No matter what stage of the month or week it is, one thing’s for certain, there’s a bag of brown rice lurking somewhere in either your or your housemates’ cupboard.
1. Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Time: 30 minutes
Super simple and super cheap, all you need for this recipe from Savvy Naturalista is rice (done), onions and mushrooms. And things like oil and pepper which you can just steal off your housemates, anyways. All in all, the grand total for this meal should come in at under £2. Check out the full recipe here.
2. Healthy Rice Pudding
Time: 30 minutes
Nostalgia trip time! Remember back in school when the dinner ladies used to serve you a big gloopy white mess, call it ‘rice pudding’ and try and pass it off as a dessert? Yeah. Not. A Thing. Now though, the rice pudding is being brought back with coconut and almond milk and brown rice because #CleanEating, amiright ladies? Check out this recipe from NutritionTwins for inspiration.
3. Lentil & Brown Rice Soup
Time: 1 hour
The time it takes you to make this is far outweighed by the sheer amount you can make, freeze and dish out from now until the end of time. You’ll never have to buy dinner again! Until you get sick of lentil and brown rice soup that is. All you need for this is a couple of bits of veg and some lentils and the ability to bung it all in a pot together which, I know might sound difficult but I believe in you, you can do it. Check out the full recipe here.
4. Very Veggie Fried Rice
Time: 8 minutes
This one is kind of like ordering a take out. Except it’s actually good for you. Again, it’s pretty much a case of chucking a whole bunch of stuff in a wok together and having your wicked way with it. Also, it uses a lot of frozen vegetables, which are excellent because although they’re like ‘not meant to be quite as good for you as fresh vegetables’, are a handy solution for someone who doesn’t live next to a 24-hour farmers’ market and have pockets lined with gold. Get the full recipe here.
5. 12-Minute Chicken And Broccoli
Time: 12 minutes. Duh.
I’ve never managed to cook brown rice in 12 minutes but that’s how long this chicken and broccoli mixture is going to take you so you’d better get going now. Get the full recipe over at GimmeSomeOven.
6. Rice Bowl With Fried Egg And Avocado
Time: 15 minutes
One of those super-easy dishes you can claim is actually crazy sophisticated because it’s part of this Korean trend that’s totally taken over all things and every thing food at the moment. Super-minimal ingredient purchasing involved and it’s full of protein thanks to the egg. As well as the fibre from the brown rice. Check out the full recipe here.
7. Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice
Time: 15 minutes
This one looks very bad for you but it’s maintained that it’s only 277 calories per portion. So have two. Get the full recipe for this filthily attractive cheese fest here.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
Another Super Easy, Under A Fiver Lunch Recipe To Make This Sunday
Here’s How To Spend A Tenner And Take Five Lunches To Work For A Week
Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.