Is brown rice always better than white rice?
Replies
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COLOR MEANS NOTHING.
Sweet potatoes are actually much higher in sugars than white potatoes. The whole "eat brown foods instead of white foods" is mostly MARKETING, and does not really have much relevance to the real world nutritionally.
While sweet potatoes are sweeter than white ones, they are, actually one of the most nutritious things in the whole grocery store. They have vitamins and minerals that white potatoes do not. Rice is a different story, but I know how healthy sweet potatoes are! Also they are delicious.0 -
I just like brown rice better and feel like whole grains are always better than refined/processed.0
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I personally am not allowed to eat brown rice due to the higher fiber. However, I am supposed to eat white rice every day. I love it. Plain is amazing so long as you don't make instant. Yucky! I won't eat instant rice. white rice with popcorn seasoning is low calorie and really yummy too.0
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well this just made my day! I hate brown rice.. but i buy it b/c i thought it was better.... thanks so much!
I hear you! I think I was brainwashed by my mom: "Brown rice is better for you." Maybe she was thinking fiber.. but I can think of many better ways to get fiber.
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my brown rice comes out pretty good....
actually, i might bake it next time i make some. comes out fluffy. i'll post the recipe later.
Oh great one, teach me thine ways of brown rice cooketh......for reals though, what do you do to make it come out nice? I even tried it in a rice cooker and it still had a crunch to it
When I've used my rice cooker for brown rice (I prefer short grain), I usually have about 2.5 times the amount of water that I would have for white rice.0 -
2. has does what a diabetic eats have any relevance to white vs brown rice?
The glycemic index...
and the GI has real world relevance to the OP because?
I'm sorry but you asked the question so was it relative to the OP? Or do you just like to snark?0 -
Nutritionally the differences are pretty minimal. Unless you're eating plain white rice with nothing else (very unlikely for the most part) white rice does not spike your blood sugar. Add beans, meat, or vegetables to your white rice (which is how most people eat rice anyway, as a side dish) and there's no difference between white and brown at all.
Keep in mind, brown rice has 3 times the calories and 3 times the carbs of white rice. Brown rice also has more sugars and a higher fat content in addition to the higher protein and slightly higher fiber (it's still less than 2 grams of fiber per serving, not a high enough serving to justify the negatives IMO.)
Agree with the first part and that a serving of brown rice has more calories and carbs, but where do you get that it's 3 times. That's just an overexaggeration. I was astounded by that claim so I checked my packages of white rice (Botan Calrose 155 cals/35 g carb per 1/4 cup uncooked) and brown rice (Lundberg Organic Short Grain 180 cal/ 40 g carb per 1/4 cup uncooked). And even then, there is 10% difference in weight per serving, 45 g for the white rice and 51 g for the brown rice, that by weight, they are pretty close. Also, this particular brand of brown rice has 3 grams of fiber per serving.0 -
Brown carbs are always better than white carbs. When I had gestational diabetes white rice was the only thing that raised my blood sugar above normal levels.
when referring to BREADS, yes...but not rice...see above....
:drinker:0 -
Then why does Dr. Oz say we should eat brown rice instead of white. And I ran into an Asian man at the market who has diabetes and he told me that the doctor told him to stay away from white rice, so he eats potatoes now, he showed me the big bag in his shopping cart, lol.
1. Dr Oz is a moron, if you're getting your nutritional advice from him...
2. has does what a diabetic eats have any relevance to white vs brown rice?
. . . . . . . . . .0 -
Then why does Dr. Oz say we should eat brown rice instead of white. And I ran into an Asian man at the market who has diabetes and he told me that the doctor told him to stay away from white rice, so he eats potatoes now, he showed me the big bag in his shopping cart, lol.
Dr Oz? Are you talking about the same guy who is taking heat for his current fear mongering over apple juice?
http://news.yahoo.com/dr-oz-accused-fear-mongering-apple-juice-212559761.html
As for the Asian guy you ran into.....great. Do you have diabetes? If not, why should you follow what his doctor told him for his specific case?0 -
Boy that sounds pretty smart...what's the GI on white vs brown...I burn up rice pretty quickly, brown rice not so much...
Do you eat rice all by itself with nothing else added?
If not, the GI of the rice isn't going to matter because the entire digestion rate of the food will change when veggies, meat, beans, fruit, etc is added to the dish or the meal.0 -
Keep in mind, brown rice has 3 times the calories and 3 times the carbs of white rice. Brown rice also has more sugars and a higher fat content in addition to the higher protein and slightly higher fiber (it's still less than 2 grams of fiber per serving, not a high enough serving to justify the negatives IMO.)
Totally true!
Dry weights
100g white rice 353 cal
100g wholegrain rice 318 cal
Are you guys talking cooked weights? Confused by these claims.
Where'd you get those numbers for white rice? 100g of white rice has 130 calories. Brown rice is 370. So, 3 times more.0 -
Don't hate on brown rice cooking! Get a rice cooker that also cooks other grains and steams vegs and fish. I just dump the rice, water, seasonings into the cooker, press start and WALK AWAY! Then I go back when it beeps and enjoy delicious brown rice (or white if you prefer) that is perfect every time!
My cooker was from Target and ran about $25. It's not aluminum as those can taste funny....but you can get them REAL cheap at resale stores if you are particularly tight on money and don't mind the 'resale' part.
I cook the largest batch possible (8cups I think), bag it up in a ziploc gallon size and toss into my freezer. Then when dinner time arrives I just cook up my fish or chicken, toss a salad and just measure out and reheat some rice with some soy sauce or herbs for flavor.
Cook time for a VERY nice meal (ie: tilapia, rice pilaf & salad) approx. 15 mins TOTAL. Faster than take-out and guilt free.
Enjoy!0 -
COLOR MEANS NOTHING.
Sweet potatoes are actually much higher in sugars than white potatoes. The whole "eat brown foods instead of white foods" is mostly MARKETING, and does not really have much relevance to the real world nutritionally.
While sweet potatoes are sweeter than white ones, they are, actually one of the most nutritious things in the whole grocery store. They have vitamins and minerals that white potatoes do not. Rice is a different story, but I know how healthy sweet potatoes are! Also they are delicious.
Yes, and no. Sweet potatoes have Vitamin A, and a very small amount of Vitamin E. White potatoes are a better source of Vitamin C and Potassium. Sweet potatoes have some sugar in them that white potatoes don't. Other than that, nutritionally they are identical. And Sweet potatoes have such a small amount of Vitamin E (about 2% of your total RDA per 100g) that I wouldn't even count it. So really, sweet potatoes, besides being delicious, are really only a better source of Vitamin A when compared to white potatoes.0 -
Botan Calrose is an Asian sushi rice, it's a medium grain rice. The nutritional value is different from regular long grain white rice.Nutritionally the differences are pretty minimal. Unless you're eating plain white rice with nothing else (very unlikely for the most part) white rice does not spike your blood sugar. Add beans, meat, or vegetables to your white rice (which is how most people eat rice anyway, as a side dish) and there's no difference between white and brown at all.
Keep in mind, brown rice has 3 times the calories and 3 times the carbs of white rice. Brown rice also has more sugars and a higher fat content in addition to the higher protein and slightly higher fiber (it's still less than 2 grams of fiber per serving, not a high enough serving to justify the negatives IMO.)
Agree with the first part and that a serving of brown rice has more calories and carbs, but where do you get that it's 3 times. That's just an overexaggeration. I was astounded by that claim so I checked my packages of white rice (Botan Calrose 155 cals/35 g carb per 1/4 cup uncooked) and brown rice (Lundberg Organic Short Grain 180 cal/ 40 g carb per 1/4 cup uncooked). And even then, there is 10% difference in weight per serving, 45 g for the white rice and 51 g for the brown rice, that by weight, they are pretty close. Also, this particular brand of brown rice has 3 grams of fiber per serving.0 -
I like rice! The question is interesting, "always better". Brown rice has more fiber. White refined rice steams better and pairs better with some foods.
Cooking is aesthetics, tastes, smells. I have short grain rice for sushi, long grain rice for Chinese and Thai and Spanish, Basmati rice for Indian and Middle Eastern.
To throw a curve ball, I like to have wild rice too. Have you heard of Sun West Harvest Medley (Costco)? A blend of Aromatic Brown Basmati Rice, Wild Rice, Long Grain Red Rice and Calmochi Brown Sweet Rice. The Brown Basmati base gives this blend a rich, nutty flavor and the heirloom red and wild add spice and color to the dish. I use this as a side with chicken or fish.
I also massage my rice in water to release some of the starch and rinse it. This is essential in preparing rice for sushi, but I do it to all my rice.
Another interesting thing, wild rice isn't actually from the same plant family as rice, its more of a grass.
What is "always better" is pairing the right rice with your meal, eating it in the appropriate quantity for a balanced diet and you and your families' nutritional needs.0 -
Botan Calrose is an Asian sushi rice, it's a medium grain rice. The nutritional value is different from regular long grain white rice.
Yeah, I only had that as a white rice to compare to since both rices gave nutritional info based on 1/4 cup uncooked. Just didn't think it would make too much of a difference, so I checked online and used www.fatsecret.com, and cycled through their nutritional value information for 1 cup cooked. The different white rices were generally around 190-200 calories (with short and medium grain up to 242 calories), and the brown rices were around 215 calories. So brown rice more calories but not three times as much.0 -
Honestly, I don't think there's enough difference to matter unless you are eating truckloads of rice. I'm a diabetic. Rice kills me, either way, although with my old eating habits, I ate everything in large amounts. So eat your portion, measure calories and eat the rice you find more appealing.
oh, and I agree. Dr. Oz is a moron, lol. Thanks to ACG67 for not making me the first to say it.0 -
Then why does Dr. Oz say we should eat brown rice instead of white. And I ran into an Asian man at the market who has diabetes and he told me that the doctor told him to stay away from white rice, so he eats potatoes now, he showed me the big bag in his shopping cart, lol.
1. Dr Oz is a moron, if you're getting your nutritional advice from him...
2. has does what a diabetic eats have any relevance to white vs brown rice?
1. I never do what Dr. Oz says anyway lol
2. Well the man said that's what made him sick the fact that he ate it everyday, so I guess that means brown rice is better? lol0 -
How can one decide what is the right amount of rice to eat with a meal?0
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I've read so many different things. It confuses me. I have both in my house. If I make a fried rice dish or spanish rice I use the white. Otherwise brown with everything else.
So, I don't know.. :flowerforyou:0 -
How can one decide what is the right amount of rice to eat with a meal?
Serving size?0 -
How can one decide what is the right amount of rice to eat with a meal?
Serving size?
Yeah, you can use serving size as a guide and work from that as part of the decision making process is personal. I'm a 5' 9" Japanese American. I grew up eating medium grain Calrose rice at least 5 days per week and as someone had mentioned about her boyfriend, it is a comfort food for me. I no longer eating as much as I am working on losing weight, but for example, I had 1.5 servings today which is 3/8 cup uncooked rice. That was the right amount for me as it fit within my calories for the day and it complemented my meal. But, you may be a smaller person trying to eat fewer calories per day and not as ingrained into eating rice as I am, so that might be too much.0 -
Keep in mind, brown rice has 3 times the calories and 3 times the carbs of white rice. Brown rice also has more sugars and a higher fat content in addition to the higher protein and slightly higher fiber (it's still less than 2 grams of fiber per serving, not a high enough serving to justify the negatives IMO.)
Totally true!
Dry weights
100g white rice 353 cal
100g wholegrain rice 318 cal
Are you guys talking cooked weights? Confused by these claims.
Where'd you get those numbers for white rice? 100g of white rice has 130 calories. Brown rice is 370. So, 3 times more.
100g of white rice is not 130 calories it's 365 calories.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5812/20 -
Keep in mind, brown rice has 3 times the calories and 3 times the carbs of white rice. Brown rice also has more sugars and a higher fat content in addition to the higher protein and slightly higher fiber (it's still less than 2 grams of fiber per serving, not a high enough serving to justify the negatives IMO.)
This is not true. Brown and white rice have approximately the same calories.
Here is a white basmati (long grain): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/rice-and-pasta-lundberg-california-white-basmati-rice-8772481
And a brown basmati from the same brand: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/lundberg-california-brown-basmati-9942165
In this comparison, the white rice has more carbs than brown.
I mean, I agree that when eaten with protein the difference between the two is negligible. But saying brown rice has three times the carbs and calories as white is simply a lie. Compare any two labels in your house. I did, for both basmati and short grain, and in both the cals and carbs have insignificant differences - in brown's favor.0 -
Keep in mind, brown rice has 3 times the calories and 3 times the carbs of white rice. Brown rice also has more sugars and a higher fat content in addition to the higher protein and slightly higher fiber (it's still less than 2 grams of fiber per serving, not a high enough serving to justify the negatives IMO.)
Totally true!
Dry weights
100g white rice 353 cal
100g wholegrain rice 318 cal
Are you guys talking cooked weights? Confused by these claims.
Where'd you get those numbers for white rice? 100g of white rice has 130 calories. Brown rice is 370. So, 3 times more.
100g of white rice is not 130 calories it's 365 calories.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5812/2
Exactly, and MORE carbs than comparable brown rice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5706/20 -
Now, to get to OP's question instead of the distraction of misinformation:Any opinions? I usually eat brown rice because it has more fiber and protein.
Depends on your goal. I think brown rice is the better selection nutritionally - and I don't refer to GI, calories, etc. Brown rice is less processed and provides your body with valuable nutrients that are removed from white rice. This is what I mean:
"The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron. "
Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
The benefit to brown rice isn't just what you see on a nutrition label. I used to prefer white significantly, but I got a fancypants rice cooker for Christmas that cooks brown rice beautifully and now that's all we eat.
That said, in Asian countries white rice is the staple - and you still see far less obesity and metabolic syndrome than you do here.0 -
The problem with all of the nutrients in brown rice is the fact that just because it has nutrients in it, does not mean that the body can absorb and use those nutrients. And in the case of brown rice, that's what happens.
Plus white rice is fortified with any vitamins the milling process removes, and also, parboiled white rice actually has essentially the same nutritional value, as the parboiling process actually causes the vitamins to move out of the hull and into the actual rice grain itself.
As for my calorie comparison, I mistakenly compared cooked white rice to raw brown rice. Interestingly enough, raw white rice has a few more calories per 100 grams, but cooked the opposite is true. 100 grams of cooked white rice actually has a few less calories than 100 grams of cooked rice.0 -
The problem with all of the nutrients in brown rice is the fact that just because it has nutrients in it, does not mean that the body can absorb and use those nutrients. And in the case of brown rice, that's what happens.
Plus white rice is fortified with any vitamins the milling process removes, and also, parboiled white rice actually has essentially the same nutritional value, as the parboiling process actually causes the vitamins to move out of the hull and into the actual rice grain itself.
As for my calorie comparison, I mistakenly compared cooked white rice to raw brown rice. Interestingly enough, raw white rice has a few more calories per 100 grams, but cooked the opposite is true. 100 grams of cooked white rice actually has a few less calories than 100 grams of cooked rice.
I'd like to see some supporting evidence for your point that the body cannot absorb and access the essential nutrients in brown rice.
And I hope you'll edit your original post, so that new readers who don't get to the third page in this thread will not leave with the idea that the misinformation you posted is accurate.0 -
I'm guessing you didn't read the entire thread, as the information on malabsorption of brown rice nutrients was already discussed and studies were posted.0
This discussion has been closed.
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