What Is The Healthiest Way To Eat Rice?

Rice is a widely consumed food worldwide that can be enjoyed in various recipes, with different food combinations.

Rice is one of the most consumed foods in the world. In itself it can be a bit monotonous, but it can be prepared in various ways together with other foods and you get really delicious dishes. What is the healthiest way to eat rice? The truth is that some are healthier than others depending on the preparation and what it is accompanied with.

Many cultures in the world have in common eating rice. It is common in many civilizations, like wheat. However, you have to take into account some issues when cooking it. Therefore, below we will discuss some of the healthiest ways to eat it.

Rice and weight gain

Rice is a cereal that contains water, carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals. The amount of fats it contains are minimal. It is basically a healthy food that contains the carbohydrates that the body needs.

The experts of the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN) make a clarification that is important to take into account in relation to the nutritional value of this food:

By itself, it is not a harmful food. It all depends on how it is cooked, with what it is combined and in what quantities it is consumed.

Although it is true that the most common thing in the world has been to consume white rice, diet and nutrition experts recommend replacing this with brown rice, since this provides a greater amount of fiber to the diet, in addition to nutrients.

Is it dangerous to eat rice?

There are many myths around rice. Mikel López Iturriaga, philologist and gastronomic critic, has denied some of the most popular in the following video.

One of the myths that has caused the most concern in the population is that rice contains arsenic, a poisonous substance. López Iturriaga clarifies that, although in effect, this substance is present, the amount is minimal and does not pose a risk to health.

Relatively recently, it was discovered that by cooking rice in the traditional way (2 parts of water for every 1 of rice), the arsenic is not released from the cereal. This discovery by Professor Andy Meharg has changed the perspective when it comes to the technique of cooking rice.

Five measures of water for one of rice

However, this same scientist has observed that with this proportion of water per cup of rice, arsenic levels can be reduced by up to 80%. Interestingly, this is the ratio to make a risotto.

Soak overnight

This technique is even safer. It consists of letting the rice soak from the night before and then rinsing it until the water is clear. Then you have to apply the previous technique to cook it, that is, the 5: 1 ratio.

In addition to this, the scientist discovered that the higher the proportions of water, the more arsenic was released. For example, in a ratio of 12 parts of water to each of rice, the amount of arsenic was reduced by 57%.

Eat rice in a healthy way

If what you want is to promote health when eating rice, you can make certain types of combinations that increase the benefits of its consumption. Here are some of them.

Rice and broths

If you want to flavor the rice while enhancing its nutritional aspects, you can use broths. Vegetable or chicken broths add flavor; in this way, its nutrients are activated and absorbed in a better way.

Ginger rice

Whenever you want a different rice with a lot of flavor and with health benefits, it is advisable to add ginger. The ginger must be grated and can be used when cooking in the water or integrated into the sauce. If you add a little coconut oil to this, the flavor and the health of the dish are guaranteed.

Rice with foods rich in antioxidants

As you can see, there are several ways to enrich the consumption of rice. One of them is to take advantage of ingredients that have antioxidants. They can be vegetables and mushrooms, for example; these products provide some protein doses and a good amount of antioxidants.

Garlic is also an ingredient with many properties. In addition to its separate effects, it makes a perfect combination with onion and rice.

All these elements will make the preparation of rice a tasty and healthy meal.

Rice is an ingredient that is offered like few others to creativity in the kitchen. It is a noble ingredient and accepts whatever a good culinary mind adds to it. It just lacks ingenuity, research, and an appreciation for the art of healthy cooking.