White or brown rice: Yay or Nay?

All rice varieties of rice are mostly made up of carbs, with smaller amounts of protein so if you are looking to lower your carbohydrate intake it’s neither. Also think about how much of your plate is going to rice, in most hawker meals a large part of your plate will be rice.

People who may want to reduce their carb intake include those who have blood sugar or metabolic issues, anyone trying to lose weight and people with autoimmunity.

When it comes to the battle between brown and white rice this depends from person to person.

• Brown rice is a whole grain so it contains more fibre, vitamins and minerals compared to white rice which is refined. This means that brown rice will affect your blood sugar slightly less and provide more nutrients.
• For anyone with digestive issues white rice always wins as it does not contain phytic acid, which is hard to digest and it also contains less arsenic, which is a common toxin found in rice.

Rice can be a good addition for gluten free diets but it is certainly not a necessary food group. We always ask clients to reduce their rice consumption and fuel up on protein and vegetables first and treat rice as a condiment not the main event.