the hens produce, hence making Omega-3 eggs an ideal heart-healthy diet.

More About Eggs > Eggs Nutrition, Storing Eggs, Grade and Size, Specialty Eggs

Rice and Noodles

For nearly half of the world's population, rice is a part of daily life. Rice and noodles are low-fat, high-carbohydrate foods that are immensely important in China and Far East Asia. Rice contains no cholesterol, is low in sodium and contains only a tiny bit of fat. There are different varieties of rice available in grocery stores such as white rice, brown rice, converted rice, instant rice and et cetera. The nutritional value of rice varies depending on the type of rice. Opt for brown rice for healthy eating. Brown rice has more fiber, flavor and nutrients than white rice. This is due to grains of brown rice have had only the inedible outer husk removed, leaving the darker bran and germ portions of the grain intact.

Types of Pasta

Pasta is very simple, just a mixture of flour, water, salt and sometimes eggs formed into noodles. Pasta made from nutritious whole wheat and other whole grains is now readily available. The wonder of pasta, however, is its versatility. It comes in hundreds of shapes, thickness and sizes, and can be prepared in a mind-boggling number of ways. Certain pasta-and-sauce combinations have become standard. For example, pasta that need to be twirled when eaten, such as fettuccine, is often served with thick sauce that sticks to the pasta. Thinner sauces are usually paired with tubular-shaped pasta such as penne, so that the sauce can seep into the holes. For healthy eating, you can buy whole wheat and brown rice pastas, which contain more fiber and therefore are more nutritious than the white version, which is made from highly processed flour.

What's Legumes & Grains?

Legumes (dried beans and peas) are very good sources of protein. Peanuts, lentils, cowpeas, split peas, soybeans, and a wide variety of beans and common peas are protein-rich legumes, with a favorable amino acid profile. Legumes tend to be low in essential amino acids methionine and cystine, but are high in essential amino acid lysine. Grains (seeds of cereal plants, such as wheat, corn, oats, rice, millet, barley, rye), on the other hand, is low in  essential amino acid lysine. Bread, pasta, crepes and tortilla are some examples of milled whole grains. To complement each other, eating legumes together with grains leverages the protein content of both. Thus a combination of legumes with grains forms a well-balanced diet for vegetarians who don’t eat eggs and dairy products. In Asia, having both Soya beans (legume) and rice (grain) in diet complement each other. Others include dal (legume) with rice (grain) by Indians, beans (legume) with corn tortillas (grain), tofu (legume) with rice (grain), and peanut butter (legume) with wheat bread (as sandwiches) (grain) in several other cultures.

Let's hop on the health bandwagon! These quick, healthy, easy and delicious dishes are also easy to whip up.

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