Carbohydrates have suffered a bad rap. Often pointed to as the macronutrient responsible for making people fat, Filipino weight watchers have resorted to cutting down or eliminating carbohydrates, particularly white rice, from their diets as they attempt to lose weight and shed excess fat.
Others who aren’t able to shun the habit of eating white rice switch to brown rice, which is perceived to be a healthier alternative.
But is brown rice really the healthier option? First off, both brown and white rice start off as brown rice. When the brown rice is milled in order to improve its shelf-life, the bran, husk and germ are removed along with fiber, vitamins and minerals. After the milling process, it becomes white rice. Brown rice, compared to white, is a better source of fiber, manganese, magnesium and selenium. Nutrients have their own distinct health benefits. So yes, being more nutrient-dense, brown rice is the healthier option.
But is it best for weight loss? From a purely caloric standpoint, brown rice has more calories per serving. Thus, if overall weight loss is your target, there may be no significant difference between brown and white rice. Therefore, substituting brown rice for white—while it may seem the healthier option—may not do much for weight loss given that it contains more calories. The argument can always be made that it contains more fiber, which makes you fuller for longer periods. But head to head, brown rice does not make you lose weight when you substitute it in the same quantities for white.
Take note that our bodies need carbohydrates to properly function. Rice, whether white or brown, is an excellent carb and energy source.
So if your body goal is to lose weight by shedding excess fat, shifting to brown from white rice may not be the smart option. Instead, lowering overall caloric intake may be your best bet. Instead of cutting down on rice, try eliminating or drastically reducing the so-called empty calories from your diet. This includes chips, sweets, cakes and sweetened beverages, such as iced teas and sodas. Again, rice is not the enemy. Eating rice daily will not make us fat. It is the excessive consumption of calories, leading to a caloric surplus that will promote unwanted weight gain.
If we eat more than what our bodies burn on a daily basis—regardless of food type—this will lead to weight gain. Rice as an energy source, is our friend. It enables us to power through our workouts and provides the energy to go about our daily lives. Brown or white, the choice is yours.
Image credits: WWW.FREEPIK.COM