In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleNutrition FactsChoosing Your RiceConsiderationsMeal Planning with Rice
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Nutrition Facts
Choosing Your Rice
Considerations
Meal Planning with Rice
Tonight, you’re eating rice. Instinctively, you may reach forbrown ricebecause you’ve read and heard thatwhite riceis bad for you, especially if you have diabetes. This refined, low-fiber grain is often considered taboo in Western diets for its high starch and low nutritional value. Still, rice makes up 20% of theworld’s caloric consumption, with most rice eaten as white rice. More importantly, white rice is the main staple among Asian, Latin American and some African diets. So, how can white rice be bad for you, particularly when it’s so commonly eaten among different ethnic groups? Can you still eat it even if you have type 2 diabetes? We looked at the research for some answers.
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Is White Rice Healthy? Here’s What a Dietitian Has to Say
White Rice Nutrition
Here’s thenutritionfor 1 cup of cooked enriched long-grain white rice:
Similarly, here’s thenutritionfor 1 cup of cooked enriched short-grain white rice:
(*Info for fiber was not available.)
That’s compared to thenutritionfor 1 cup of cooked long-grain brown rice:
White rice, whether short- or long-grain, is a starch-filled, low-fat grain that provides between 45 and 53 grams of carbohydrates per 1-cup serving. Although it has minimal fiber, it provides some protein, with 4 g per serving. That said, brown rice offers a good source of fiber, while white rice has very little fiber.
Most white rice sold in the United States is enriched, meaning that it offers some thiamin, niacin, iron and folic acid. In addition, rice also providesmanganese. This trace mineral, naturally present in rice, is essential for making energy, protecting cells and supporting the immune system, blood clotting, bone production and reproduction.
Healthy Diabetes-Friendly Recipes
Can You Eat White Rice When You Have Diabetes?
Current dietary recommendations suggest eating fewer refined carbohydrates, including white rice, and replacing these foods with high-fiber, low-glycemic-index grains, such as brown rice. Yet a meta-analysis of seven trials, published inPeerJin 2021, indicated that people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes who replaced white rice with brown rice did not see an improvement in their fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C (a blood test that provides the 3-month average of the blood sugar level). There were benefits to forgoing white: Some participants who subbed brown rice for white also lost weight and improved their “good” HDL cholesterol levels.
More research is needed, however. Other studies show a link between white rice and diabetes. A perspective paper inDiabetes Care, for instance, recommends reducing white rice in your diet in favor of filling your plate with a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
So, the short answer is—yes, you may be able to eat white rice when you have diabetes.
What to Consider
If you’re thinking about making rice part of your meal, there are several factors to consider when it comes to blood sugar management, including the following:
1. The type of white rice you’re eating
White rice comes in various varieties, differing ingrain structureand the ratio of the starch present. These variations influence how quickly rice is broken down and digested in the body, resulting in a higher or lower glycemic index. Generally speaking, white rice is amoderate glycemic indexfood.
With so many different rice varieties, you may wonder which type of white rice you should choose more often. This will depend on your personal preference and how the rice is served.
For instance, long-grain white rice varieties, such as basmati and jasmine, pair well withmixed dishes. Despite containing 8 g fewer carbohydrates per serving than short-grain white rice (like sushi rice), basmati and jasmine rice are unsuitable formaking sushi. These rice varieties do not absorb as much moisture, and thus will not stick together like sushi rice does. Sushi pieces that use these two rice types will fall apart.
2. How the rice was cooked
How you cook white rice may also affect the amount of carbohydrates your body absorbs, and therefore may change your blood sugar response to the grain. Rice naturally contains resistant starches, a type of starch that does not get digested and absorbed in the small intestine.Researchhas found that rice that has been cooked, cooled and refrigerated before use, such as rice used infried rice recipesor eaten as leftovers, contains moreresistant starchesthan freshly cooked rice, such as boiled rice, rice made in a broth and rice made in arice cooker. This is due to changes in the structure of the starch molecules that affect the starch’s digestibility and reduce its glycemic index.
3. What portion size you’re eating
Even if you choose lower-glycemic-index rice, it’s important to remember that the amount of rice (along with other carbohydrate-containing foods) you’re eating matters. Overeatingcarbohydrateshas been linked to poorly managed diabetes and the increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends following theDiabetes Plate Methodway of eating, where you use a 9-inch plate and fill at least half the plate with vegetables, one-quarter with lean proteins and one-quarter with carbohydrate foods. Setting up your plate like this is an easy (and visual) way of keeping your portions of carbohydrates, including those from white rice, in check.
4. Whether your overall eating pattern is balanced
A 2018studyfrom Japan published inNutritionnoted that while white rice is a mainstay in the Japanese diet, total diet quality also plays a role in determining blood sugar levels. A diet that included white rice, fruit, low-carbohydrate vegetables and dairy products was not linked to increasing one’s glycemic load, which is the amount of total carbohydrates absorbed, a factor that plays a role in blood sugar response.
Most importantly,not all studieshave proven that eating white rice increases the risk of diabetes, despite the consensus that eating whole grains may reduce the risk. And the presence (or lack thereof) of white rice in your diet doesn’t determine whether your diet is healthy and balanced overall. The types of foods included, whether the foods are part of one’s culture, their nutritional qualities and the amount of sodium and saturated fats are some factors to account for when assessing if your diet is health-promoting for you.
How to Include White Rice with Your Meals
Rice is typically paired with other foods rather than being eaten on its own. You may be less likely to have sudden blood sugar spikes after a meal when you combine white rice with lean proteins, vegetables and healthy fats. Here are a few ideas for pairing white rice with your meals and snacks:
The Bottom Line
Overall, all foods can fit into a healthy meal pattern when you’re eating to manage diabetes or reduce your risk of developing it. Opt for long-grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine, over short-grain rice, like sushi, or choose brown rice for more fiber. Eating abalanced dietwith a combination of whole and refined grains, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins is key to keeping blood sugars well managed. Maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet where half of your grains are whole grains allows you to enjoy some white rice, too.
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