How to Compare Brown Rice to White Rice

Many people prefer to purchase white rice over brown rice because thy are accustomed to the taste of rice, having grown up eating it. Brown rice on the other hand is virtually and seen as a new “healthy” alternative with a higher price tag that takes a lot longer to cook. To find out which type of rice it makes more sense to purchase, you really need to compare brown rice to white rice.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Compare the price of white to brown rice in your grocery store. White rice typically costs approximately $2.50 for a 32 ounce bag. Brown rice is typically sold in smaller bags and generally costs $2.75 for 16 ounces. This makes the cost of brown rice nearly twice the cost of white rice. You would think that since brown rice has less processing costs that it would cost less, but that is not the case.
2. Try cooking both white and brown rice to see how long it takes to finish. Depending on the kids of white rice you purchase, it can cook very quickly. Brown rice on the other hand can take 20 to 30 minutes to cook.
3. Research how long white rice and brown rice can be safely stored. It is not recommended that you purchase large quantities of brown rice as it will go bad faster because it is in its natural state. White rice can be stored for many months, however.
4. Read the labels on both the white rice and the brown rice. At first glance at the nutritional labels of white rice and brown rice, it appears that enriched white rice in superior to brown. This is because after the fiber is stripped from the brown rice in the hulling process to make white rice, synthetic nutrients are added back to compensate. So while it may appear that white rice has more nutrients, brown rice has more naturally occurring nutrients. In addition, white rice is sorely lacking in fiber, the one ingredient that our diets are most deficient in.
5. Read about how white rice and brown rice are digested by the body. For those with insulin problems like diabetes or a history of diabetes in the family, brown rice is the better choice. The fiber in brown rice causes it to be absorbed slowly by the body eliminated a spike in blood sugar.
6. Look into the benefit of white and brown rice on weight loss. Brown rice technically has more calories per cup than white rice. However, those calories are more filling due to the fiber content, so a person is naturally inclined to eat less.