Going Vegan: Brown, white rice each have their virtues (video)

Indian-Inspired RiceView full sizeIndian-Inspired Rice.
When it comes to healthful eating, most people know that rice is nice. It's low in fat and is adaptable to a wide variety of cuisines. And, like other grains, it can play a key role in helping people lose weight, since it adds dietary bulk with relatively few calories or fat.

Recipe included with this story: Indian-Inspired Rice.

As our nation wrestles with its obesity epidemic, perhaps it's no coincidence that we're turning to rice more than ever before. According to the USA Rice Federation, in 2011 Americans' per capita consumption of all varieties of rice was 27 pounds per person per year -- up 2 pounds, or 7 percent, from the year before.

But when it comes to the type of rice we're tossing into our grocery carts, we usually don't make the best choice. Though most people recognize that brown rice is healthier than refined white rice, and sales of brown varieties have nearly doubled since 2006, consumers still choose white rice three-quarters of the time.

Call it the great rice divide.

For dietitian Susan Levin, director of nutrition education at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., there's really only one choice.

"Brown rice has more of its nutrients intact," she says. "The germ and the bran are removed to make white rice, and they hold a lot of good nutrients. And brown rice has much more fiber."

That's no joke. A half-cup of uncooked brown rice has 9 grams of fiber, while white rice has fewer than 1 gram. And we all need a lot more fiber, Levin says.

"Fiber helps with everything but taxes," she says. "It's one of the things Americans are very depleted in, and any way we can get it in our bodies is a good thing."

Fiber helps control blood sugar, which is good for people fighting diabetes. Fiber also helps people lose weight.

Making perfect rice (video) Foodday writer Grant Butler demonstrates the steps to perfectly cooked white rice, and shows how you can make it right every single time.
"When people start to consume more plants, they find that they feel fuller -- that's the fiber," Levin says. "You feel fuller on fewer calories, and a lot of those calories don't digest. To be crude, it comes right back out."

Though some of that fiber is an indigestible, some of it is soluble, which helps pull toxins, cholesterol and excess hormones out of the body. The two types of fiber work in concert to help the body.

"They're both really important because they fight high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and they help reduce your risk of hormone-related cancers, like breast cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. Fiber is really the key nutrient in almost every aspect of your health."

Brown rice has other nutrients that make it a superfood, including magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc and vitamin K. And it has a surprising amount of protein. "It's almost 20 percent protein," she says.

Amino acids vary among plants, Levin says, and rice is low on a few essential ones. But beans are strong on the acids that rice lacks, which is why the combination of the two is so appealing. Our bodies are predisposed to want them together, whether our minds know it or not.

When you look at brown and white rice side-by-side, Levin says brown rice just looks healthier.

"Look at brown basmati rice," she says. "You see a lot of green specs and rice kernels. You can see just how alive it is."

The living nature of brown rice is also one of its few drawbacks. The bran and germ can go rancid in about six months -- or sooner if the rice hasn't been stored in a cool, dry place. Because the bran and germ have been stripped away with white rice, it can be stored just about anywhere for as long as 10 years without going bad. That's one of the reasons white rice is so popular in tropical climates.

Though white rice may not be as healthy of a choice as brown, Levin doesn't think it deserves a bad rap.

"It's not the worst thing in the world to eat white rice," she says. "I don't want to demonize it, because, frankly, it can be a lot better than a lot of the refined carbs that we eat, such as flour. And there actually are some instances where you might want to have it. It digests faster so it can be a good sort of energy snack, since it can give you a spike in your blood sugar. That might be good if you're an athlete and want some quick carbohydrates that you don't want sitting in your belly."

Though Levin cooks big batches of brown rice at home, she's not opposed to eating white rice if it's the only option when she dines out.

"If I'm in an Asian restaurant and that's all they have, I'm fine with that," she says. "There's no reason to be afraid of it. It's low in fat, it has at least a little bit of fiber, and it has some of those nutrients found in brown rice -- just not as much. And again, it's not as bad as white flour."

-- Grant Butler

5 key reasons to choose brown rice

  • Only the hull of the grain has been removed, leaving the germ and the bran intact, making it more nutritious.
  • The nutrients help fight obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and some forms of cancer.
  • Brown rice is loaded with fiber, which can promote digestive health.
  • It's loaded with magnesium, which is essential for healthy bones, especially as we age.
  • It has a naturally nutty flavor, allowing home cooks to cut back on salt.

5 key reasons to choose white rice  
  • The germ and the bran can make brown rice turn rancid after about six months. They've been removed in white rice, which can be stored as long as 10 years.
  • Because it's easier to store, white rice typically is cheaper.
  • It cooks in as little as 20 minutes, while brown rice can take two to three times as long.
  • The flavor of white rice is neutral, which allows the flavors of beans or sauces to shine.
  • White rice is easier to digest, making it ideal for people who are convalescing or who have weak digestion.
-- Grant Butler