Natural
Weight-Loss Foods: Rice
Rice is an important
staple of any healthy diet. This food is an excellent source of complex
carbohydrates and complements protein alternatives to saturated fat-laden meat
dishes very well.
Rice is the dietary backbone for over half the world's population. In Asian
countries, each person consumes, on average, 200 to 400 pounds a year..
Americans eat about 21 pounds per person, per year.
Rice is one reason why
Asian diets are so low in saturated fat. While Americans tend to view rice as a
side dish to a meat-centered diet, Asians view rice as the focus of the meal.
Increasing the amount of rice and decreasing the amount of meat served helps
reduce saturated fat intake.
Health Benefits
Nutritional Values
Rice, White, Long-grain Serving Size: 1/2 cup,
cooked parboiled, enriched
Calories: 97
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: <1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 21 g
Protein: 2 g
Dietary Fiber: <1 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Iron: 1 mg
Manganese: <1 mg
Niacin: 2 mg
Pantothenic Acid: <1 mg Thiamin: <1 mg
Rice, Brown, Long-grain
Serving Size: 1/2 cup, cooked Calories: 109
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: <1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 23 g
Protein: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 5 mg
Magnesium: 42 mg
Manganese: 1 mg
Niacin: 2 mg
Brown rice, a whole
grain, provides three times the fiber of white rice and is an excellent source
of manganese and a good source of selenium, magnesium, many B vitamins, and
fiber. The fiber and selenium in brown rice may work together to reduce colon
cancer risk. Research reported in 2005 showed that rice bran oil (rather than
fiber) reduced blood cholesterol levels.
Whole grains eaten daily
helped postmenopausal women slow the progression of heart disease. One reason
may be linked to the lignans found in whole grains, which have been shown to
help reduce heart disease, as well as prevent hormone-dependent cancers such as
breast cancer. In addition, whole grains help prevent weight gain, and eating
whole grains is correlated with a lower body weight, says a study that followed
over 74,000 female nurses for 12 years.
Selection and Storage
Long-grain rice is the most popular variety in the United States . Cooked, the
grains
are fluffy and dry and separate easily. Medium-grain is popular in
Latin-American cultures. Though fairly fluffy right after cooking, it clumps
together once it cools. Short-grain, or glutinous rice, has nearly round grains
with a high starch content. When cooked, it becomes moist and sticky so the
grains clump together, which is perfect for eating with the chopsticks of Asian
cultures.
Brown rice is the whole
grain with only the outer husk removed. It is tan in color and has a chewy
texture and a nutlike flavor. It is more perishable than white rice but keeps
about six months, and longer if refrigerated. White rice keeps almost
indefinitely if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place.
Expensive wild rice is not rice at all but a member of the grass family. It has
a rich flavor and is higher in protein than other types of rice.
