How Brown Rice Can Support Your Daily Nutritional Needs
Table of Contents
Most people nowadays switch to using brown rice in their daily diet, replacing white rice after knowing their health benefits. Do you know why? The transformational changes of brown rice are such that it aids a healthy lifestyle with a considerable amount of nutritional value.
India has rice of different varieties as its staple food in most regions and brown rice has gained popularity. This is because of its widespread use for preparing delicacies, batters and even desserts, without compromising the authentic taste of the dishes. Do you want to know more about the nutritional value of brown rice and how it can support your daily nutritional needs? Read on about the fascinating facts of brown rice benefits.
Nutritional Facts of Brown Rice
Rice that comes with its bran and microscopic thin germ layers intact, after removing the outermost hull is usually termed brown rice. The resulting tan-coloured grain is due to the retention of these layers. Concerning the nutritional value of brown rice, it has more nutrients than any other rice variant. And with adequate fitness, you can consume brown rice daily.
To give a detailed overview of the nutritional value of brown rice, here is a table showing the nutritional values
Nutrient Value in Grams
1 Cup of Cooked Brown Rice
Calories
216
Protein
5
Total Fat
2
Carbohydrates
45
Fibre
3.5
Sugar
0
- (%Daily Value or DV)
1 Cup of Cooked Brown Rice
Vitamin B3 or Niacin
15
Vitamin B6
17
Folate
10
Iron
3
Magnesium
19
Phosphorus
28
Potassium
3
Shelf life
1 year
Benefits from Nutritional Value of Brown Rice for your Daily Needs
It is hard to keep up with the same energy the entire day, consuming brown rice daily for any of your meal helps you retain and regain your energy throughout the day, along with nutritional benefits of fruits, vegetables, poultry and other protein rich foods.
Let us look at how brown rice helps you in achieving your nutritional requirement on an average daily basis-
- Effects on blood sugar levels : With a low glycemic index, meaning brown rice is digested slowly due to the presence of several outer layers. This makes it an excellent choice for people suffering from diabetes where the blood levels shoot up drastically after a meal. By consuming brown rice, digestion process is slower with steady maintenance of blood sugar levels in the body.
- Promotes weight control :With proper chewing and eating slowly, savouring every bite, you are aiding proper digestion, making you feel full for a longer time with lesser caloric intake. In addition to this, the digestion of the rice in the stomach is longer, burning more energy and helping you control excessive weight gain, as compared to other rice varieties.
- Keeps check on the risk of heart diseases : Studies have shown that the nutritional value of brown rice is high with the presence of essential fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and micronutrients. This makes brown rice an ideal option to switch if you have already not, to maintain your heart health and reduce chances of heart strokes and cardiac arrest, generally in both men and women.
- Rich in contents of antioxidants :Brown rice is high in antioxidants that help you rejuvenate your dead cells and protect your cells from any damage. This skin damage caused by external environment and skin care products is avoided by the micronutrients in the brown rice by protecting and enriching your skin, inside-out, making you look refreshed and young.
Right way to Cook Brown Rice
- Soak the required amount of brown rice overnight/ 7to 8 hours to cut the phytic acid and arsenic content that may hamper the nutrient absorption in your body. If you do not have the time, soak it for at least an hour in clean water with a pinch of salt.
- After this, rinse of the still water and wash the brown rice once again
- On the stove, bring a pot of water taken in the ratio of 2 parts of water for 1 cup of rice and bring the water to boil.
- Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, so that the rice does not stick to each other, and the nutrients are packed within the grains.
- Cook the brown rice with relevant proportions of water, according to the consistency you prefer, under low heat or simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, with occasional stirring until the water is absorbed, and the rice becomes soft.
- Fluff the rice and turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving hot.