Muffins are a popular on-the-go snack or meal but are often loaded with refined carbohydrates and not much else, while savoury options aren’t always popular, especially for kids. These sweet muffins are a nice middle ground, offering some sweetness but with added benefits of cooled cooked rice (lowered GI), antioxidant-rich berries, and protein from nuts, eggs, and almond flour, all in a lowered GI formulation (compared to standard muffins) to get your day started and keep you fuller for longer.

If you’re using left over rice, this dish becomes a snack that requires no cooking and minimal preparation time, key in our busy day-to-day lives. This on-the-go snack is an energy powerhouse, loaded with low GI dates, cooled cooked rice (lowered GI), condensed milk (although very sweet it is part reduced milk and therefore contains protein and is an intermediate GI), nuts and coconut (protein and fats), and cocoa powder (low GI carbohydrates, fats, fibre, and caffeine). All these ingredients lend themselves to high sustaining energy, great for an anytime of the day snack (in moderation), and even pre-exercise or during endurance events.

These spring rolls make for a nice family offering throughout the year. Boasting many familiar ingredients such as veggies and chicken, the addition of cooled rice adds further sustenance to the dish, making it go further and giving the family longer lasting fullness. Individually packaged, they are easy to eat, and portion controlled and while each roll contains vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, and fats, one shouldn’t forget about the dipping sauce, pair this with a peanut or hummus dip to increase the protein and healthy fat content.

These little cups are great vehicles for nutritional goodness. Make sure you add a variety of coloured veggies,
herbs, and spices, as the more you add the more nutrient variation you’re providing; while the choice of olive oil and cashew nuts provide important fats to complement the nutritional profile of the dish. The lettuce cup format serves the rice and mince together in snack-sized servings allowing one to control portions and enjoy all the ingredients in every mouthful, ensuring every bite is nutritious. These can be served on platters for some pre-braai starters, a party spread, after-school lunch, or a light dinner.

Honestly, we really should be using the rice preparation guide on the packaging, but we know most people don’t, often resulting in us cooking too much for one meal. Rice freezes well, defrosts quickly, improves nutritionally once cooled, and is so versatile it can fit into almost any dish, making it a great staple to have around. These Pakora’s are a great quick snack mid—afternoon or as a dinner side dish. The cooled rice offers resistant starch lowering its GI, and the addition of carrots and cabbage ups the vitamin, mineral and fibre profile of the dish and is well disguised for those that need it. The blend of herbs and spices add flavours and nutrients without the need to add salt (if you’d prefer). Pick a light dip to complement this side.

These muffins are great as a lunchbox addition, quick snack in the day or an on-the-go breakfast. Loaded with protein (cheese, eggs, and chicken), cooled rice (lowered GI), and vegetables (a great disguise for those picky veggie eaters), they create a type of mini crustless quiche, making for a healthy alternative to your sugar-loaded muffins, sustaining you much longer.

Enjoy with a side salad for a complete meal.

Seafood rice cakes are convenient little patties to pop onto plates for both adults and children alike. They are loaded with vegetables and low GI ingredients, ensuring they provide sustained energy through its formulation of carbohydrates, protein, fats, and fibre. As they contain dominant flavours such as curry, vegetables can be disguised in taste but add colour and nutrition to this dish. Pair it with the suggestions above to complete it as a meal, add some freshly sliced avocadoes on top or as a side to increase the healthy fat profile of the dish.

Apple and cinnamon are a match made in heaven, and flap jacks are a firm family favourite anytime of the year. Enjoyed as a snack or breakfast, these flap jacks provide a healthier spin on traditional flapjacks with their addition of cooled rice, fruit, and cinnamon. Toppings can be added sparingly, and these flap jacks are so quick and easy to prepare they allow for versatility in flavours and nutritional variations to best suit your needs.

Everyone enjoys a crunchy, warm, cheese-filled parcel of sorts, and while certainly delicious, these rice balls further offer pops of carbohydrates and fibre with some added protein from the cheese and eggs. Although it contains corn, dhania and spring onions, it would benefit from a side salad if eaten as a meal, or a tomato relish or salsa as a snack. Due to their composition, these are best eaten in moderation.