DIY Whole-Grain Sushi

Here’s a fun idea for snazzing up your brown bag—homemade sushi! No, it’s not hard to make. Nope, you don’t even have to have a sushi mat to make it. Yes, you can fill it with pretty much anything your heart desires! We do urge you to go for short-grain brown rice; it’s a whole grain. Check out the video to see just how easy it is to make your own sushi; you can become a pro in no time!

Brown Rice Veggie SushiThis recipe makes two sushi rolls—one for your lunch and one for your kid’s lunchbox. (It also doubles easily for four rolls.) Use it as a starting point and customize with other fillings: try pickled or grilled veggies, smoked salmon, chopped shrimp, or crab salad.

1 1/2   cups water3/4     cup uncooked short-grain brown rice1 1/2   tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar2          sheets nori1          teaspoon toasted sesame seeds4          cucumber strips4          carrot strips, blanched6          avocado slices2          teaspoons Sriracha

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water and rice to a boil in a medium saucepan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover; drizzle with vinegar, tossing well to combine. Cool to room temperature.
2. Wrap a sushi mat entirely in plastic wrap. Arrange 1 nori sheet on mat, rough side up; pat half of rice evenly over nori. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds. Flip nori over, rice side down. Arrange 2 cucumber strips, 2 carrot strips, and 3 avocado slices along edge of nori closest to you; top with 1 teaspoon Sriracha. Roll up nori tightly using mat. Place roll, seam side down, on a cutting board. Repeat procedure with remaining nori, rice, sesame seeds, cucumber, carrot, avocado, and Sriracha. Cut each roll into 7-8 pieces.

CALORIES 357; FAT 8g (sat 1.4g, mono 4.3g, poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 7g; CARB 65g; FIBER 8g; CHOL m0g; IRON 2mg; SODIUM 311mg; CALC 41mg