Is Rice Part of a Healthy Diet?

Rice is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population, particularly Asian countries including Maldives. 

It’s mostly comprised of simple carbs, which have consistently been linked to obesity and chronic disease.

However, countries with a high rice intake have low levels of these exact diseases.

So what’s the deal with rice? Is it weight loss friendly or fattening? This article gets to the bottom of this question.

What Is Rice?

Rice is a cereal grain that has been grown for thousands of years. It’s a staple food in many countries and one of the most common cereal grains in the world.

Several types are available, but varieties of white rice are the most popular, followed by brown rice.

To better understand these different types, it’s best to start with the basics.

All whole grains are composed of three major components:

• Bran: A rough and hard outer layer that protects the seed. It contains fiber, minerals and antioxidants.

• Germ: A nutrient-rich core containing carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other plant compounds.

• Endosperm: This is the largest part of the grain. It consists almost entirely of carbs (starch) and a small amount of protein.

This diagram shows what whole grains versus white grains look like:

Summary: Rice is the most commonly consumed cereal grain in the world. White rice is the most popular type, followed by brown.

Brown Versus White Rice

Since nothing has been stripped from brown rice, it is generally higher in fiber, vitamins and minerals than white rice.

The table below compares the nutrient contents of 3.6 ounces (100 grams) of cooked white and brown rice.

White rice is higher in calories and contains fewer nutrients and fiber than brown rice.
Summary: Brown rice contains more fiber and nutrients than white rice, which has been stripped of its nutritional parts.