Why Rice?

More and more people are starting to live a healthier lifestyle and that is awesome. And huge part of that is eating healthy food.

This means there is a decrease in the amount of white rice that is being eaten and an increase in brown rice, quinoa, brown bread and pasta.

The question we are going to be exploring today is “Are the brown alternatives actually healthier than the white?” Here you can find out actual FACTS about different kinds of rice and quinoa.

White rice

This is the most common type of rice, it is gluten free and it’s also the cheapest. White rice is also easier to find in your average supermarket.

This type of rice however is hugely refined, which takes away a lot of the nutritional value that would otherwise be present.

This is due to the “germ, husk and bran layer” being removed from the rice, to give it the white color and to also make the shelf life of the product longer.

This results in white rice having low nutrient levels and a high glycemic index, white rice also tastes plainer than dark rice.

Dark rice

The solid germ and husk are not removed from darker colored rice (i.e. red, brown or black,) which results in it keeping the bold color.

For this reason, brown rice gets bad quickly because the shelf life hasn’t been lengthened. On the plus side, there is much more nutritional value with this kind of rice.

Some of the vitamins that are found in it include thiamine, calcium, vitamin E, selenium, vitamin B and magnesium.

Dark rice also has a nuttier taste to it which many people prefer. There are also high amounts of fibre in dark rice which makes digestion easier and reduces your chances of suffering from constipation.

You are guaranteed a healthier digestive system on the whole, if you eat this type of rice regularly. You will also lower your cholesterol levels with dark rice but keep in mind that it is more expensive than its white counterpart.

Quinoa

Pronounced as Keen-wah, this seed is growing in popularity amongst the health community. It’s often consumed as an alternative from starchy grains and it’s no surprise!

Quinoa is actually a complete protein because it has a total of nine amino acids! It has anti inflammatory properties and it also contains double the amount of protein of rice.

Some other nutrients found in quinoa include dietary fibres, calcium, magnesium, vitamin E and vitamin B.

Conclusion

It is easy to see that dark colored rice is much better nutritionally than white rice and I think it is worth the investment to go for this option.

The medical benefits of quinoa and dark rice are pretty much the same so whichever you decide to go for, depends on personal preferences.

Vegetables are still healthier and have lower starch levels than everything that has been mentioned. This means, creating yourself a “cauliflower” rice is the best thing to go for if you are eating a low carb diet.