Nutrition is one of the fundamental factors for day-to-day performance since it is the source of energy essential to fuel body functions. On the other hand, the regular practice of physical activity conditions all the qualitative and quantitative aspects of nutrition.
Many specialists conclude that a balanced diet should include specific healthy and nutritious foods in a proportional manner.
In order to carry out this symbiotic relationship between food and physical exercise, a dish like Rice Stuffed Peppers is an excellent choice.
Today you’ll learn all the goodness that peppers, along with rice, can bring to your body in a healthy way: we’ll list the components of today’s recipe and explain how these ingredients benefit your body and health.
If you are looking for a bowl of full-flavor and nutritious rice to make the next recipe, MinuteRice ® has some of the best rice-based products you will ever find in the market. Also, you can find delicious recipes on its website. Check a Cheesy Chicken Rice recipe on the next link and discover all new flavors with MinuteRice ®: https://minuterice.com/recipes/cheesy-chicken-and-rice/
A recipe with a lot of benefits
Bell Peppers
We start with the main ingredient in our recipe: bell peppers.
Bell peppers contain lycopene, a natural plant pigment from the carotenoid group with antioxidant properties, which protects cells from oxidative stress and prevents prostate cancer.
People with anemia can benefit considerably from the consumption of red peppers thanks to their high vitamin C content, which favors the absorption of iron from food in the digestive tract.
Also, thanks to the beta-carotene, capsanthin, quercetin, and luteolin content of red peppers, this vegetable can prevent “bad” cholesterol.
Rice
Brown rice contains vitamins A, B1, B3, and B12; minerals such as sodium, potassium, iron, and calcium; and macronutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins. Additionally, its fat content is very low.
Brown rice has a large amount of antioxidants that help delay the first signs of aging, helping not only the appearance of the body but also health by preventing the onset of certain degenerative diseases.
Tempeh
Tempeh is rich in heart-healthy fats, calcium, and iron.
Being a product derived from soybeans, it is rich in vegetable proteins (about 20% of its weight), but the most important thing is that these proteins are complete and of high quality as they contain essential amino acids, as in animal proteins. Just by consuming 100 grams a day, you can get 40% of the amount of protein needed by your body for your daily routine.
Rice stuffed peppers recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers (preferably red color).
- 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
- 1 diced medium onion.
- 3 – 4 minced cloves of garlic.
- 2 (8oz) packages of crumbled tempeh.
- 1 cup of diced zucchini.
- 1 cup of diced yellow squash.
- 8 oz. of diced mushrooms.
- 1 tsp. of dried oregano.
- 1 tsp. of dried basil.
- A pinch of red pepper flakes.
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley.
- 1 can (14oz.) of tomato sauce.
- 1 cup of cooked rice.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- To begin, cut off the top of each bell pepper and place them cut side up in a lightly oiled baking dish. Depending on the size of the peppers, you can use a square or rectangular baking dish.
- Next, cook the onion, garlic, and tempeh together in a skillet over medium heat until the tempeh is lightly browned and the onions are soft and tender. Add the zucchini, squash, mushrooms, herbs, and tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes or so.
- Add the rice and remove from the heat.
- Stuff each bell pepper with the mixture, making sure to stuff each bell pepper well.
- Add a sprinkle of cheese to each bell pepper (optional), cover, and bake the peppers for 35 – 40 minutes at 350 – 375 °F. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 5 – 10 minutes (this helps the cheese melt a bit more).