What are the differences between brown rice and white rice? What’s healthier? Here’s what you need to know before planning your meals.
Brown Rice or White Rice: Which is Better? Have you ever wondered which of the two to include in your meal? Both types of rice are considered part of a healthy diet, but is one a better choice? Here’s a breakdown. And spoiler alert: there is clearly a winner!
Brown Rice vs. White Rice: Overview
First, let’s define each rice variety. Are brown rice and white rice different varieties or the same food?
- Rice is a seed of grass species. It is the world’s most consumed staple food, a staple for more than 3.5 billion people worldwide. There are many types of rice: white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, etc.
- What is white rice? White rice is rice that has been processed to remove the hull, bran and germ.
- What is brown rice? Brown rice is that whole whole grain of rice. It retains the nutrient-rich bran and germ and only removes the husk.
At the end of the line: Brown rice and white rice are the same ingredient processed differently!
Brown Rice vs. White Rice: Cooking Time!
The main difference in cooking brown rice and white rice is the cooking time. Here’s what you need to know:
- How long does it take to cook white rice? Cook for about 15 minutes and rest for 5 minutes. This includes the time to boil the water and steam the rice at the end.
- How long does it take to cook brown rice? Cook for about 45 to 50 minutes and rest for 10 minutes. It takes longer than white rice because it’s less processed. Abbreviation: Use our quick brown rice method, which only takes 35 minutes total.
You can also cook rice in an Instant Pot! Cooking times are very similar for both: switch to Instant Pot White Rice and Instant Pot Brown Rice.
Brown Rice vs. White Rice: Nutrition Facts
So if brown rice takes that much longer to cook… is it worth it? Let’s review the basic nutritional differences between brown rice and white rice. Here is the basic nutritional information for 1 cup of cooked rice:
| ingredient | calories | protein | crabs | fiber | Large |
| Brown rice | 216 | 5 grams | 44 grams | 3.5 grams | 1.8 grams |
| white rice | 204 | 4 grams | 42 grams | 0.6 grams | 0.5 grams |
Data sources: brown rice nutrition, white rice nutrition
nutrient comparison
As you can see, brown rice contains three times more fiber than white rice, which is basically 0 grams. To get the full picture of brown rice versus white rice, you need to look at the nutrients too! Here is the breakdown of the nutrients:
- Brown rice has many nutrients. It’s a good source of folic acid, riboflavin, potassium, calcium and manganese.
- white rice does not contain any of the beneficial nutrients found in brown rice. Again, that’s because it’s more processed and lacks the nutrient-dense bran and germ.
Glycemic Index
Another measure to consider is the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) value shows how a food affects a person’s blood sugar levels. A low reading indicates that food has less of an impact on your blood sugar, so low readings are good here. This is especially relevant for people with diabetes. The stats range from low GI: 1 to 55, medium GI: 56 to 69, and high GI: 70 and up. (Learn more at the Mayo Clinic.)
- Brown rice has a glycemic index of 68, an average level. (The source)
- white rice has a glycemic index of 73, a high level. (The source)
So brown rice or white rice: which is healthier?
In the table above, you can see the following differences between quinoa and brown rice:
- Calories, carbohydrates and proteins: Brown rice and white rice are essentially the same.
- Fiber: Brown rice contains three times more fiber than white rice, which has almost none.
- Large: Brown rice contains slightly more fat than white rice, but it’s still a very low-fat food.
- Nutrient: Brown rice is loaded with beneficial nutrients; white rice has none.
- Glycemic Index: Brown rice is medium on the GI scale and white rice is high.
At the end of the line: Brown rice contains more nutrients and fiber than white rice, making it a more nutritious option. It’s the healthier of the two grains and well worth the extra time cooking. But white rice is still a healthy option if you’re getting fiber and nutrients from other parts of your meal: like a stir-fry with lots of veggies and white rice.
