The Difference Between Brown Rice and White Rice

You have been eating healthy recently on one of your new plans and have been hearing about some of the benefits of rice.  After hearing the benefits of rice, you rush to the store to buy some.  Upon looking on the shelves, you notice there are many different kinds of rice from which to choose.  Some are flavored, some are white, some brown, some are long grain, and some are short grain.  Making a decision on your rice should not be so difficult, which is why this article should give you some guidance when making that difficult decision.

The topic of this article will be on the differences of brown and white rice.  Use this information as a basic guideline when making your decision.  Discussed below are some benefits of both types with a grand conclusion at the end.

The Difference Between Brown Rice and White Rice

White Rice

White rice is a delicious carbohydrate to eat.  When cooked properly, the mouth waters and it can complement any lean protein perfectly.  One aspect of white rice and how it looks white is that it is processed.  You may only see one ingredient on your rice ingredient listing, but the fact is white rice is white because the hull (outer casing or shell) and the bran are removed from the grain [1].  What is the big deal?  When the hull and bran are removed from rice, digestion in the stomach occurs not quite as naturally, making the body feeling bloated and heavier.  The hull and bran removed from the rice contain thiamine, calcium, magnesium, plentiful fiber, and potassium, which are all nutrients the body needs to replenish regularly for optimal health.

Brown Rice

Brown rice derived its name due to the fact that it is brown.  In addition, the brown signifies that the hull and bran are intact, making this product a grain.  What exactly is a grain?  Any food or food product generated from wheat, rice, oat, cornmeal, barley, and cereal grain constitutes a grain [2].  Both white and brown rice are considered grains, but the biggest difference is that white rice is refined and brown rice is considered whole wheat grains.  The whole wheat grains are where the health benefits are located, with many studies and health professionals all over recommending whole wheat grains in the diet for optimal heart health.  Brown rice is very nutritious, offering manganese, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, vitamin B3, and protein with a 195 gram serving.  Those looking to lose weight especially can benefit from eating brown rice.  This same 195 gram serving will help keep the body full for longer durations than white rice and a typical serving only has 216 calories; compare that with 2 slices of bread, a potato, or any other carbohydrate.

The Verdict and Challenge

If you are someone who enjoys consuming rice and have been eating white rice, do not worry, your health is not suffering because of this.  Consider changing to brown rice at least two or three times per week and challenge yourself to eat brown rice with a lean protein serving together (i.e. brown rice and salmon, chicken, and any fish).  If you are looking to have more satiety from your diet than from just lean protein and brown rice, consider a healthy stir fry inclusive with squash, zucchini, eggplant, or carrots.  Adding plentiful vegetables to your dinner time meal can help keep the stomach filled and the caloric costs are relatively low.  Finally, if you are looking to shred a few pounds and have not been eating rice with your home cooked dinner, challenge yourself to swap your serving of pasta for a serving of whole wheat brown rice and compare your satiety levels afterwards.

References

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/WhatIsMyPlate

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128