Rice is the third most produced agricultural crop globally, after sugarcane and maize. The top nine rice producers are in Asia, with China producing 28% of the world’s rice in 2019. That’s over 466,000 lbs.
Rice has also been an important staple food around the world, with roots dating back to 8000 BC. Being a large part of everyday diets, rice has naturally entered the healthy eating debate. Here’s what a nutritionist has to say on the question of the “healthiest” rice option.
What is the healthiest rice?
The ‘healthiest rice’ question usually pits two types of rice against each other – white and brown. And while one is advocated over the other, the answer really depends on what you’re looking for in your diet.
That’s right – brown rice contains more fiber, fat, and more protein than white rice because of the way it’s processed. Whole grains are made up of three parts: the germ, the bran, and the endosperm. Brown rice has all of those parts, but manufacturers remove the germ and bran for white rice. If you are looking to add more fiber to your diet, brown rice is a great way to do so.
But in fact, whole rice would be a healthy addition to your diet. For nutritionist Kira Nimb Diop, the question of “which rice is healthier” is one rooted in exclusion and harmful diet culture.
“If rice is the only food we eat, it makes sense[to ask that]because we’re interested in getting a balance of nutrients and fiber, so of course I would say brown rice is more complete,” Nimp says. Diop. “But when you look at reality, people eat meals.”
Rice is more often matched with protein and vegetables than eaten on its own, making it just one component of a healthy, balanced plate. If you’re looking for a high-fiber meal but don’t like the taste of brown rice, there are plenty of high-fiber vegetables you can mix with white rice.
“The beauty of nutrition is that you have so many options,” says Nimb Diop. “I am really sorry to learn how nutrition has become like a prescription or a religion that you have to follow and if you don’t, you are wrong.”
Ideally, Nimb Diop says people should enjoy a variety of rice in their diet, be it white rice, brown rice, basmati rice, arborio rice, jasmine rice or others.
What is the healthiest vegetable?:Here are some great nutrient-dense options
What is the healthiest nut?:Add these two to your daily diet for cognitive benefits and much more
Is white rice healthy?
Yes, white rice is healthy. Rice is a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, iron, folic acid, thiamin, and niacin.
Nimb Diop says that while white rice is sometimes described as “unhealthy” of the two, this view is indicative of a larger problem with the way we view health.
More than half of the world’s population considers rice a staple food, and white rice is consumed more widely than brown rice. White rice is also a staple in many diets in many cultures.
Nyemb-Diop runs an online platform called “The Black Nutritionist” where she encourages her audience to push back against the myth that food from the Black, Asian and Latino communities is inherently unhealthy. Instead, she tries to share with us that there are healthy and unhealthy parts of any cultural cuisine.
Nimb Diop says many of her clients feel self-conscious when eating the food they grew up with or are told that white rice makes their diet unhealthy.
“If we look around the world, some societies that actually live longer, like Japan, rely a lot on white rice. It’s really not the right way to focus on one food, we need to focus on other aspects,” she says. “It’s also easier to say that one food is the problem in the United States—housing inequality, access to health care, access to nutritious foods—these are (bigger) problems to address, but it’s easier to say it’s white rice and your culture is a food.”
Instead, Nimb Diop recommends going with an “abundance” strategy, or adding a specific food from your diet rather than restricting it.
For example, white rice has a higher glycemic index and may be a concern for diabetics or people with high blood sugar. But if abstaining from white rice is not entirely possible, you can instead try pairing it with protein, so that the rice is not digested on its own. Instead of limiting yourself from eating white rice, ask yourself questions that will lead to a more balanced dish: “How can I add more vegetables to my diet? How can I add more fiber?”
It’s also about realism: Suggesting someone whose cultural diet is based on white rice should ditch white rice entirely can be an overwhelming and sometimes irresponsible question.
“This leads to an unhealthy relationship with food within marginalized communities, and this relationship will have implications for mental health but also implications for physical health,” says Nimb Diop. “It’s hard to properly nourish yourself when you have an eating disorder, and you feel ashamed of eating the food you grew up with.”
Is Chipotle Healthy?:How to customize your order to meet your nutritional goals
What is the healthiest milk?:The best choices for protein
How to incorporate rice into your life in a healthy way
Everything you want
If you like brown rice, eat brown rice, says Nimb Diop. If not, don’t force yourself. Adding any type of rice to your diet will have nutritional benefits, and focusing on the pleasure of eating is a good way to strengthen your relationship with food and your body.
Crunchy cauliflower and broccoli, which are ground vegetables marketed as alternatives to rice, have been on the rise in the past few years as low-carb swaps. Adding chopped broccoli or cauliflower to your meal will give you an extra dose of vegetables (only 1 in 10 adults eat the recommended daily amount of vegetables), but it shouldn’t replace rice.
“I think it’s great to find ways to enjoy cauliflower, we need to enjoy cauliflower for what it is and not as a substitute,” says Nimb Diop.
Just curious?We are here to answer everyday questions
Practice an abundance, not a restrictive, mindset
Many Nyemb-Diop clients are afraid to add rice or other carbohydrates to their diet because they worry about eating too much or over consuming carbohydrates. But eating a variety of foods — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber — in moderation is the healthiest thing you can do for your body, which requires a variety of nutrients to function.
“When you try to restrict a food, you usually end up losing control like overeating or overeating when you’re actually exposed to that food,” she says. “So what I use[for my clients]is help them through the habituation process by planning out those foods they fear in a really thoughtful and intentional way and focusing on the fun and creating a balanced plate.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with body image or eating concerns, the National Eating Disorders Association’s free, confidential helpline is available by phone or text at 1-800-931-2237 or by message. Click to chat at Nationaleatingdisorders. org/helpline. For crisis situations 24/7 text “NEDA” to 741-741.