Does rice make you fat? The Real Truth!!

Is rice fattening? Does rice make you fat? Rice by itself does not make you fat. However, rice, like other cereals, offers many nutrients and should complement proteins and vegetable servings in equal proportions. In excess, it can become a vehicle for excessive caloric intake.

To keep your food healthy and balanced, you should focus on the quality of the rice rather than its quantity. Therefore, the first step is to choose whole grain varieties as they are a great source of fiber, whereas other types contain little or none.

Another important step would be to switch from white rice to brown. Brown rice has a lower glycemic index, and you will eat less of it. You should be able to notice right away that you feel satiated after eating less.

Can I eat rice every day?

"There's no issue with eating rice every day, as long as we consume an adequate of it and complement our meal with appropriate foods," says nutritionist Noelia Perez.

Perez says you should keep in mind that rice is an energy-rich food, so you should not overdo it. For example, you may have a cup of cooked brown rice for breakfast. Then you can have some chicken or legumes with fish for lunch and another cup of rice at dinner time.

However, you may be someone who eats out at restaurants or is on the road a lot. In these cases, you need to watch your calorie intake even more closely because you might find yourself eating too many rice dishes.

"You can have two cups of cooked brown rice with fish grilled in olive oil and vegetables every day," says Perez. "It's important to accompany this dish with vegetables instead of regular potatoes. And you should only have white rice once a week."

Nevertheless, are you still overeating rice? Then, you can replace it with other cereals such as barley or quinoa. The latter is the best option since you will not notice any difference in taste.

Nutritional value of rice

Comparison of the nutritional components of white and brown rice (%) *.

Nutrient	White rice	Brown rice
Water (g)	12	12
Energy (Kcal)	334	341
Proteins (g)	6.7	7.5
Lipids (g)	0.4	1.9
Carbohydrates (g)	80.4	77.4
Starch (g)	72.9	69.2
Soluble carbohydrates (g)	0.2	1.2
Total dietary fiber (g)	1.0	1.9
Soluble dietary fiber (g)	0.08	0.12
Insoluble dietary fiber (g)	0.89	1.8
Sodium (mg)	5	9
Potassium (mg)	92	214
Calcium (mg)	24	32
Magnesium (mg)	20	-
Phosphorus (mg)	94	221
Iron (mg)	0.8	1.6
Copper (mg)	0.18	-
Zinc (mg)	1.3	-
Selenium (µg)	10	-
Vitamins Thiamine (mg)	0.11	0.48
Riboflavin (mg)	0.03	0.05
Niacin (mg)	1.3	4.7
Vitamin C (mg)	0.0	0.0
Vitamin A retinol equivalent (µg)	0.0	0.0
Vitamin E (mg)	tr	0.7

Source CREA food composition tables.

How do you eat rice for weight loss?

When on a weight loss diet, take one serving of rice at a single meal to limit calories consumed with rice.

You might also decrease carbohydrates in your diet if you take care of your health and follow a low-carb or low-calorie diet.

While rice provides essential nutrients, adjust the amount you eat to match your nutritional requirements and the low-carb or low-calorie diet you're on.

It is also essential the way you cook it. Do you know you can lose up to 50% of the fiber by cooking it at high temperatures? Therefore, you should try boiling it instead.

Remember that you don't have to avoid rice entirely; moderate how much you eat each day. By eating the right kind of rice, you won't feel deprived.

When you cook sautéing rice, you will add less oil, and you can still take advantage of the water you cook it in. Avoid fried rice.

Try using flavored broths instead of adding salt or sauces, such as ethnic Indian or Mexican spices, which you can use to flavor your dishes.

Also, remember that you should not overdo it with rice when you're eating out, especially if you are looking for weight loss.

The only way you will never overdo it is by choosing healthier snacks and replacing rice with vegetables or legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas.

"Brown rice provides us with healthy vitamins and minerals like magnesium and fiber," says Perez. "We can also flavor brown rice with spices instead of sauces to avoid consuming an excess of fat and sodium while still enjoying our meals," she adds.

In the same way, you can substitute white rice with quinoa to get a good source of protein and fiber without increasing your caloric intake. Rice is all you need to get you going in the morning!

How do you eat rice for weight gain?

The more you eat, the more you gain weight. That is because you need to eat many carbohydrates, so you should keep this in mind if you want to lose weight.

You can replace brown rice with white instead or have it as an accompaniment for your meals. Of course, you could also eat bread and pasta.

In this case, you shouldn't worry about losing calories if you eat rice with meat or vegetables. However, you should be careful if you have it with sauces.

You can also work out to lose weight, but you must eat to fuel your performance. If you don't want to gain weight, you need to control the size of your portions and how often you eat.

If you look for weight gain, you should not worry too much about calories. Instead, it would be best if you watched how you prepare your rice.

Types of rice

Brown rice, white rice, broken rice, basmati, jasmine. You have a myriad of options you can choose from. Here is what you need to know about each kind:

Brown rice

The whole grain has a lower glycemic index and is rich in fiber. It also contains essential nutrients such as magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.

Eating brown rice reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, several types of cancer.

White rice

This type is milled, which means that the whole grain has been stripped of its husk and bran. Therefore, you are consuming less fiber. In addition, white rice has a more extensive glycemic index than other types since it has already been processed.

Eating white rice in large amounts increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes type 2, and several types of cancer.

Broken rice or "cargo rice."

It consists of grains that have been knocked loose or broken, which you should avoid. It is mainly used in soups and other rice dishes because it disintegrates quickly.

Basmati rice

This type of rice is usually labeled "unwashed," which means you will need to wash it properly before you cook it. Doing so will help you eliminate the excess starch that makes you gain weight.

Jasmine

This type of rice is not processed, and you will need to wash it before you eat it in the same way you do with basmati. It has a sweet aroma, but you should go easy on it because you might end up consuming too many calories when you use this variety.

Parboiled rice

Parboiled rice is partially-cooked rice known as converted rice. It is popular in Africa and Asia. Parboiling the rice requires soaking, steaming it, and drying while it's still intact. You must not remove the husk before processing some rice.

If not, you can make parboiling to make less sticky and fluffy rice or improve its flavor. If you want to enhance the texture of rice, this method may also be helpful if you wish to less sticky, fluffier rice.

You can mix it with beans, pasta, or vegetables to make the dish lighter any time you eat rice. Rice cakes are another option if you want to snack on something crunchy. Just remember that you should not use this item as your primary source of energy.

Brown rice vs. white rice

While brown rice is nutrient-rich rice with all three layers, white rice consists mainly of the endosperm. Brown rice grains contain a thick bran and germ coat as their flavor improves its cooking quality and shelf life when discarded.

Brown rice has a high nutritional profile high in fiber and antioxidants. White rice does well in nutrients as there's only nothing extracted from it. Many varieties of white rice have different digestion processes.

The different composition of starch influences other health effects. For example, the long chains of glucose in the rice are Generally called amylopectin and amylose.

Do you need to eat rice?

According to Noelia Perez, you do not have to avoid this type of food unless you are on a diet and don't want it to create a caloric surplus or suffer from intolerance. In other words, you may be allergic, or you might experience bloating.

"Undoubtedly, it is one of the best sources you can find of carbohydrates, as it is low in fat and high in fiber. Therefore, you should not avoid eating rice," she concludes.

Risks of too much white rice consumption

Blood sugar levels

According to Harvard Medical School, rice has a high glycemic index and a lot of carbohydrates. That implies that rice may rapidly raise blood glucose levels.

High-glycemic meals can raise insulin resistance and make it more challenging to keep your blood sugar levels in check.

Arsenic content

Arsenic is a natural thing. Unfortunately, it can also cause cancer. Consumer Reports found that many kinds of rice have arsenic in them.

Later, many people reported that some rice cereals and pasta products had more rice than was recommended for a week.

This cereal has a lot of arsenic. It absorbs ten times more than other crops.

The high concentration of arsenic in rice is due to the method produced in flooded rice paddies. This method makes rice absorb carcinogenic chemicals from the soil.

Research shows that contaminated groundwater is one of the greatest threats to people's health.

Some countries have regulations to reduce the risk of health problems. They do this by limiting the amount of rice that people can eat, for example.

If you eat rice, wash it before and after cooking. You will take away 50% of the cancer-causing substance, but some good things might get taken away too.

It is less satiating.

The best foods are those that are high in fiber. These include beans, whole grains, and vegetables. White rice is not on this list because it has been cooked until almost no fiber is left.

That is why, for example, we will digest grilled vegetables more slowly than if they are cooked. As a result, it takes the stomach less time to digest them, and the person feels full longer.

When you eat rice, you will feel full pretty quickly. That is because it takes longer for your body to digest the food. Rice has fewer processed ingredients than other foods.

In China and Japan, they eat this food mixed with soybeans. That is because soy can provide protein. It also has vegetables that provide fiber which makes the person feel full after eating less.

Benefits of rice

Rice has many benefits for your body you should consider. First, it is a cereal grain you should feel you can eat.

Increases your energy

Rice contains a lot of energy you need to feed you throughout the day, especially if you are active and always need more than you lose.

It is very nutritious.

Rice is rich in B vitamins, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron, with many antioxidant properties that reduce inflammation.

It is hypercaloric

According to the article "Rice consumption and increased body weight," you can gain weight by eating rice regularly. However, that happens because you will consume too many calories over time.

It has fiber

Eating rice makes you feel satisfied for a longer time. That is because you add fiber to the diet you need to keep you full, and you will eat less at lunchtime, while you can stay on your schedule and not be hungry until it is time to eat again.

It is iron-rich

Rice is an excellent source of iron, making it a good choice for pregnant moms. In addition, it will assist in the prevention of diseases such as anemia due to its high iron content.

It has a low-fat content

This food is low in fat and serves as a cereal grain. The fat content of this product is tiny, making it ideal for inclusion in a lunch.

As beneficial as it is for your health, you should limit your intake of white rice or processed foods containing this ingredient. At least you should know how to prepare it properly to reduce the caloric intake you need day-to-day.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that rice by itself does not make you fat. However, rice, like other cereals, offers many nutrients and should complement proteins and vegetable servings in equal proportions.

In excess, it can become a vehicle for excessive caloric intake. If this sounds confusing to you, do you have any questions about nutrition labels on different food products? Don't hesitate to reach out to our team!

We're always happy to answer your queries and provide personalized advice so we can help keep you healthy and energized all day long! So keep reading our blog posts for more information on the best ways to eat well without feeling deprived!

DISCLAIMER: buildyourbody.org does not provide medical advice, examination, and diagnosis.

Medically reviewed and approved by Nataniel Josue M D.