What is the healthiest rice? Here's how white rice and brown rice actually compare
Grain dishes are a dinnertime classic since they are nutrient-dense and have a simple flavor. They go nicely with practically any kind of meat, seafood, or vegetable.
The world's third-most-produced crop, after corn and sugarcane, is rice, which is undoubtedly a favorite. Asia is home to the top nine rice producers, with China accounting for 28% of global rice production in 2019.
Given its 8,000 BC origins and widespread use in cuisines, rice has unavoidably become involved in the discussion of healthful eating. This is the opinion of a nutrition scientist regarding the "healthiest" choice.
What is the healthiest rice?
When people debate which kind of rice is "healthiest," they typically compare two varieties: brown and white. Even while one is frequently favored over the other, the choice ultimately comes down to your nutritional goals.
Because of its processing, brown rice does have somewhat more protein, fat, and fiber than white rice. The germ, bran, and endosperm are the three components that make up whole grains. All of those components are present in brown rice, but the bran and germ are removed to make white rice. Brown rice is an excellent option to increase your intake of fiber if you're wanting to do so.
All rice, however, will actually be a beneficial addition to your diet. According to nutritionist Kera Nyemb-Diop, the debate over the "healthiest rice" has its roots in social exclusion and detrimental diet habits.
"I would naturally say brown rice is more complete if it were the only food we were eating, because we're interested in having a balance of nutrients and fiber," says Nyemb-Diop."However, if you look at reality, people eat."
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Rice is simply one part of a nutritious, well-balanced diet; it is typically eaten in combination with a protein and vegetable rather than by itself. There are plenty of high-fiber vegetables that go well with white rice if you want a more fiber-rich meal but don't enjoy the flavor of brown rice.
According to Nyemb-Diop, "the beauty of nutrition is that you have so many options." "I'm truly sorry to see how diet has turned into something of a religion or a prescription that you have to adhere to—and if you don't, you're wrong."
Nyemb-Diop advises that a person's diet should ideally include a variety of rice, such as brown, white, jasmine, basmati, arborio, and basmati varieties.
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Is white rice healthy?
White rice is indeed healthful. Ferrous iron, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, folic acid, thiamin, and niacin are all found in good amounts in rice.
Although white rice is occasionally maligned as the more "unhealthy" option, Nyemb-Diop argues that this perspective is indicative of a more serious issue with the way we think about health.
Rice is regarded as a staple food by more than half of the world's population, and white rice is more commonly consumed than brown rice. Another mainstay of the diets of many cultures is white rice.
Nyemb-Diop challenges her audience to refute the misconception that food from Black, Asian, and Latinx groups is intrinsically harmful through her web platform, "The Black Nutritionist." Rather, she attempts to convey that every culture food has both good and bad components.
Many of Nyemb-Diop's clients, she says, feel guilty about consuming foods from their childhood or about being taught that eating white rice is bad for their diets.
"If we look throughout the world, white rice is a major food source for some of the communities that actually live longer, like Japan. We should concentrate on other factors instead of just one food; it's definitely not the proper strategy, the speaker claims. "It's also simpler to blame a single food when there are much (bigger) issues in the United States to address, like housing inequality, healthcare access, and access to wholesome foods, but it's easier to blame white rice and your cultural food."
Nyemb-Diop advises adding foods to your diet in "abundance" as opposed to removing any one particular one.
White rice, for instance, has a higher glycemic index and might be problematic for those who have diabetes or high blood sugar. If giving up white rice entirely isn't practical, consider eating it with a protein to help slow down the rice's digestion. Asking yourself these questions will help you create a more balanced plate rather than limiting your intake of white rice: "How can I add more veggies to my diet? How can I increase my fiber intake?
It's also important to be practical; telling someone whose culture forbids them from eating white rice should be a harsh and occasionally reckless request.
According to Nyemb-Diop, "it leads to an unhealthy relationship with food within marginalized communities, and that relationship will have impacts on both physical and mental health." "When you have disordered eating, it's hard to nourish yourself correctly, and you feel ashamed to consume the food you were raised on.”
