Brown Rice Vs White Rice- What Should You Prefer?
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Brown Rice or White Rice, the debate is neverending yet the answer is clear and there are factors to consider. Well, all rice starts out as Brown. Yes, even White Rice is initially Brown Rice. White Rice undergoes a milling process that increases the shelf life but the drawback is that this process deprives rice of its fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The process also removes husk, bran, and germ from the rice.
What are the benefits of eating brown rice?
Looking at this, it’s pretty clear that Brown Rice is much better than White Rice. But both Brown Rice and White Rice are high in carbohydrates. However, Brown Rice is a whole grain and whole-grain foods help in keeping cholesterol levels in check and reduces the risk of stroke, heart disease, and Diabetes. You might have already heard about Brown Rice's health benefits but do you know how different they are from White Rice when it comes to nutritive value? If not, then here it is!
The nutritional value of 1 cup of Brown Rice and 1 cup (158 grams) of White Rice is as listed below.
Nutrition Proximate |
White Rice |
Brown Rice |
Protein |
4.3 gms |
5 gms |
Total Lipid Fat |
0.4 gms |
1.8 gms |
Carbohydrates |
45 gms |
42 gms |
Energy |
200 calories |
216 calories |
Sugars |
0.1 gms |
0.7 gms |
Fiber |
0.6 gms |
3.5 gms |
Calcium |
15.8 mg |
19.5 mg |
Iron |
0.3 mg |
0.8 mg |
Magnesium |
19 mg |
83.9 mg |
Potassium |
55.3 mg |
83.9 mg |
Sodium |
1.6 mg |
9.8 mg |
As you can see there are many differences between White Rice and Brown Rice when it comes to nutritive value. To simplify things further for you let us tell you about the key nutritional differences between the two. The Key nutritional differences between the two are:
Brown Rice is rich in fiber and offers 2-3 grams more fiber per serving than White Rice which is why brown rice is ideal for weight loss.
Brown Rice is also a good source of Magnesium and just ½ cup of cooked Brown Rice makes for 11% of your daily recommended Magnesium intake.
Can I lose weight by eating brown rice?
When you are trying to lose weight you should consider cutting down your carbohydrate intake and as per experts and as you must have seen in the table above, Brown Rice is low in calories and has lesser carbohydrates than White Rice so yes, one of the benefits of Brown Rice is that it can help in weight loss.
Now you know about both White Rice and brown rice nutrition facts and we think you would like to include the healthier option in your diet plan. If you would like to know how to include it in your diet and get in touch with certified nutritionists then get FITFEAST. Our nutritionists offer you plans based on your fitness goals and whether you want to lose or gain weight, or just want to stay fit and healthy, or just gain muscle mass. You can choose to have a quick chat with your personal nutritionist in real-time or schedule a callback.