Every Mom needs a few fast, easy weeknight meals up her sleeve. This healthy Clean Eating Fried Rice looks a bit like 'Junk Food' so it makes a great replacement if you're trying to kick a fast food habit.
When I don't feel like cooking, this is the meal I make.
It takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish (even less if you are using leftover rice) AND it's even better the next day so it works well for school lunches. I spoon it into lunchboxes after dinner and BAM! Next morning I get to press that snooze button one more time.
Leftovers. Who would have thought I would come to value them so much? Speaking of leftovers - here is another dinner that makes a great 'next day' lunch.
Clean Eating Fried Rice
I LOVE this recipe. It's one I always double up as it is awesome in school lunchboxes the next day. Hot or cold, doesn't matter. The kids devour it.
EASIER THAN TAKEOUT
Since moving to our (very) small town (population of 1,441 and I'm sure this is counting the people who drive through it on the way to somewhere else), Takeaway food is hard to find.
Aside from our local pub, which offers fish and chips on a Friday. Which also happens to be one of my least favorite takeaways. The fried batter leaves me feeling 'blah' and regretful right after eating.
And besides, I'm kinda fond of our homemade fish and chips. To date, I've yet to find a takeaway that beats it in taste (and my version just happens to be a helluva lot healthier too).
Easy Dinner Ideas
Eating Clean does mean cooking at home more. I'm sorry, but it's true. It's quite difficult to find healthy fast food where I am, so I make almost all of our meals in my kitchen.
But that doesn't mean I don't use shortcuts WHEREVER POSSIBLE. I have no desire to spend hours in the kitchen. Easy, quick meals that I can prep in under 30 minutes are my jam. And this Clean Eating Fried Rice recipe is on the top of my list of fast family favorites.
3 WAYS TO MAKE THIS RECIPE EVEN FASTER
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- Use leftover rice from the night before. Cold rice works better as it's drier and tends to stay together well when you reheat it. The last thing we want it mushy fried rice. If you're making your rice fresh (aka on the night you're making the stirfry -run it under cold water to cool it then drain it really well. The less moisture on your rice, the better.
- Go plant based and skip the bacon. It saves at least 5 minutes to the cooking time. The sauce gives this dish plenty of flavor, so you won't even miss it.
- Use frozen veggies and save time on cutting and prepping your veggies
More Family Favorites
CLEAN EATING FRIED RICE RECIPE
Clean Eating Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown rice cooled
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or sesame oil)
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- ¼ cup tamari or salt reduced soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar OPTIONAL
Fillings
- ½ cup peas fresh or frozen
- ½ cup corn fresh or frozen
- ½ cup carrots fresh or frozen, diced
- 8 slices bacon OPTIONAL
- 2 Eggs lightly beaten
Instructions
- Cook your brown rice. Cool in the fridge. Leftover rice from the night before is great for this recipe.
- Make up your Sauce: mix together tamari, coconut aminos, raw sugar, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
- Heat up a large pan on the stove top: heat ½ a tablespoon olive oil and add the beaten eggs. allow to cook and set slightly before using your spatula to scrape it off the pan in long strips. Keep frying until the egg is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil and bacon pieces to the pan and fry until crispy. Add your peas, carrots and corn and fry for 1-2 minutes to heat through.
- Spoon the rice into the pan and heat through. Mix gently to get veggies all through the rice - but not too vigourously so that the rice ends up mushy. Stir in your cooked egg.
- Pour the sauce over the fried rice and heat and stir gently for a further 1 to 2 minutes until combined.
- Serve immediately or store in the the fridge in an airtight container for next day lunch.
