I absolutely LOVE this Gut Healthy Cheesy Scrambled Egg and Rice Breakfast and I’m sure you will too! It’s sooo rich and creamy, easy to make and if you make it with cooled, cooked rice, it’ll also be GOOD for your gut!
So HOW is this dish good for your gut you might be wondering?
Carbs were/are given such a bad rap! In my years of yo-yo dieting there were MANY days, weeks, months even that I gave up carbs of all kinds other than vegetables and the rare piece of fruit. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, or anything of the likes were so demonized in articles, on social media, by medical doctors, fitness gurus, etc. I was so desperate to lose weight I was willing to give them up if that would do the trick and help me shed my excess weight. I’ll eventually go into everything I tried and why I’m on the anti-diet culture train, but I want to get back to sharing with you why cooled, cooked rice is NOT bad for you, but rather GOOD for your gut!
Not all carbs are the same. From sugars to starches to fiber, different carbs do different things to your body.
One kind of carb called resistant starch is also a type of fiber (1). Including more resistant starch in your diet can be good for both the helpful bacteria in your gut and your cells (2)
It's interesting how altering the cooking methods of everyday foods such as potatoes, rice, and pasta can genuinely impact their resistant starch content.
Why is it good for the health of your gut?
Resistant starch offers several health benefits due to its unique characteristics. Because it resists digestion in the small intestine, it reaches the large intestine intact. This process provides nourishment for beneficial gut bacteria, which play a crucial role in digestive health and overall well-being.
Furthermore, resistant starch stimulates the production of short chain fatty acids , such as butyrate, which serve as an essential energy source for cells in the large intestine. This promotes a healthy gut environment and supports intestinal cell function.
Research suggests that resistant starch can potentially reduce inflammation in the intestines and influence the metabolism of gut bacteria. These effects, in turn, are associated with a lowered risk of conditions like colon cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Resistant starch also aids in blood sugar regulation by mitigating the post-meal rise in blood sugar levels and enhancing insulin sensitivity. This can be particularly beneficial for managing conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, due to its impact on fullness and satiety, resistant starch might assist in weight management by reducing calorie intake and preventing overeating.
The benefits of resistant starch encompass improved gut health, potential protection against certain diseases, better blood sugar control, and support for weight management.
Boosting Resistant Starch Through Cooling: A Simple Trick
Now that I've shared the benefits of resistance starch, let me share how cooling certain foods will increase resistance starch!
Cooling certain foods after cooking can increase their resistant starch content. This phenomenon is known as starch retrogradation (14).
Here's how it works: when certain starches are heated during cooking, their original structure changes. But when you cool these starches, they form a new structure (16). And guess what?
This new structure resists digestion and brings along health benefits.
To add to the coolness factor, studies have revealed that resistant starch levels remain higher even when you reheat foods that were initially cooled (17).
Now let’s dive into this EASY recipe!
This is for one serving.
1 cup cooled, cooked rice
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese (I prefer Kerrygold)
Melt butter in pan on low heat, add rice to warm through. Add egg and stir vigorously to scramble egg. When almost all the way cooked through, add cheese, turn off heat and keep stirring until melted through. Top with Tajin.
TRUST ME!!! That’s a HUGE reason this tastes soooo good!
I’ve also used Trader Joe’s Citrusy Garlic spice. It's a more peppery flavor to me, but also VERY good on this dish!
I hope you will give this a try and let me know what you think!
xoxo-
If you would like moire information on the benefits and research into Resistance Starch visit