Easy Healthy Fried Rice With Vegetables

Healthy Fried Rice Recipe

Being Asian, I know the greatest challenge to cooking Asian food for our babies and young children is how to cut back on sodium, sugar, and oftentimes spiciness, while keeping it palatable for the adults. That’s why I’m constantly experimenting in the kitchen to bring you low-sodium, flavorful Asian dishes that the entire family will enjoy! And I’m so proud and excited to add this healthy fried rice to the mix. It’s also such an easy and delicious way to get more vegetables into your child’s diet. If you want to switch up the flavorings, give this fluffy vegetable rice, beef broccoli rice cooker recipe, and cheesy rice a try too. And here are more healthy dinner recipes for toddlers, kids, and adults!

Ingredients

I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.

Cold rice – This is THE most important ingredient, obviously, and it’s key that you use day-old rice. Garlic and ginger – These two add SO much flavor to the dish. Feel free to adjust to your liking. My family likes it really garlicky, and my son doesn’t really like ginger so I go easy on it. Low-sodium soy sauce – You can also use coconut aminos which has even less sodium, although has less umami and a sweeter flavor. You can also use gluten-free tamari if needed. Cooking oil – use neutral oil like avocado oil or canola oil. Toasted sesame oil -This is by far my FAVORITE condiment! Just a little goes a long way and it really brings the dish to life! My mouth drools just smelling it. It is on the expensive side BUT totally deserves a place in your pantry (I like to keep it in the refrigerator to extend shelf-life). Vegetables – I love to use frozen veggies to make the cooking process even easier. Simply take out of the freezer 10 minutes or so prior. Don’t thaw completely if you want them to retain some crispness.

Best Rice for Fried Rice

It is best to use long grain rice, like jasmine or basmati. You can use medium grain rice, but it will be stickier and you’ll need to heat it up in the microwave briefly to soften it a little. You most definitely don’t want to use short grain rice as it will be way too sticky and won’t fry well. Save that to make this easy sushi bake! It’s also important that you use leftover rice that’s at least one day old. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture and you will end up with a porridge-like texture, which actually might not be a bad thing if intending to make fried rice solely for your baby. You can use either white rice or brown rice for extra fiber and nutrients. But to appease the whole family, stick to one-day-old, cooked long grain rice. Pre-cooked rice from the freezer section of your grocery store is also an option.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Substitutions

Egg-free? You can just leave it out Vegetables – I love using the corn, peas, and green beans frozen medley but feel free to use whatever you wish – fresh or frozen. I like to use the latter for convenience. Protein – My go-tos are canned salmon, leftover chicken, shrimp, and beef, but truly you can add anything! If you are vegetarian, try with tofu, edamame, or beans!

Tips for Success

Serving Suggestions

For babies

Add just a tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce to the fried rice, set aside a portion for your baby, then add more to the rest of the rice for the family. This easy vegetable rice won’t be very easy to scoop and there’s a very high chance that the grains will go flying everywhere (been there) so what I recommend is mixing it in with some mashed potatoes. You can also use sweet potatoes but it will affect the flavor of the fried rice. Same with mashed avocado, BUT it will help minimize the mess and make it easier for your baby to eat.

For toddlers

This is the time when they seek independence and desire choice. This is also when you may start to wonder if your child is becoming picky. And as a pediatric dietitian, I will say most likely not. It is actually a normal and expected part of development. What I highly recommend is to make sure there is a “safe” food, something that your child enjoys eating. That way, even if your child is not happy with the meal, in this case fried rice, or feels very strongly against trying new foods, there is something on the plate they will eat (my son loves tomatoes). That way, they’re still getting some sort of nutrition AND exposure to foods they haven’t quite opened up to, YET. I also like to serve fresh herbs or toppings on the side (e.g. green onions) in hopes that my kids will try sprinkling some on their fried rice just like mommy and daddy. Modeling is SO important.

Storage

Transfer leftover rice in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat fried rice either on the stove top or in the microwave. Avoid reheating more than once. While it’s best to enjoy within a couple of days, you can make extra and freeze if you wish for up to 3 months.