Brown Rice – The Thought Is Good, The Taste Is Bad!

I am an Agriculturist, a 1965 graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños, but I don’t remember “brown rice” being discussed in class. Not that important?

3 decades plus later, when I was Editor In Chief of the Philippine Journal of Crop Science(PJCS), early 2000s, at the PhilRice Los Baños Station where I was holding office courtesy of Diego Ramos, Station Chief, I remember retired PhilRice Executive Director SRO and retired IRRI scientist Cesar Mamaril talking expertly and enthusiastically about brown rice. They talked about having to soak before cooking – but not about the taste.

Today, I can tell anyone: Brown rice? There is no love lost between us.

Here comes Mervalyn Tomas with her article at the PhilRice website: “Study: More Filipino Consumers Aware Of Health Benefits Of Low-GI Rice[1]” (27 August 2021, Philrice.gov.ph). “GI” is glycemic index. According to the Mayo Clinic, “The glycemic index is a system of assigning a number to carbohydrate-containing foods according to how much each food increases blood sugar[2].” Medical application – If you suffer from high blood pressure, or have a tendency to it, eat brown rice instead of white rice for your own sake.
(lower image[3]from Xtra Foods)

I’m glad that in fact I am “low blood” – which means I don’t have to eat brown rice.

I know brown rice is nutritious. Jillian Kubala, MS, RD says, “Brown rice is a food often associated with healthy eating” (23 May 2018, “Is Brown Rice Good For You[4]?” Healthline, Healthline.com). Ms Jillian says the benefits of brown rice are:

1.     It’s nutritious – 1 cup of brown rice contains 216 calories, 44 gm carbs, 3.5 gm fiber, 1.8 gm fat, 5 gm protein. You also get copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, pyridoxine, selenium. thiamin, and zinc.

2.     Helps lose weight – Since fiber keeps you fuller longer, you consume less calories, eventually weigh less.

3.     Benefits heart – From a study of 560,000 people: Those who ate the most dietary fiber had 24-59% lower risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disease.

4.     Prevents diabetes – From a study of 197,000 people: “swapping just 50 grams of white rice for brown rice per week was associated with a 16% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”

Thank you! But I still don’t like the taste of brown rice! So what should I do?

Ms Jillian lists several ways to consume brown rice not as plain brown rice. A few of these are:

1.     Make a grain bowl for lunch with brown rice, veggies and protein.

2.     Top brown rice with eggs, salsa, avocados and black beans for a savory breakfast.

3.     Use brown rice instead of white rice when making stir-fries.

4.     Instead of white pasta, incorporate brown rice into your favorite soup recipes.

5.     Use brown rice in your curry recipes.

6.     Swap white pasta with brown rice pasta.

7.     Sauté brown rice with olive oil and garlic for a flavorful carbohydrate option.

Wonderful!@517

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[1]https://www.philrice.gov.ph/study-more-filipino-consumers-aware-of-health-benefits-of-low-gi-rice/?fbclid=IwAR1YIhBn8fo1ynnRaNX43e4-pRtl9Z686ya6CkCe03KoiQSuvMMQVu40Z5U

[2]https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/glycemic-index-diet/art-20048478

[3]https://www.facebook.com/xtrafoodscares/posts/-white-rice-or-brown-rice-here-are-some-of-the-healthy-benefits-of-both-by-mealp/3277691442298991/

[4]https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-brown-rice-good-for-you