For people who love eating rice, not being able to eat rice at meals can often leave a person feeling hungry. Lately, there has been news about the adverse effects of white rice on a person’s health. This is why people who are accustomed to eating rice regularly look towards alternatives to this staple for their meals. This is where brown rice comes in.
Brown rice is the unpolished version of white rice and is considered a whole grain, making it a better and healthier alternative to its white, polished counterpart. Since brown rice has its germ and bran intact, with producers of the grain removing only the hull, it has higher fiber content. It is also packed with nutrients due to the retention of the bran and germ, which are both removed in white rice.
Why Brown Rice is a Great Addition to Your Daily Meals
With the rise in popularity of low-carb diets, a lot of people try to avoid any type of grain, brown rice included. There are some, however, who know that having a balanced diet with enough carbs in their meals is important for proper body functions. This is why the healthier alternatives, such as brown rice and other similar whole grains, become the carbohydrate source of choice by many dieters.
The reason why brown rice is the perfect choice for a healthy balanced diet is due to the following reasons:
It is very nutritious – the nutrients you will find in brown rice include some that your body needs on a regular basis. These include thiamine, protein, niacin, zinc, phosphorous, iron, and magnesium, just to name a few. A single cup of brown rice provides you with 216 calories and up to 15% of RDI for some of these nutrients.
Very high in fiber – as mentioned earlier, brown rice is high in fiber due to the presence of the bran and germ on the grain. Foods that are high in fiber are purported to help lower cholesterol and are also great for the digestion since these help move waste efficiently through your digestive tract. High fiber foods are considered sweepers when it comes to the digestive system since these tend to clean out this part of the body as it disposes of waste.
Low glycemic index – one of the latest findings shows that white rice has a glycemic index of between 59 and 80, making it one of the worst grains for diabetics to eat. If you are trying to watch your sugar intake, but don’t want to avoid rice altogether, eating brown rice is your better choice. It is said to have a GI of 55 or lower, which makes it a better alternative.
Alternatives for People on Strict Weight Loss Diets
Sometimes, when people find themselves eating grains, they tend to feel bloated or gain weight. When you are on a strict weight loss diet, but don’t want to compromise your health by skipping carbs altogether, you can still get the nutrients you need without consuming grains. What you can do is to try alternatives like drinking brown rice milk to get the nutrients that can be found in brown rice.
Some people are not aware of the health benefits of plant-based milk. These are just as nutritious as their solid counterparts and are a great alternative for those who are into juicing or are trying to reduce their intake of solid food but don’t want to miss out on nutrients. Plant-based milk is also a great option for people who have recently discovered they are lactose intolerant but miss the taste and feel of milk in their mouth.
Some of the choices you have when it comes to milk from plant-based sources, aside from brown rice milk, include almond milk, hazelnut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk. These are just a few of the healthier choices you have for regular milk, and they are a great source of nutrients for those who are on a juicing, liquid, or strict weight loss regimen.
