Switching to half brown and half white rice
Fibre - The Basics
“Brown rice contains 4 times as much fibre as white rice”, says nutritionist Pinal Patel, “wholegrain or brown rice contains important vitamins including B1, Niacin, folic acid and the minerals potassium, calcium and iron”.
Pinal adds, “rice can be steamed, boiled, baked or fried, though steaming helps retain much of the nutritional value, along with the flavour (it also prevents the grains from becoming "mushy")”.
“Rice is a symbol of life and fertility - hence the old tradition of throwing rice at weddings. Best to throw uncooked rice! (perhaps this is why confetti is thrown in place of rice at most weddings today)”.
Common Fibre Myths and Misconceptions
- “Rice is fattening”. No – If you do not eat too large a portion of rice at meal times, and you do not overeat in general, rice in itself is not fattening. Adding creamy sauces, cheese, fats or oils to rice can double its calorie content.
Fibre Tips and Tricks
- Brown or wild rice takes slightly longer to cook than white rice – the higher fibre content takes longer to absorb water and soften; use approximately 2 parts water to 1 part rice to ensure enough cooking fluid (use more water when cooking brown or wild rice).
- 2 heaped tablespoons of cooked rice is 1 Nutrition Card™® portion.
- Replace half of the white rice in recipes with brown rice – cook brown rice for about 10 minutes before adding the white rice to the pot.
- Overcooking rice will release more starch from the grain leaving you with a sticky “mush”! Stay in the kitchen and check it after 20 minutes to see how it is cooking – test by chewing it or cutting a grain in half to see if it is cooked through.
- Be adventurous and try the many different types of rice available – take a trip to a health food shop and ask the assistants questions (assistants in independent outlets are usually very knowledgeable on their products, so pick their brains for ideas and tips on recipes).
- Wild rice is expensive but a little will go a long way because it has a distinctive smoky, nutty flavour, and it will impart this to the white or brown rice to which you add it.
- Remember not to overdo any sauce topping on the rice – use reduced fat sauces when you can.