There are currently several qualities of rice on sale, and therefore, it can be difficult to understand which type is healthier or more nutritious for your body. Whether it is long grain rice, basmati rice, Venere rice or wild rice, each type offers a particular complex of benefits for physical well-being. However, not all of them are considered nutritious or healthy. In fact, when rice is highly or excessively refined, it loses many of the nutrients inherent in this food. Since rice plays a very important role in many culinary traditions and is an essential element in various diets, it is essential to learn how to choose the qualities that contain a greater amount of nutrients.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choose a Nutritious Rice Quality
Step 1. Try brown rice
Brown rice is probably the most common type of rice known for its nutritional value. It is 100% wholemeal and rich in many nutrients useful for health, which allow you to lower cholesterol levels. If you are looking for a nutritious rice, try this quality with a crunchy, almost nut-like texture.
- In fact, brown rice is the same cereal that white rice is made from, but it is less refined. To obtain white rice, most of the wheat germ is eliminated. This process involves the loss of most of its nutritional values: about 90% of vitamin B6, 50% of manganese and phosphorus, more than half of iron and all fiber and essential fatty acids. Each of these values constitutes a set of nutrients.
- Brown rice is considered a very nutritious food: 200 g contains about 200 total calories.
- In addition, each 200 g contains 4 g of fiber, 24 g of protein and 88% of the daily requirement of manganese. It is also rich in phosphorus, selenium, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B6.
Step 2. Prepare the wild rice
Another extremely nutritious quality to consider is wild rice. Although technically it is not real rice (in fact, it is obtained from the seeds of an aquatic plant), it retains numerous nutrients and antioxidants, absent in the most common types of rice.
- Wild rice was originally grown in what is now the United States by the indigenous population. Even if it is the seed of a plant, it is considered a 100% whole grain.
- Wild rice has fewer calories than brown rice: each 200g contains about 160 calories instead of 200, but also 3g of fiber and 7g of protein.
- It also has a high amount of folic acid, zinc, copper, manganese and choline.
- According to some studies, the consumption of wild rice can lower the level of triglycerides and cholesterol.
Step 3. Get the Venere rice
Venere rice, or black rice, has a very particular and exotic shape. It has a very eye-catching black color, but it is also a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins.
- What gives Venere rice its particular black color are the antioxidants, called anthocyanins (the same ones found in blueberries and blackberries). These elements useful against cancer are found in high quantities in the pericarp and in the external part of Venus rice.
- Venus rice contains a lot of vitamin E, which is useful for protecting and supporting the immune system and also for defending the body's cells from damage caused by free radicals.
- In addition, each 200g contains around 160 calories and a little more fiber than brown rice, but it is also very protein and rich in B vitamins.
Step 4. Try the rice sprouts
Sprouted grains and sprouted grain products are 100% wholemeal and have become popular lately due to the fact that they offer a variety of health benefits. From a nutritional point of view, sprouted rice is superior to other types of rice, including brown rice.
- To get rice sprouts, you need to allow the seed to germinate and prepare to grow so that it generates a new plant. Even as the seeds continue to prepare for growth, some enzymes become deactivated making all their nutrients more usable by the human body.
- Sprouted rice contains higher amounts of vitamin C, folic acid, iron, protein and fiber. Some studies have shown that it is slightly less high in carbohydrates than non-sprouted one.
- If you can't find sprouted rice, try making it at home. Store the brown rice grains in a humid environment for at least 3 days until the pericarp has split, causing the grain to open naturally.
Step 5. Buy Bhutanese red rice
Although a little less common, it is another very nutritious quality of rice. In addition to having a high content of several nutrients, it is great in the kitchen because it takes about 20 minutes to cook.
- Red rice is native to the Himalayas. The nutrients contained in the soil where it is grown are the reason why this particular quality of rice also has a wide variety of nutrients.
- Like Venus rice, Bhutanese red rice also contains anthocyanins in the pericarp. Thanks to the presence of these substances, both red and Venus rice contain ten times the amount of antioxidants of brown rice.
- In addition, this particular quality of rice is rich in protein and fiber, but also offers 20% of the daily requirement of magnesium, phosphorus and molybdenum.
Part 2 of 3: Look for the Healthiest Alternatives When Shopping
Step 1. Always choose whole grains
Not all varieties of rice sold in the supermarket are considered whole. When you intend to buy a healthy and nutritious quality of rice, you should opt for the wholemeal ones.
- You should focus on brown rice, because as it contains more nutrients, it is considered more nutritious. Whole grains are less processed than refined ones, because they keep all their nutritional principles intact, useful for health.
- Typically, 100% whole grains are higher in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals than refined ones. Therefore, if you want to cook rice, always choose 100% wholemeal rice.
- Try to limit or avoid the consumption of white rice. It doesn't matter whether it's basmati, long grain rice or sushi rice, because any type of white rice offers less nutrients.
Step 2. Choose a rice-based product that has undergone few processing processes
When you shop at the supermarket, you will find various food items prepared with rice on the shelves. Even though the choice for the consumer is quite wide, you may get confused when looking for a healthy and nutritious quality of rice to serve at the table.
- One of the best options is to purchase a box or bag of brown rice. You can buy it in bulk or packaged. Contains no additives or seasonings.
- Watch out for salads or rice-based ready meals. While they seem like a great choice, they may contain a significant amount of salt. You should buy absolute rice and season it to your liking.
- If you buy a salad and a rice-based mix, read the composition of the ingredients to understand what's inside. Make sure it's 100% whole grain (brown rice, wild rice, or brown basmati rice) and that the seasoning used is suitable for your dietary needs.
Step 3. Try freezing the rice or cooking it partially
One of the downsides of rice, especially brown rice, is that it takes a long time to cook. The pericarp, which is the outer part richer in nutrients, increases cooking times (45-60 minutes in total) compared to white rice, which loses it due to refining processes.
- If you want to add brown rice to your meals, consider storing it in the freezer. You may find it odd to cook and freeze brown rice in bags, but just heat it quickly in the microwave to make it ready to eat.
- When shopping at the grocery store, you may also be looking for a partially cooked or "microwaveable" product in the cereal aisle. It has been pre-cooked and is as nutritious as dry cooking. A few minutes in the microwave and it is ready to be eaten.
- If you have time and you like to cook, you could cook a larger portion of your favorite rice on the weekend and divide it into individual portions to freeze and thaw for a few quick dinners during the week.
Step 4. Consider purchasing organic rice
Another option to keep in mind is organic rice. While it contains the same nutrients as conventionally grown rice, organic crops offer some benefits.
- When shopping, focus on quality or 100% organic rice blends. Consider that producers of so-called "organic" foods are required to affix the "Euro-leaf" logo on the packaging to guarantee that none of the ingredients contained within have been grown with the use of synthetic products and genetically modified organisms (GMO).
- Various pesticides are used in rice fields cultivated according to the criteria of conventional agriculture. However, by purchasing organic rice, you will avoid fungicides and any residual chemicals left on the grains.
- In any case, whether you choose a product from organic or conventional farming, keep in mind that the nutritional values do not change.
Part 3 of 3: Introducing Rice to a Balanced Diet
Step 1. Make sure the portions are appropriate
Portion sizes are very important as part of a nutritious and balanced diet. If you are moving towards a nutrient-rich grain quality, make sure you are introducing it correctly into your diet.
- Choosing nutritious foods, such as brown rice, is a great starting point for a healthy diet. However, if you indulge in large portions, you risk consuming too many calories.
- Since rice is a food that belongs to the carbohydrate group, it is important to eat it in the right quantities. Make sure you weigh the portions to be consumed: 100 g of brown rice is enough.
- Furthermore, it is preferable to eat it in the right doses. It is not a good idea to consume it several times a day. You will need 2-3 servings per day. The rest of the meals should contain lean proteins, fruits and vegetables.
Step 2. Try other whole grains
Although brown rice, wild rice, or even sprouted rice are great sources of nutrients, you should consider other whole grains.
- Variety is an important aspect of a healthy diet. If you eat nutritious foods every day, but follow a poorly varied diet, you risk not getting the nutrients found in other dishes.
- In addition to brown rice, try other whole grains, such as millet, spelled, quinoa, teff, amaranth, oats, or whole wheat.
- For example, you could make a bowl of wholemeal oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich made with wholemeal bread for lunch, and chicken accompanied with your favorite stir-fried vegetables and sprouted brown rice for dinner.
Step 3. Choose appropriate cooking methods
While the cooking methods for rice and other grains aren't endless, you need to be sure you are using the healthiest ones.
- While brown rice offers many health benefits, it doesn't make sense to skip it by adding a lot of fat, sugar, or salt.
- For basic cooking, boil the water and throw in the rice, or use homemade broth or a broth mix that contains little salt. These cooking methods do not add a lot of fat or sodium. The broth, in particular, gives flavor to foods.
- If you have to make a rice dish, pay attention to the ingredients to add. For example, instead of seasoning steamed rice with butter, add a drizzle of olive oil so that your plate contains a source of healthy fats for the cardiovascular system.
Step 4. Add more nutrients
To increase the nutritional intake of brown rice, prepare it with other nutrient-rich foods. All together they will be able to provide various health benefits.
- Make your favorite rice with lean protein foods. The latter are inherently less fat and caloric. Then, add a 100g serving of lean protein, including chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, tofu, seafood, or beans.
- Also serve it with a portion or two of vegetables. Vegetables are also high in nutrients and low in fat and calories. However, they contain a lot of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Add 150-300 g of your favorite vegetables to your dishes.
Step 5. When in a restaurant, ask what rice dishes are
When you go out to eat, don't hesitate to ask what rice dishes are. Choose the healthier one you find on the menu, giving preference to steamed rice over stir-fried rice, brown rice over white, or any other cooking method that you think is suitable for your dietary needs.
If the choice is very limited, order something else more nutritious, like a side dish or steamed vegetables
Advice
- When you want healthier rice quality, consider 100% brown rice, not refined rice.
- Although brown rice is the most nutritious among the most common types of rice, consider something more particular, such as Venere rice or sprouted rice.
