When you go to the grocery store to shop for vegetables, you probably always look for the best, roundest, and most attractive looking produce for sale. But have you ever wondered what happens to the less-than-perfect fruits and vegetables that don’t make it to market? In many cases, these pieces go to waste. However, one company has come up with a creative solution–turn imperfect heads of cauliflower into a healthy and keto alternative to rice!
Waste not, want not
Three Ryans, a family farming business that harvests cauliflower year-round, got the idea for their bagged cauliflower rice after seeing how much of the food they grew was going to waste. Before the invention of their cauliflower rice, imperfect heads of cauliflower were simply left on the ground to rot and act as fertilizer. Instead of throwing out produce they knew would not sell or just allowing it to return to the Earth, the owners of Three Ryans decided to take the hassle out of making cauliflower rice by providing it pre-bagged to consumers.
“Cauliflower rice is popular and the type of thing you can make at home, but it’s very messy,” owner Gary Ryan said of the invention of the new line. “It would take five minutes to make, and 15 minutes to clean up. Our product provides a ready-made, convenient solution in a bag you can heat in the microwave.”
Rice…made from cauliflower?!
It’s not as strange as you may think! As more and more Americans turn away from processed carbohydrates and follow diets like keto to lose weight, cauliflower has become an unlikely hero in grocery stores around the world. The head of cauliflower can be shaved with a cheese grater, giving it a texture that’s firm yet malleable. After moisture is removed, the cauliflower mixture closely resembles the texture of cooked white rice, meaning that it can act as a substitute in most Asian and Hispanic recipes. Cauliflower rice is perfect for low-carb dieters who are craving carbs but don’t want to risk kicking themselves out of ketosis. An entire cup of cauliflower rice has less than 3 grams of net carbs–meaning that dieters can indulge without feeling guilty!
Cauliflower–a carb-cutter’s dream come true?
Cauliflower isn’t just a good substitute for rice! Creative keto chefs have found dozens of uses for the vegetables, including as a substitute dish when craving mashed potatoes and as a thickening agent to make low-carb soups and chowders taste like their original recipe.
The most innovative restaurants are also hopping on the cauliflower craze! Funky gastropub Mohawk Bend in Los Angeles recently soared to the top of the vegan Yelp ratings thanks to their super-secret buffalo cauliflower recipe, causing even the most religious wing-lovers to give the no-meat alternative a shot. On the east coast, Big Apple eatery Double Zero offers an eclectic mix of fun cauliflower recipes, including their nationally known cauliflower pizza….a low-carb pie that will have any keto dieter drooling! If you don’t live in a major metropolitan area, don’t be surprised if you see cauliflower in more than just vegetable medley in your favorite restaurant soon!
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
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