Celebrity Nutrition Habits That Are Actually Good For You (And One That Isn’t)

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis says she loves eating whole grains for breakfast. She says she loves oatmeal but sometimes makes brown rice drizzled with olive oil flavored with a bit of salt and bay leaf. Rice for breakfast might be a savory option to the dozens of sweet breakfast foods, but how healthy is it?

“Variety is the spice of life, so if you want to add rice to the mix–go for it,” Merotto said. “The key to a blood sugar-balancing breakfast is protein, fiber, and healthy fat.”

The recipe on her website makes 4 ½-cup servings. One serving has 264 calories, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of fat from heart-healthy olive oil. It also has less than a gram of sugar to keep your blood sugar in balance. Giada’s recipe calls for brown rice, which Merotto says is a good choice. You can also opt for black or red varieties of whole-grain rice.

Merotto adds that you can boost the protein count of this breakfast by adding Greek yogurt or an egg.