Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice

Symptom check-in

• POTS: None.

• Vestibular migraine: I've been nauseous since I woke up and the dizziness was bad enough this morning that I had to sit on the bathroom floor for a few minutes. Loud sounds were bothering me more than usual too. I spent most of the day horizontal with the curtains closed.

• Lupus: None.

Disorder safety check

Condition	Works?	Why
POTS	—	This meal doesn't specifically target POTS symptoms
Vestibular migraine	Yes	Plain rice is one of the safest foods during a vestibular migraine — easy to digest, low in triggers, and gentle enough when nausea is present; keeping toppings simple and avoiding strong flavors or aged ingredients makes this a reliable nausea-day meal
Lupus	—	This meal doesn't specifically target lupus symptoms

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

Rice

• 1 cup cooked white rice, day-old if possible (freshly cooked rice is too wet and clumps)

• 1 tsp neutral oil

• 1 tsp soy sauce, light

• Pinch of salt

Mix-ins

• 6 to 8 small shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1/3 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrot, diced)

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Pinch of dried herbs to finish

Steps

1. Prep everything first — Fried rice moves fast so have everything ready before you turn on the heat. Thaw the frozen vegetables by running them under warm water and patting dry. Season the shrimp lightly with salt.

2. Cook the shrimp — Heat oil in a wok or wide pan over medium-high. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for about 1 minute per side until just pink. Don't overcook — they'll go back in at the end. Remove and set aside.

3. Cook the vegetables — In the same pan, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the mixed vegetables and toss for about 2 minutes until heated through and any moisture has evaporated.

4. Fry the rice — Add the rice to the pan and press it down into the heat. Let it sit without stirring for about a minute to get a little toasted on the bottom, then toss and repeat. This gives you texture instead of mush. Drizzle the soy sauce around the edge of the pan and toss everything together quickly.

5. Finish — Return the shrimp to the pan and toss once more to combine. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Keep the seasoning light — this is a nausea day, not the time to go heavy on anything.

6. Plate — Spoon into a wide shallow bowl and finish with a small pinch of dried herbs in the center. Keep it simple.