Rice is a versatile staple food found in almost 3 billion houses in the world. Its mild flavor makes it a preferred ingredient for cooking at any time of the day, and that is the reason why people include rice in their daily diet.
Although there is widespread use of rice, many people do not know about its nutritional value. Truth is that eating rice means a lot of benefits for health.
Rice is a cereal grain rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, such as Thiamine, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Folate, Manganese, Calcium, Vitamin E, Iron, Copper, and Selenium.
Its daily consumption helps you maintain your biological system healthier and full of energy.
Depending on the type of rice, the number of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients may vary. There are more than 40,000 varieties of rice commonly divided into 3 groups depending on the grain length:
Short grain rice: sushi rice, and bomba rice. 100 grams of this type of rice has 2.4 grams of protein, 130 calories, 28.7 grams of carbohydrate, and 0.2 grams of fat.
Medium grain rice: carnaroli, Arborio, japonica, Chinese Black Rice. Medium grain rice contains 100 grams, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein, 0.5 grams of fat, and 170 calories.
Long grain rice: white rice, basmati, brown rice and jasmine. 100 grams of Basmati rice has 210 calories, 5 grams of protein, 0.5 grams of fat, and 46 grams of carbohydrates.
The most popular types are white and brown rice. Brown rice is a whole grain with the bran and germ preserving all the nutrients; it is considered a pure grain.
White rice is a milled grain without bran and germ with a reduction of valuable nutrients and minerals. For this reason, brown rice is more nutritious than white rice. However, during white rice processing, some nutrients, minerals, and vitamins are added.
Health benefits of white rice
You can do a lot for your health just by including white rice in your diet. The secret lies in properly combining all your meals. You have to eat the right portions and pair them with other complementary foods.
White rice is rich in carbohydrates and few quantities of fat and sugar. Every 100 g of rice (1/2 cup) contains 77.8 grams of carbohydrates, 6.7 grams of protein, 11.61 grams of water, 0.12 mg of sugar, and 0.66 grams of fat.
Pros
- Rich source of carbohydrates, which gives your body a source of energy.
- Fiber levels make it easier to digest and prevent constipation.
- Gluten-free, perfect for people who suffer from celiac disease.
- Ideal for a weight loss diet, particularly in low calories diet plans.
- A good source of folic acid, a vital component for women during their pregnancy and for the correct development of their babies.
- Nutrients help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- The magnesium content helps to have a good sleep.
- Mineral content helps your body to keep a good condition overall.
Cons
- Excessive consumption may lead to problems in blood sugar levels.
- It could increase the risk of developing diabetes.
- It does not contain Vitamin C.
Healthy rice recipes
Learning about the nutritive value of white rice will help you combine it with proper ingredients and have a balanced diet that will favour developing a better and healthier body.
The first step would be learning how to cook white rice. Cooking rice is quick and simple. Generally, it can be cooked on the stove, oven, microwave, rice cooker, or instant pop. The more traditional method is on a pot over the stove, and you do not have to be a chef for getting fluffy and tender rice.
The secret for perfect rice is always to maintain the ratio of rice and water while cooking it. For the stove method, you have to add 2 cups of water for every cup of rice. This ratio may change depending on the cooking method. To improve your rice cooking techniques, check the following: https://carolinarice.com/products/white-rice/.
Once you have mastered your cooking skills, you can search for more elaborated healthy recipes with white rice as the main ingredient.
Here are some ideas for you: spinach rice, tilapia with cilantro rice, rice salad with chicken, rice soup, among others.
Cilantro rice
Servings: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of white rice.
- 2 cups of chicken broth.
- 2 tablespoons of minced cilantro.
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice.
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
- Pinch of salt.
Preparation:
- In a saucepan, pour the broth and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Add rice, lower the heat and simmer until rice becomes tender.
- Incorporate lime juice, cilantro, and nutmeg; stir very well.
- Serve with grilled tilapia and cucumber salad.
- This easy and delicious dish only has 412 calories, 9 grams of fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 36 grams of protein, and 615 mg of sodium.
Spinach rice
Servings: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- 1 diced onion.
- 4 minced garlic cloves.
- ¼ cup of chopped dill.
- ¼ cup of chopped chives.
- 1 lb. of baby spinach.
- 1 cup of Basmati rice.
- 2 cups of vegetable broth.
- Chopped dill for garnish.
- Lemon zest for garnish.
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Salt to taste.
Preparation:
- In a pot, put olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add onions and cook until they start getting brownish.
- Incorporate garlic, dill, and chives. Mix very well and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add spinach and sauté for 4 minutes.
- Incorporate basmati rice and vegetable broth. Stir all together.
- Season with salt to taste. Bring the preparation to a boil, cook in medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Retire from heat and let it stand for 5 minutes
- Finally, incorporate dill, lemon zest juice, and lemon juice. Mixt everything well.
- Serve
Spinach rice has 401 calories, 21 grams of fat, 24 grams of cholesterol, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, and 649 mg of sodium.
