What is the best healthy rice to eat?
Here's the nutrition breakdown for 1 cup of cooked long-grain enriched white rice :
- 205 calories
- 28g carbohydrates
- 0.6g fiber
- 4g protein
- 0.4g fat
Which type of rice is best for your health?
- The outer husk and bran layer is polished off to give a softer texture to the rice but it loses some nutrients during the process.
- Comes in short (242 calories), medium (242 calories) and long grains (205 calories).
- Does not contain much fiber and protein so it’s best to have it with a good balance of vegetables and protein.
What type of rice has the best taste?
- Grains of Basmati rice are long and slender, while that of other rice varieties are short and fat.
- Basmati rice has a distinct sweet aroma which is unique to it. ...
- The aroma of the Basmati rice enhances the flavor of spices used in Biryani, Pulao etc
- Since it is slender, it takes less time to cook. ...
Which rice is the most nutritious to eat?
Which Rice Is Healthiest for Consumption?
- Types of Rice. According to the Rice Association, it is said that there are over 40,000 varieties of cultivated rice around the world.
- Refined Versus Whole-Grain Rice. One easy distinction that can be used to determine the healthiest type of rice is whether the grain is whole or refined.
- Rice's Effect on Blood Sugar. ...
- Making Healthy Choices. ...
See more
What is the healthiest rice for weight loss?
Brown riceBrown rice is said to be the best type of rice for weight loss. Since it is a great source of fibre, it helps boost metabolism and fastens the weight loss process.
What is the unhealthiest type of rice?
White Rice1. White Rice: This one is perhaps the unhealthiest, no guesses there. Most of the nutrients, minerals and fiber are stripped off during the industrial processing. 100 grams of white rice will have about 150 calories (as per USDA).
Is Basmati healthier than white rice?
Most types of rice, particularly white rice, have a high glycemic index, basmati rice is much lower on the scale. With a glycemic index between 50 and 58, basmati rice is a low to medium glycemic index food. If you have diabetes, small portions of basmati rice can be a part of your healthy diet.
Is there a healthy rice?
Although sometimes harder to find, black rice is the number one nutritional rock star when it comes to rice varieties. It's high in fiber and nutrients that lower cholesterol, promote healthy digestion, and stave off chronic disease.
1. Brown Rice
Varieties of brown rice such as Jasmine or Basmati still contain their germ and bran layers, meaning they provide fitness buffs with a range of important nutrients including B vitamins, bone-building phosphorus, and magnesium.
2. Wild Rice
It looks like rice and grows like rice but, botanically speaking, wild rice is not rice at all. Native to North America, wild rice is a seed of an aquatic grass traditionally harvested via canoe by indigenous populations. Much of the modern wild rice on store shelves has been tamed, cultivated in man-made paddies.
3. Sprouted Rice
If you want the most nutritional bang for your buck, pick up a bag of sprouted rice. To make sprouted rice, companies kickstart the process of germinating the grain. The process encourages the rice to start growing into a plant—which increases its nutritional value.
4. Wehani Rice
A creation of the forward-thinking Lundberg Family Farms in northern California, Wehani is a russet-colored, slightly chewy, long-grain heirloom rice which fills the house with the appetite-inducing aroma of buttery popcorn as it cooks. Its flavor is somewhat reminiscent of brown basmati rice. Keep an eye out for the stellar black Japonica rice.
5. Black Rice
This striking variety is cultivated in China and possesses a praise-worthy sweet, nutty taste, and chewy texture. Recent research discovered that the bran layer of black rice contains a surfeit of anthocyanins.
The Post-Workout Option Only: White Rice
Rice consists of three components: the endosperm, the bran, and the germ. The bran is where much of the dietary fiber is found. The germ harbors a bundle of vitamins and minerals. When brown rice is processed to make its ghostly counterpart, the bran and germ are removed, leaving behind what's mainly just endosperm.
About the Author
Matthew Kadey, MSc., is a registered dietitian based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He works full-time as a freelance nutrition writer...
Types of Rice
According to the Rice Association, it is said that there are over 40,000 varieties of cultivated rice around the world. There are wild species of rice as well. At the International Rice Gene Bank in the Philippines, there are more than 90,000 samples of both wild and cultivated rice varieties.
Refined Versus Whole-Grain Rice
One easy distinction that can be used to determine the healthiest type of rice is whether the grain is whole or refined. Refined rice, or white rice, has been milled to alter its texture and flavor and to prolong its shelf life. In the milling process, the outer covering of the rice — the hull or bran — has been removed, along with the germ.
Rice's Effect on Blood Sugar
All carbohydrate foods have an effect on blood sugar, which rises after you eat a meal. Blood sugar isn't bad; it's how glucose is transported throughout your body to provide energy. However, the speed at which glucose enters your bloodstream does make a difference.
Making Healthy Choices
While brown rice is a better choice than white rice, other varieties of rice may be an even better choice than brown rice.
Black Rice
Although sometimes harder to find, black rice is the number one nutritional rock star when it comes to rice varieties. It's high in fiber and nutrients that lower cholesterol, promote healthy digestion, and stave off chronic disease.
Wild Rice
Another healthy rice winner is this chewy, long-grain version, native to North America. Like the black rice, the high level of fiber in these brown and black grains aids in digestion and lowers cholesterol. Wild rice is also packed with disease-fighting antioxidants and vitamin C, Roosevelt says.
Brown Rice
With its nutty, dense texture, brown rice is one of the better-for-you starch options out there, high in B-vitamins, zinc, and magnesium.
The Word on White Rice Nutrition
While it may be more palatable to some, white rice isn't nearly as good for you as the more colorful varieties. "It's been processed to strip away the hull, bran, and germ, which is where most of the nutrition is found," says Roosevelt.
Should I be worried about rice being high in arsenic?
As you may have heard, rice is high in arsenic, which is a known carcinogen that contributes to higher rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune disease.
The big question: Is brown rice healthier than white rice?
Yep, it’s more than just color that sets these two types of rice apart.
Got it. So what are the healthiest types of rice?
Okay, so you know that brown rice is technically healthier than white—but brown and white rice aren't the only players in the game. In fact, other varieties of rice may be even better for you than brown rice.
So does that mean pre-made or packaged rice is a no-go?
Though funkier rice varieties are your most nutritious picks, don’t completely discount the pre-made stuff—especially when you have zero time to cook from scratch.
Cooking with rice
There are fairly big differences between the various kinds of rice in terms of cooking times and the texture of the cooked rice. So, if you are cooking from a recipe, it’s important to pay attention to what kind of rice the recipe calls for. Substituting a different kind of rice can really change how a recipe comes out—not always in a good way.
What are the nutritional differences in rice?
Because brown rice retains both the germ and the bran parts of the grain, it is higher in magnesium and other minerals. It also has more fiber. For example, a half cup of white long-grain rice contains less than one gram of fiber, whereas a half cup of brown rice contains 1.5 grams.
How does rice affect blood sugar?
As a general rule, brown rice has a lower glycemic load than white rice. But there are other factors that come into play as well. Long-grain rice has a lower glycemic load than short-grain rice. Of all the long-grain rice, basmati seems to have the lowest glycemic load of all.
What type of rice should you eat?
Although brown rice is somewhat more nutritious than white rice and has a lower glycemic load, it’s also heavier and chewier and that may not always be what you want. Here’s how I look at it: The more rice you eat, the more benefit you’ll get from eating brown rice, at least most of the time.
Is wild rice healthy?
If you’re looking for a more nutritious kind of rice, you might want to consider adding wild rice to the mix once in a while. I didn’t mention it before because, although it’s a close botanical relative of rice (both are types of grasses), wild rice is really a different thing altogether. It can be a bit of an acquired taste.
The nutrients in wild rice
Compared to brown rice, wild rice is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates—that means it has a significantly lower glycemic load. It’s also higher in vitamin A and folic acid but not quite as high in minerals.
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes' most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation's leading newspapers, magazines, and websites.
Lundberg Family Farms Organic Long-Grain Brown Rice
Price: $$$ Unlike white rice, brown rice is considered a whole grain because it contains all parts of the grain — the bran, germ, and endosperm.
RiceSelect Organic Texmati White Rice
Price: $$$ Although brown rice is considered healthier, white rice is more widely consumed around the world ( 1 ). RiceSelect’s Organic White Texmati is one of the best white rice options, as it’s non-GMO verified, certified gluten-free, and organic.
Pride of India Extra Long Brown Basmati
Price: $ Basmati rice is known for its nutty flavor and slightly floral aroma.
Lundberg Family Farms Organic California Brown Jasmine Rice
Price: $$ Like basmati, jasmine rice is a long-grain rice. However, jasmine tends to be shorter than basmati and slightly stickier when cooked.
North Bay Trading Company Minnesota Grown Wild Rice
Price: $$ Despite being cooked and eaten like rice, wild rices are the seeds of aquatic grasses. Four species exist, three of which are found widely in the Great Lakes region of the United States ( 12 ). Wild rice is known for its distinct dark coloring and earthy flavor.
Thrive Market Organic Black Rice
Price: $ Black rice, also known as forbidden or purple rice, gets its signature purple-black hue from anthocyanin — a pigment with potent antioxidant properties ( 14, 15 ). While similar to brown rice in its high fiber content and whole grain status, black rice is slightly higher in protein ( 16, 17 ). The online subscription-based retailer Thrive Market offers one of the best forbidden rice options.
Lotus Foods Organic Red Rice
Price: $ Like black rice, red rice gets its vibrant color from its anthocyanin content. It’s also considered a whole grain, making it a good source of fiber ( 19 ). Lotus Foods is a rice company that’s committed to supporting small-scale farmers and sustainable rice growing methods.