Is Rice Good For A Diet?

In this article, we are going to discuss and answer the question “Is rice good for a diet?”. I will also discuss the nutritional value of rice, and the vitamins and minerals it includes. I will also include the amount of rice to include per meal.

Yes, rice is good for a diet. Specifically, brown rice is even healthier due to its fiber content in it. Rice alone does not cause any weight gain. Rice is a common staple worldwide and used in many dishes. Rice is mostly composed of carbohydrates.

The nutritional value of white rice in a cup of rice (205 grams) contains 266 calories, 4.84 grams of protein, 0.489 grams of total fat, 58.8 grams of carbs, 2.05 milligrams of calcium, 0.42 milligrams of iron, 16.4 milligrams of magnesium, 67.6 milligrams of phosphorus, and 53.3 milligrams of potassium.

Rice is so nutritious and filled with nutrients and vitamins. It is rich in magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, folate, thiamine, iron, and folate. This is the case for whole grains rice, not processed white rice.

Even white rice alone does not cause weight gain, despite it is less fiber, protein, carbs, and resistant starch. Resistant starch contains health benefits as it lowers blood sugar and prevents the spike in blood sugar.

There are many types of rice out there, and each type of rice is for different kinds of dishes. The rice varies in length from long to medium to short grains.

There are 12 types of rice. Arborio rice, basmati rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, white rice, wild rice, black rice, sushi rice, rosematta rice, red cargo rice, parboiled rice, and valencia rice.

When the white rice is processed in a way that all bran, the seed coat is removed. This will lead to a great loss of fiber content. Brown rice contains far more fiber than regular white rice. Brown rice contains 5 times a half times more fiber than white rice.

Rice grain is formed of 3 layers, the bran, the endosperm, and the germ. The highest fiber content is present in the bran which is the outer layer of the seed. The middle part of the grain is called endosperm which contains carbs and protein.

The core of the rice grain is the germ. It includes vitamins especially B vitamins, antioxidants, and fats that are healthy.

When rice is processed, only the endosperm is kept, the middle part. While the other parts of the seed are discarded and white rice is formed.

How much rice should you eat per meal?

Your plate should be balanced when picking your food. Your plate should have carbs, protein, vegetables, and fat. Rice should only be 25% of your plate.

Half of the plate should include vegetable sauce like a salad. 25% of your plate should be protein. To include fat on your plate, the protein can be cooked in fat like olive oil.

Any type of food in excess would cause weight gain. Whether it is carbs, protein, and fat in excess it will lead to weight gain. It is all about portion size control. Reducing your portion size would lead to weight loss. That is because you will reduce the calories you have per meal.

The American Health Association, AHA, recommends picking grains that are at least 51% whole over any other grains. That is why it is better to pick brown rice.

What will make me gain weight then?

The answer is simple, it is the calories in should be equal to calories out. The number of calories you consume daily if it exceeds your needs, then you gain extra weight.

The calories should be a minimum of 1800 calories for sedentary women, and it is increased to 2000-2400 calories for active women.

While men should have a minimum of 2400 calories if sedentary, ranging from 2600-3000 calories if they are active. Physical activity increases your metabolism and burns off energy. So you will require more calories.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed and answered the question “Is rice good for a diet?”.I also discussed the nutritional value of rice, and the vitamins and minerals it includes. I also included the amount of rice to include per meal.