Arlington, VA — USA Rice provides simple gluten-free menu solutions to help support chef and operator efforts to meet growing customer demand. According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, an estimated 21 million Americans have celiac disease or some form of gluten sensitivity to wheat, barley and rye; creating a rising need for a safe dining experience away from home.
Ranking among the top 10 hottest trends predicted by the National Restaurant Association's What's Hot Chef Survey since 2010, gluten-free menus are showing staying power. Choosing ingredients like U.S. rice is essential to developing meals that are healthy, flavorful and on-trend. As a result, restaurants ranging from large chains like P.F. Chang’s and Legal Seafoods to neighborhood independents have introduced rice dishes to appeal to those with special dietary needs.
Peter Pollay, Executive Chef and Owner of Posana Café in Asheville, NC makes gluten-free dishes with rice central to his menu.“Rice is a staple in the Posana kitchen. It offers a flexible base ingredient that can be used for many different dishes,” said Pollay. “The great thing is that the United States cultivates many different kinds of rice, so we can prepare a wide range of ethnic dishes.”
Both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice are naturally gluten-free, low in calories and sodium, cholesterol free with only a trace of fat and contain no trans or saturated fat. To create greater awareness of these nutritional and culinary benefits, the USA Rice Federation is featuring new gluten-free recipes ideal for multiple dayparts:
- Breakfast—Berry Banana Breakfast Rice
- Lunch—Toasted Rice Salad with Poached Pears and Blue Cheese
- Dinner—African Spiced Rice with Flank Steak
For more gluten-free recipe ideas and information about U.S.-grown rice, visit www.menurice.com.
Source: USA Rice
