Rice is one of the most popular foods in the world. In many countries it’s the mainstay of the diet, in others; it’s a popular side-dish or dessert. It provides important calories and nutrition for many who otherwise would be deficient and go hungry. Although rice is technically a seed, nutritionally it fits into the cereal grain category.
Each country has a traditional and favorite way of cooking rice. Consider serving rice for at least some meals every week, trying the different varieties available. White rice is refined and like all refined grains contributes mainly calories and carbohydrate. It is recommenced to use only whole grain rice to increase our intake of nutrient dense foods.
How does rice fit into the 2015 Dietary Guidelines?
Rice is naturally low in sodium and helps reduce overall sodium intake unless excess salt in added. It is also naturally low in fat, and tastes just as good when cooked with no or very small amounts of fat. When combined with a good, healthy protein source, it helps compliment the protein that builds muscle and tissue. Nutritionists recommend serving it with low sodium beans and legumes, fish, chicken or turkey, or 2 ounces or less of shellfish, lamb, beef or pork. Eating rice gives you the opportunity to increase your grain consumption, and using brown rice helps to meet the recommendation of making at least half of your grains whole grains.
See the nutrient comparison between white and brown rice in the chart below.
Each country has a traditional and favorite way of cooking rice. Consider serving rice for at least some meals every week, trying the different varieties available. White rice is refined and like all refined grains contributes mainly calories and carbohydrate. It is recommenced to use only whole grain rice to increase our intake of nutrient dense foods.
How does rice fit into the 2015 Dietary Guidelines?
Rice is naturally low in sodium and helps reduce overall sodium intake unless excess salt in added. It is also naturally low in fat, and tastes just as good when cooked with no or very small amounts of fat. When combined with a good, healthy protein source, it helps compliment the protein that builds muscle and tissue. Nutritionists recommend serving it with low sodium beans and legumes, fish, chicken or turkey, or 2 ounces or less of shellfish, lamb, beef or pork. Eating rice gives you the opportunity to increase your grain consumption, and using brown rice helps to meet the recommendation of making at least half of your grains whole grains.
See the nutrient comparison between white and brown rice in the chart below.
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