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If you love takeout-style fried rice but want something lighter, healthier, and easy to make at home, this WW friendly vegetable and ham fried rice is for you. It’s a delicious way to put leftover cooked rice—and bits of veggies or protein—to smart use. I especially love recipes that help me cook once, eat two or three times, and this one always delivers.
This simple stir-fried rice was inspired by Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, one of my most-loved kitchen resources. I started with cold leftover basmati rice and peas and added chopped vegetables and diced ham—and dinner came together in minutes. It tastes like comfort food but won’t weigh you down.
If you’re meal planning on WeightWatchers, this makes an easy, satisfying lunch or light supper—and it reheats beautifully.
Table of Contents
Why I Love this Recipe
- Fast and Weeknight Friendly: Ready in about 20 minutes—perfect when you want something satisfying without spending a ton of time in the kitchen.
- A Delicious Use-Up-Your-Leftovers Meal: Ideal for using leftover cooked rice, stray veggies, or cooked ham/turkey/chicken.
- Healthy “Takeout” Flavor: Gives you the cozy, savory flavors of restaurant fried rice with far less oil, sodium, and calories.
- WeightWatchers Friendly: Packed with veggies and lean protein for a filling meal that supports your goals.
- Budget Friendly: Uses inexpensive ingredients — perfect for stretching small amounts of protein or produce.
- One-Pan Simplicity: Everything cooks in one skillet, making cleanup easy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Frozen peas — Any frozen veggie blend works.
- Peanut or neutral oil (canola, grapeseed) — Olive oil also works.
- Onion, chopped — Yellow, white, or red.
- Carrot, chopped — Adds sweetness and texture.
- Red bell pepper, chopped — Or substitute orange or yellow.
- Lean cooked ham, diced — Use turkey ham, leftover pork, rotisserie chicken, tofu, or shrimp.
- Garlic + ginger — Fresh or jarred; or use a pinch of garlic/ginger powder.
- Cooked long-grain rice (chilled) — Cold rice is key; brown rice or jasmine also work.
- Eggs, lightly beaten — Adds protein and richness.
- Rice wine, sherry, broth, or water — Adds moisture and flavor.
- Soy sauce — Low-sodium preferred.
- Sesame oil (optional) — Adds great flavor; use sparingly.
- Salt and pepper — To taste.
- Scallions — Optional but delicious for serving.
WW Points and Calories
According to my calculations, each serving of this fried rice has:
- Calories: 310
- WW Points: 6
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) - Old WW Points: 8 PointsPlus
How to Make Vegetable and Ham Fried Rice
Step 1: Defrost peas
Soak in cold water to thaw while prepping.
Step 2: Cook vegetables
In a large skillet (affiliate link), sauté onion, carrot, and bell pepper until softened and lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl; add diced ham.
Step 3: Stir-fry aromatics + rice
Sauté garlic and ginger briefly, then add rice and peas. Stir to coat and heat through.
Step 4: Cook eggs
Push rice aside, scramble eggs, then incorporate into rice.
Step 5: Combine and season
Return vegetables and ham to skillet. Add rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and season to taste. Stir in scallions and serve hot.
Recipe Notes and Variations
- Cold rice is best — It prevents clumping and requires less oil.
- Vegetarian: Skip ham; use tofu or edamame.
- More veggie-forward: Add mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, or cabbage.
- Swap grains: Works with brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
- Spicy: Add chili garlic sauce, crushed red pepper, or sriracha.
- Great way to use leftover bits of vegetables or protein.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this fried rice with:
- Asian cucumber salad
- Steamed broccoli
- Spicy cabbage slaw
Storage and Leftovers
- Refrigerate: 3–4 days in an airtight container
- Freeze: Up to 3 months
- Reheat: Microwave (affiliate link) or stir-fry with a splash of broth or water
If you’ve made this Healthy Ham and Vegetable Fried Rice, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Fried Rice with Vegetables and Ham (WW Friendly)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 4 teaspoons peanut oil or other neutral oil like grapeseed or canola
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and roughly chopped
- 8 ounces diced cooked lean ham
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste (I used jarred)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or to taste (I used jarred)
- 3 cups cooked long-grain rice (preferably basmati and preferably chilled)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup rice wine, sherry, dry white wine, stock or water (I used sake)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped scallion (optional)
Instructions
- If the peas are frozen, soak them in cold water to defrost them while you begin cooking.
- Put 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet (affiliate link) set over high hear. When hot, add the onion, carrot and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat if the mixture begins to scorch. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and toss in the ham.
- Put the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet and then the garlic and ginger. Stir once or twice and after about 20 seconds, begin to add the rice a little at a time, breaking up any clumps with your fingers and stirring well to combine everything. Add the peas and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Make a well in the center and more the lightly beaten eggs into it. Scramble them a little, then when they are almost done, incorporate them into the rice.
- Add the vegetables back into the pan and stir to combine well. Add the rice wine and cook, stirring continuously, for about a minute. Add the soy sauce and sesam oil (if using). Taste and add the salt and pepper if necessary.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 8 PointsPlus (Old plan) Variations:
- Vegetarian: Skip the ham. Substitute tofu or veggie crumbles if you like.
- Different Grains: This would work with any kind of leftover rice or grain.
- Different Vegetables: Mix and match whatever veggies you like best.
- Different Meats: Use any kind of leftover cooked meat, fish or poultry.
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes, chili pepper or hot sauce to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: adapted from How to Cook Everything: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food (affiliate link) by Mark Bittman
More Easy Healthy WeightWatchers Friendly Recipes with Rice
If you like Fried Rice with Vegetables and Ham you’ll love:
- Easy Arroz con Pollo – Classic comfort dish made lighter and healthier.
- California Sushi Rice Salad – Light, fresh and crunchy, no rolling required.
- Hot and Cold Chicken Brown Rice Bowl for One – Easy simple meal in a bowl perfect for busy days.
- Slow Cooker Ham and Wild Rice Soup – Cozy, warming and super satisfying.
I made this for dinner last night but changed it up a bit. I used cauliflower rice instead of regular rice and instead of just carrots and peas I used some frozen Mediterranean veggies that I had left over. Everything else was the same. It was delicious, like all of your recipes! Hubby loved it too.
Hi Anita,
So glad you liked it! ~Martha
Loved this, and especially glad my husband”loved it too. Will definitely be making it a lot.
I have been out of state for a few weeks and I was too tired to think about supper when I saw the fried rice recipe. Had shrimp and a boneless pork chop. I made 1 minute rice. Had peas, next time I may use edamame. Had some mushrooms. I did use dry sherry, dark sesame oil and scallions. I found the directions of when to add the ham(pork chop) buried and Added the protein late. All in all it was delicious and I will make it again. It did take me longer than 15 minutes to prep everything.
Turned out great!
Some might be confused about when to add ham. Maybe I just missed it.
Hi Toni, I’ve updated the recipe to make it more clear. Thanks!
This was DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for your wonderful website and the super recipes!
Thanks Fran!!
Martha, thanks so much for including my recipe, Skinnylightful Chicken Fried Rice in your post.
Your rice dish looks really yummy!
Wishing you all the best,
Nancy