Rice recipes low sodium are an essential element of a nutritious diet. These dishes offer plenty of fiber, protein and other vital nutrients.
This healthy fried rice dish features vegetables and scrambled egg for extra protein. Feel free to customize this delicious recipe further by adding chicken, shrimp or tofu for an even heartier meal!
1. Low Sodium Spanish Rice and Beans
Spanish Rice and Beans is an easy, budget-friendly plant based meal that can be prepared in under an hour with pantry essentials. Perfect for family dinners, weekly lunches or potlucks as well as quick and easy snacks for kids! Plus it is vegetarian friendly, gluten free and provides complete protein sources!
This dish starts with a classic brown rice and vegetable broth base, spiced and herbed to bring out their flavors. Beans provide plant based protein while tomatoes add sweetness – all this served up with cheese for flavor and cilantro for decoration – for a beautiful and colorful meal!
For this low sodium Spanish Rice and Beans dish, cook brown rice according to package directions in vegetable broth. While that is happening, saute onion and bell pepper in a large skillet over medium heat with plenty of kosher salt, until translucent onions appear – then stir in garlic and spices, continue stirring and cook another 30 seconds or so before adding cooked beans as a final touch.
Add tomato paste and water (or vegetable broth). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to its lowest setting and allow the rice and vegetables to become tender before taking it off the heat and allowing to cool before stirring in beans, corn, fire roasted tomatoes and seasoning generously with kosher salt.
Serve this dish with shredded cheese (cotija or mozzarella) and chopped cilantro for extra flavor, or squeeze in some lime juice for an added citrus twist. Refrigerator storage works just as well – simply allow it to cool completely before refrigerating up to three days.
Reheat this low sodium Spanish Rice and Beans dish by placing in the microwave, stopping every 30 seconds to stir, until warm. Or place in a skillet and rewarm over low heat until hot. This low sodium recipe is also freezer friendly – simply allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight freezer bag and freezing flat – this will allow even heating of all components and prevent soggy vegetables or rice when reheating!
2. Low Sodium Thai Stir Fry
Create a flavorful Asian stir fry in just 15 minutes using rice, noodles or quinoa as the base and a variety of chicken, beef or shrimp, vegetables and your homemade sauce! Make ahead and store in the freezer for quick meals throughout the week.
Stir fries are great because you can adapt them to whatever ingredients are on hand! From tofu substitution to adding additional or different vegetables – even adding legumes like chickpeas, lentils or adzuki beans!
This Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry is packed with flavor! Takes only minutes to cook and easily customizable according to your own personal taste! Ideal served over brown rice, quinoa or any grain of choice.
An effortless, delicious and fast stir fry is the ideal meal solution for busy families. This recipe can be prepared using either white or brown rice and gluten-free options are also available. Vegetables and sauce can easily be tailored to meet the tastes of each family member in this delicious stir fry filled with flavors such as sriracha, ginger and garlic as well as sesame oil for an authentic oriental experience.
To reduce sodium intake, opt for tamari instead of soy sauce in your meal planning. You’ll find it either in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store or most Asian markets and it has similar umami flavor as soy sauce but contains around 250 mg per tablespoon compared to its more sodium-laden counterpart.
Substituting vegetable or chicken broth will further lower the sodium intake. If you want to make the dish even healthier, ditch cornstarch in favor of plant-based thickeners like arrowroot or tapioca starch.
Salt can put undue strain on the kidneys and increase blood pressure, so the goal should be to limit daily sodium consumption to 1,500 mg. You should also limit potassium (from bananas and other fruits) and phosphorus (from dairy and legumes) intake – consult your physician or dietitian about an ideal daily amount. This is the best way to prevent or treat kidney disease.
3. Low Sodium Vegetable Fried Rice
Fried rice can be one of the classic meals that is notoriously high in sodium when purchased premade or from a box, yet you can make your own without all that additional sodium. This low sodium vegetable fried rice recipe is easy and packed full of tasty vegetables, proteins, and healthy carbs that make a nutritious lunch option!
This recipe calls for brown rice, which is an ideal source of whole grain nutrition and will keep you feeling full longer than its counterpart, white rice. However, brown is generally healthier since it contains more fiber.
Cook the rice according to its package directions, then allow it to cool completely before refrigerating until needed for this recipe. Precooking can make sauteing more quickly without turning mushy, while later refrigerating allows it to stay crispier longer before it goes back into the recipe.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick saute pan or wok over medium-high heat and add the eggs, scrambling until cooked to your preference. Remove them from the pan and set them aside before returning it to the stove with additional oil and adding ginger, garlic and white parts of green onion to it before stirring in frozen mixed vegetables until they thaw out and warm up completely before mixing in cool rice and coconut aminos as necessary to bring all of its flavors together.
Toasted sesame oil is an integral ingredient for making delicious fried rice dishes, and can often be found in Asian grocery store sections or online. It has a distinct deep flavor compared to regular plain sesame oil which has a lighter aroma.
Serve this fried rice alongside chicken satay and slow cooker hot and sour soup recipes to create a complete meal that is lower in sodium than any restaurant version. A refreshing drink pairing such as mint lemonade is recommended to round off this meal perfectly and use up any leftover vegetables in your refrigerator while making this perfect for family dining!
4. Low Sodium Vegetable Fried Rice with Eggs
This low sodium fried rice recipe makes an easy and satisfying dinner option, without breaking the bank! Restaurant Chinese food tends to be high in sodium content, while this healthier alternative contains only 281 mg per serving. You may prefer fresh vegetables over frozen ones if desired; toast sesame oil makes all the difference here with its dark color and deep flavor that just regular sesame won’t provide; moreover it usually contains no sodium whatsoever!
This recipe calls for brown rice, but you can easily substitute cooked white or any other type of grain of your choosing. It works best when the grains are made the day before and stored in the fridge – plus this is a great way to use up any extra grains lurking around in your refrigerator! For an added “fried” touch add extra salt just before cooking for maximum results!
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant before adding vegetables; cook for another minute, until slightly softened before removing from heat and setting aside.
Add the rice, vegetable mix, coconut aminos and sesame oil, stirring until well mixed and heated through for several minutes before stirring in eggs and serving with green onion garnish.
This tasty and easy healthy fried rice recipe is great for kids of all ages, making an after-school snack or meal that keeps kids involved with meal preparation while being fun at the same time! Kids especially love selecting their own toppings to customize their bowl – great way for them to feel invested in what they are eating while having some creative fun doing so! For added fun you could add ingredients such as edamame, canned water chestnuts, shredded carrots and bean sprouts as additions, but please watch for any added salt to avoid added ingredients as this may increase sodium levels considerably.