Rice is the primary food source for more than half the world’s population and grown in more than 100 countries.
Affordable and easy to prepare, rice is a major source of carbohydrate, protein and other nutrients for billions of people around the world.
There are more than 110,000 cultivated varieties of rice, but after processing, rice is generally categorised as either white or brown. Over 90% of the rice produced in Australia is medium or short-grain rice varieties, most of which are exported.
The more popular varieties consumed in Australia include low GI white rice, basmati, jasmine, arborio, brown and coloured rice varieties such as black, red and wild rice.
Brown, or wholegrain rice is produced by removing the inedible outer hull, leaving the germ, bran and endosperm intact. Depending on the colour of the outer layer, wholegrain rice can be classified as black, purple or red for example.
White rice is produced through milling to remove the nutrient rich germ and bran layers to leave a white starch centre, which is then polished.
What’s important to remember is that white, brown, red or wild rice varieties can all be enjoyed as part of a balanced meal and contribute to a healthy diet.
What type of rice is best for me?
Brown or wholegrain rice varieties contain higher levels of protein, fat, dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins than milled white rice. Brown or wholegrain rice also contains greater amounts of phytochemicals, which have antioxidant properties that can reduce inflammation.
Milled short-grain white rice also has a higher glycaemic index (GI), as the carbohydrates in the rice are broken down quickly during digestion. If you are seeking a more sustained energy release, opt for brown or wholegrain rice varieties.
Enjoy the taste of white rice? Although the processing of white rice results in lower nutrient levels than brown or wholegrain rice varieties, white rice still contains protein, vitamins, minerals and is low in salt.
There are lower GI alternatives like basmati or Australian bred low GI white rice you can try or cooking and cooling your rice before reheating can increase the resistant starch in rice, which can reduce the glycaemic response too.
What’s important to remember is that white, brown, red or wild rice varieties can all be enjoyed as part of a balanced meal and contribute to a healthy diet.
What does this mean in practice? Add a couple of servings of colourful vegetables and your choice of protein to your favourite rice and enjoy!
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Nutrition Australia is Australia’s leading nutrition non-profit organisation, providing information, education and business-to-business (B2B) consultation and advisory services to help Australians achieve optimal health through good nutrition.
Reviewed by the healthylife Advisory Board March 2022
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