Rice confusion

skinnyinnotime
skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
OK, so the pack tells me there are 346 cals in 100g of uncooked Thai fragrant rice, if it's just boiled/steamed in water do the calories remain the same when cooked? Or magically quantify as split peas do?!

Replies

  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    it just means measure before you cook to know how much calories you are eating.
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    100g cook turns into 200 g or 300gs because it holds water.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    bump
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    So, 100g of cooked rice would also be 346 cals?

    I don't want to get it wrong, lol!
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
    The calories in the portion stays the same- BUT the portion size does not. Just like popcorn, Rice grows as it cooks so if you measure before and after cooking you have 2 different numbers.
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
    So, 100g of cooked rice would also be 346 cals?

    I don't want to get it wrong, lol!

    No- because 100g of cooked rice isn't all rice- it's part water.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
    No, it's the uncooked (lighter) that is 346 cal. If you were to cook 100g of dry rice, whatever you're left with (much heavier) is 346 cal. I hate that rice and pasta is like that. They should label it with the cooked amount! So frustrating.
  • Perfectlycrooked
    Perfectlycrooked Posts: 275 Member
    No, it's the uncooked (lighter) that is 346 cal. If you were to cook 100g of dry rice, whatever you're left with (much heavier) is 346 cal. I hate that rice and pasta is like that. They should label it with the cooked amount! So frustrating.

    It wouldn't be very reliable, the longer you cook things like that the more water it absorbs! It's just easier to do it dry :P
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
    So, 100g of cooked rice would also be 346 cals?

    I don't want to get it wrong, lol!

    No- because 100g of cooked rice isn't all rice- it's part water.


    but water has no calories, so why would the calories change?
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Ahh! Thank you, I'm finally with it :wink:
  • FatUncleRob
    FatUncleRob Posts: 341
    If you cook 100g of rice, as the other posters said, it will weigh more - but you still have 346 calories-worth of rice.

    Take what you cooked and estimate (or measure) how much of it you actually eat.

    For example, if you cook the 100g of rice and eat it all - you've consumed 346 calories.
    If you split it evenly between 3 portions, each one has around 115 calories.
  • cammons
    cammons Posts: 126 Member
    Rice takes on a ton of water when it cooks so the volume for 100g of uncooked rice will be much larger than 100g of cooked rice. Does that make sense?
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
    So, 100g of cooked rice would also be 346 cals?

    I don't want to get it wrong, lol!

    No- because 100g of cooked rice isn't all rice- it's part water.

    but water has no calories, so why would the calories change?

    If you measure dry rice and then cook it- the calories (from the dry measure) don't change.
    But since 100g dry does not equal 100g cooked (because of the absorbed water- the calories in 100g dry is different than 100g cooked.

    Does that help? Water adds weight, not calories, but if you figure calories from weight, the added water will goof up that number...
  • MelsDiet
    MelsDiet Posts: 69
    I came across this issue today as Im having Curry tonight and was trying to work out the calories. The packet says something like 60gs of rice is 117 calories but 60g of cooked rice will weight 200g due to the water weight there for my 60g of dry rice will turn into 238 calories once cooked due to the weight. Hope that makes sense?
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
    Mels- you have confused me. If the packet is 117 calories, and you add nothing but water, it should still be 117 calories when done (it will just weigh more.)

    Are you adding something to this rice to fiddle with the calories?
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    OK, so the pack tells me there are 346 cals in 100g of uncooked Thai fragrant rice, if it's just boiled/steamed in water do the calories remain the same when cooked? Or magically quantify as split peas do?!

    346 is the total amount of calories in the package of rice before cooked. After you cook the rice there is still 346cal but now you have a lot more rice by weight. So to figure your calories for a serving divide the 346 by how many servings you have. If you eat half the rice one serving is 173cals, if you eat ¼ of all the rice the cals are 86.5 per serving.
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
    So, 100g of cooked rice would also be 346 cals?

    I don't want to get it wrong, lol!

    No- because 100g of cooked rice isn't all rice- it's part water.

    but water has no calories, so why would the calories change?

    If you measure dry rice and then cook it- the calories (from the dry measure) don't change.
    But since 100g dry does not equal 100g cooked (because of the absorbed water- the calories in 100g dry is different than 100g cooked.

    Does that help? Water adds weight, not calories, but if you figure calories from weight, the added water will goof up that number...


    I see, so just measure it uncooked
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    OK, so the pack tells me there are 346 cals in 100g of uncooked Thai fragrant rice, if it's just boiled/steamed in water do the calories remain the same when cooked? Or magically quantify as split peas do?!

    346 is the total amount of calories in the package of rice before cooked. After you cook the rice there is still 346cal but now you have a lot more rice by weight. So to figure your calories for a serving divide the 346 by how many servings you have. If you eat half the rice one serving is 173cals, if you eat ¼ of all the rice the cals are 86.5 per serving.

    It's all clear now, thank you...and to everyone else for their replies.
  • grahamstobbs
    grahamstobbs Posts: 2
    I have a risotto/paella recipe which calls for 200g of uncooked rice. I know how many calories in the uncooked rice and I also know the weight and calories of the other uncooked ingredients. I know there are 60 calories per 100g of the uncooked ingredients but I want to find out how many calories per 100g for the finished, cooked risotto/paella so I can portion correctly - my wife and kids eat less than me so it is not divided up equally...... The rice is cooked in water so how much will 200g of rice weigh when cooked? I assume that cooked in water the calories will not change....
  • grahamstobbs
    grahamstobbs Posts: 2
    I've just done a little experiment and cooked some rice!!
    The packet says allow 70g per person so I put 70g of uncooked rice + 300ml of boiling water (as per the instructions) into a pan and cooked it for 12 mins (again as per the instructions).
    The cooked rice weighed 219g which is just over 3 times the dry weight.
    Searching myfitnesspal, I found 70g of uncooked long grain rice = 252 calories.
    Based on my experiment above, 219g of cooked rice = 252 calories therefore 115 calories per 100g.
    The packet claims 118 calories per 100g serving which corresponds closely with my numbers.
    I hope this helps.
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