Confession: I eat white rice.
*gasp*
I’m usually called out by the real food police when I mention this fact via social media so I thought I’d finally tell you all why I’m ok with eating white rice.
As a kid I grew up thinking that the only way to eat rice was if it was covered in white sugar, but I thought that was only something weird that my family did. We didn’t eat it often, but every week or two we’d have some instant white rice with our dinner.
After I got married I began to move away from instant rice and make brown rice on occasion since everyone told me how much healthier it was for me, and it became a regular staple in our home. Once I started moving our diets to more traditional and whole foods we stuck to only brown rice as it seemed a deadly sin to use anything else. I also found that I enjoyed brown rice so it was not a big issue to switch.
But over the last few years I began to notice holes in this theory and silently and secretly began to make white rice (usually basmati) more often. I didn’t want anyone to know lest my real food blogger friends or readers think I wasn’t eating “properly”. (This was around the time I was told by a specific group that they wouldn’t share my blog posts anymore because I ate too many salads and they weren’t nourishing enough…*ahem*)
3 reasons I eat white rice
1. Phytic acid
One of the first things you learn when you begin reading about the traditional Weston A. Price type diets is that all grains have something in them called phytic acid. I like to think of these plant properties as natural preservatives, keeping the grain from going bad before it’s planted under the right circumstances. But when we consume the grains that contain this specific plant property it may also inhibit mineral absorption. By soaking, sprouting, or fermenting these grains we can lessen the amount of phytic acid in them, allowing our bodies to absorb more nutrients.
The phytic acid is mostly stored in the bran and by removing it the rice will contain a lot less phytic acid.
I was taught by many others to soak my rice for at least 8 hours before cooking, but the problem with rice is that it contains less phytase, making it much harder to remove the phytic acid by simply soaking and should be fermented instead.
While listening to Rami Nagel (author of Cure Tooth Decay, available on Amazon) speak last year he also mentioned that whole grains can be detrimental to those who are having problems with tooth decay because of the loss of mineral absorption in the gut. he also mentions that the traditional way of eating rice was to pound it with a mortar and pestle so that most of the bran was removed before cooking.
2. Arsenic
So this reason for me isn’t necessarily high on the list, and wasn’t the reason I began eating white rice again, though it is important.
While it seems that any plant can take up arsenic during growing, it seems to happen more with rice as it’s grown in water-logged conditions. Arsenic is also thought to be associated with thyroid conditions, miscarriages, and cancer so it’s something we want to be aware of!
Brown rice may contain more arsenic as it is more easily bound to the bran of the rice.
3. It’s easier
I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have a meal plan and even if I do, I don’t always remember to soak my rice the night before I need it. Especially knowing about the issues with phytic acid and knowing that I should soak it beforehand, I began feeling bad that my family was eating unsoaked brown rice. On those nights I began to use white rice instead, knowing then that I’d made a decision that hopefully meant we’d absorb more nutrients from our meal.
I also enjoy the lighter flavor of white rice in certain dishes. Cilantro-lime rice just doesn’t have the same flavor with a Mexican dish when made with brown rice, and my family eats less of it when I make brown rice as a simple side dish.
Brown rice still has a place in our home though! I love it with my veggie rice dish and I’ve found that it tastes great when you bake it instead of simmering on the stove, so we always have brown rice in the cupboard right alongside the white.
Still not sure why I seem to be forgetting the “dangers” of white rice? Here are a few of my answers to common questions.
But aren’t you then just eating sugar? After you take away the bran and germ it’s just a simple starch!
Yes, it is. White rice is starch and your body will begin to break it down much like it does sugar. But I’m also not advocating that we simply eat a bowl of white rice for a meal and I don’t advocate for a no-starch/low carb diet either. Starch is a fuel for the body and depending on your activity level, you may need more or less than someone else. We eat white rice in combination with some type of meat and plenty of veggies on the side which creates a balanced meal.
I no longer eat my white rice with white sugar. 😉
For someone who is currently dealing with diabetes or problems due to insulin production, brown rice may be considered a better option. Always eat what your body requires. Don’t let my opinions change your mind if your body can’t handle simple starches.
Where are you getting your nutrients from if you strip them all away?
Another valid concern that comes into play anytime we refine one of our food sources.
I add plenty of nutrients to a white rice side dish! Often times I cook it in homemade bone broth and all the goodness gets cooked right in. We also add copious amounts of healthy fats like butter while it’s cooking or drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil after cooking.
White rice also serves as a side dish and not the entire meal, so we consume plenty of good meats, farm fresh milk, and multiple vegetables at the same time.
But it’s not a whole food!
And they’re right.
But as much as we talk about food and nutrition here (because for me, it was the most important aspect in healing) I have never claimed that I eat 100% whole foods every day of the year. In both my blog and my book I talk about not being consumed with eating the perfect diet. That the stress of trying to eat perfectly will do more harm that just eating the food. (Did you know that? Studies have shown that when eating under any type of stress that it affects digestion and nutrient absorption.)
We should always look to whole foods first and eat plenty of them. But if for any reason that you also include a food that isn’t perfectly whole, chalk it up to the 20% of the 80/20 rule, enjoy it, and move on with your day.
We shouldn’t be eating any grains.
Well, this is always a topic in and of itself! The paleo/primal world thinks that we shouldn’t consume any grains.
In short, I’ve done the whole primal diet thing and it wasn’t for me. Some people find they experience a lot of healing and it works really well for them and that’s awesome. I still eat plenty of grain free meals, but our family does well with grains now and again.
But so and so said…
There is literally a ton of information out there right now from tons of different nutritionists, doctors (holistic and conventional), and opinions from bloggers. But what I’ve found from reading about nutrition for the last seven years is that no one is right all the time. In fact some of them are plain old wrong.
Remember the low carb craze that seemed to overtake real food blogs a few years ago? I felt like I wasn’t good enough/healthy enough for a long time because we never went low carb. And now…the pendulum is swinging the other way. People are realizing that we need carbohydrates in our diets.
So while I am open to new ideas and dietary theories, I am also hesitant to blame one particular food for the downfall of all mankind’s health.
There have also been other bloggers that have “come out” and stated that they eat white rice.
- Kimi from The Nourishing Gourmet,
- Sarah of the Health Home Economist, and
- Emily of the Holistic Squid
I’m definitely not trying to get everyone on board with eating white rice, please follow your own dietary guidelines! But for those of us who do consume white rice I just want to make it known that it’s not “all that bad” and brown rice isn’t necessarily “all that good”.
What’s your preference – white rice or brown rice?
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/
Donielle Baker
Why thyroid medications may just be a bandage
I’m with you…we mainly use basmatti rice. I could never get brown rice to cook properly. Eating crunchy rice was something my family did not enjoy. 🙂 Glad you shared.
Hahaha! My family has had their share of crunchy rice too. I’ve started baking brown rice which is yummy, but sometimes takes longer than I’d like. (1+ hours)
We eat white rice too 🙂 It was so liberating to not have to sprout rice anymore!
I never sprouted it, though I did soak it. And I still do for probably half the dishes I make with rice. But now if I forget to get dinner going in the morning I don’t freak out about having unsoaked brown rice or *gasp* white rice.
I’m glad I’m not the only one! My husband and I are both from South Louisiana and we both grew up eating plenty of white rice with all the many Cajun dishes we grew up on. Anytime I’ve tried cooking brown rice, its just not anywhere near the same in taste or texture, and I’m not even sure if I’m doing it right. I’m happy to know its not so bad as everyone tries to make it out to be!
Yup. For me, I eat it with Mexican cuisine. Brown rice just doesn’t fit well with it, though brown rice does have plenty of other uses in our meals. i think people with major sugar imbalance problems should probably not eat it until they get it stabilized (and the body is then able to deal better with starches), but for many of us it can be a choice that is a healthier option than unsoaked brown rice. 🙂
i seriously thought this article a joke. then i read all the way to the bottom and its not. AND there are comments that seem to indicate its not. WOW, just wow.
Are you shocked because I admit that I eat white rice a couple times per month? Or that brown rice really isn’t the best option when it’s not properly soaked?
You must be part of the ‘Real food Police’. Chief?
One major problem with low-carb is that people tend to think low-carb means no-carb. That is not the case or at least, it shouldn’t be. Yet I find people saying that even after I have explained to them that they need carbs in their diet. It is perplexing. If too much of something is bad for you, they think that the only solution is to eliminate that something. It is a problem that plagues health circles in general, not just low-carb. Basic problem is that in wealthy nations we tend to eat too much carb and WAY too much sugar in all of its various forms. The solution is not elimination, but instead, moderation.
I completely agree with you! I definitely do better when I limit my carbs (especially refined carbs), but not so much that I go “low-carb”. A nice blend of fats, carbs, and protein for each meal is perfect for me.
I use both but I prefer white I tried the brown all thee time and quickly got tired of rice so white most of the time
I’ve never done well with brown rice, even after extensive soaking, cooking in bone broth, etc. So we only eat white rice, when we eat rice. Yes, I am 99% grain-free. What’s the 1%? It’s the once or twice a month that I enjoy white rice. It is the one grain I can enjoy on occasion served as a simple side among a plate-full of healthful foods. I actually have noted Sarah’s article in several of my white rice recipes, but I am definitely going to add yours as well. Thanks for this helpful article sweet friend! Blessings, Kelly
We’re about 80% grain free. Whole grain GF pancakes, oatmeal, rice, and corn tortillas (all homemade) a few times a month each and that’s it. The rest of the time I don’t mess with them much. 🙂
I am Asian therefore I grew up eating white rice.Rice I’ve eaten was planted in the rice field.When I came here to the US and tried the white rice sold at the store, I didn’t like the taste and texture.Tried brown rice as they say it is healthy,still the same as the white rice.I prefer Asian rice, Jasmine rice,
whether it came from Vietnam or Thailand.
We gave up a lot of foods and the whole family eats mostly “paleo” but I never gave up white rice. After reading up on traditional foods (and preparation) and about resistant starch I feel good about our choice to continue to eat it when we feel like it.
I love white rice, basmati, and Jasmine. I don’t care what others think about what I eat. I care about what I eat. I care about what I prepare for my family. You can’t let the way others think control your life. They could be wrong! Just saying. Thanks for the post.
This is a pretty balanced post on the subject, although you are missing out on one important factor: fibre. Feel free to check out this detailed post, written by a Registered Dietitian, which can help clear up some misconceptions about the differences between white rice and brown rice. In particular the arguments used by the bloggers you link to are critiqued, Sarah of the Health Home Economist, and Emily of the Holistic Squid
http://www.smartnutrition.ca/2014/04/06/are-you-victim-nutrition-fraud/
Yes, fiber is an important aspect of overall diet. Personally I’d rather get fiber in my diet from vegetables and not grains. Ans since we don’t normally eat the same meals everyday, sometimes I’ll serve white rice and other times we eat soaked brown rice. 🙂