Rice
Overview
Rice is a globally used staple carbohydrate food, with nutritional profile strongly shaped by variety and processing (e.g. white vs brown, polished vs less refined). It contributes dietary energy efficiently and can be integrated into many meal patterns.
When cooked and then cooled, rice can form additional resistant starch, which may reduce glycaemic response relative to freshly cooked equivalents in some contexts. Rice remains lysine-limited as a grain protein, so amino-acid balance improves when paired with legumes [1,2].
Key Nutritional Highlights
- Naturally gluten-free staple grain used across diverse dietary patterns.
- Nutritional profile differs substantially between less-refined and highly polished forms.
- Cooking/cooling can increase resistant starch, which may improve post-meal glycaemic response.
- Grain protein is lysine-limited, so amino-acid balance improves when paired with legumes [1,2].
Food Context
Synergies
- Pair with legumes for complete amino acid profile; pair legumes with grains (e.g., beans + rice) to cover lysine and methionine gaps
Preparation
- Cook and cool to form resistant starch; resistant starch forms when certain starchy foods are cooked and then cooled
- Reheating does not reverse resistant starch; white rice was cooled and reheated showing a rise in RS content from 0.64 to 1.65 g/100 g and elicited a lower glycemic response
- Supports butyrate production via gut fermentation; resistant starch (cooled potatoes, green bananas, cooled rice) supports Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia; ↑ butyrate production; improved gut barrier
Essential Amino Acid Profile
Rice provides a useful plant protein source but are not a complete protein.
Notable amino acids:
- Methionine (relatively higher than in legumes)
Limiting amino acids:
- Lysine (typical of grains)
Protein pairing strategy:
Grains such as rice are relatively higher in methionine but lysine-limited. Combining with legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas) creates a more balanced essential amino acid profile.
Recipes
1 recipe containing this food
Black Bean & Sweet Potato Vegetable Chilli
A fibre-rich bean and vegetable chilli with warming spices and slow carbohydrates for steady energy and satiety.
Nutrient Tables (per 100 g)
Core nutrients
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g | % RDA per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 416 kcal | — |
| Protein | 10 g | — |
| Total fat | 5 g | — |
| Saturated fat | 0 g | — |
| Carbohydrates | 82.6 g | — |
| Fibre | 0 g | — |
Key micronutrients
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g | % RDA per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0 mg | 0% |
| Zinc | 2.2 mg | 20% |
| Magnesium | 156 mg | 37.1% |
| Selenium | 25.5 µg | 46.4% |
| Calcium | 0 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 243 mg | 7.1% |
| Choline | 33.4 mg | 6.1% |
| Folate | 22 µg | 5.5% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg | 32.6% |
Substances
Substances in this food: editorial (Overview / literature) plus analytical (nutrition table).
8 substances in this food
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Mitochondrial glucose metabolism; ATP synthesis; rapid turnover in CNS
Zinc
Cofactor in neurotransmission and antioxidant enzymes; dopamine modulation
Magnesium
Enzymatic cofactor (>300 reactions); neurotransmitters; mitochondria; redox balance
Selenium
Antioxidant enzyme cofactor (GPx); supports redox balance
Potassium
Electrolyte for nerve transmission, muscle function, and blood pressure regulation
Choline
Acetylcholine precursor; methyl donor; phospholipid synthesis for membranes
Vitamin B9 (Folate; 5-MTHF)
One-carbon metabolism; methylation; homocysteine recycling
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine → PLP)
PLP cofactor for neurotransmitter synthesis; relies on brain PDXK activation
References
[1] Protein quality evaluation framework (DIAAS) FAO 2013
[2] Plant-protein adequacy, limiting amino acids, and practical complementarity Mariotti & Gardner 2019
[3] Cook-cool-reheat rice and resistant starch/glycaemic response Zhou et al. 2014