Give Us This Day Our Daily Rice

Content provided by:

Find more

Q: I am a 21-year-old Asian girl, and I usually eat rice twice a day. Does this increase my risk for diabetes? Are there any types of rice that are healthy? Is basmati rice better for you? I read that complex carbohydrates can make you gain weight and I think that this is why my family has so much diabetes.

A: Contrary to popular opinion, carbs are not the enemy. Foods like rice, potatoes, pasta and breads have gotten an undeserved rap through an American preoccupation with demonizing foods. According to nutrition research, there is no one food that will make or break your diet. So, let’s look at how you can develop a guilt-free relationship with rice.

Telling you to ditch the rice in your diet is akin to taking the mac out of macaroni and cheese—it’s cultural heresy. Bengali eggplant, lemongrass chicken and moo goo gui pan would be incomplete without rice. Embrace this staple of your heritage and beef up its value in your diet. Select brown basmati or brown jasmine rice to get more nutritional bang for your buck. Choose enriched rice as a second alternative to brown rice. Avoid rinsing enriched rice when cooking. Add frozen mixed vegetables to white rice to give it a nutritious kick.

Even if you eat rice three times per day, your dietary risks for diabetes are no greater than a person choosing cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. It is not the number of times that you eat rice per day, it’s the serving sizes that make the difference. According to www.mypyramid.com, you need about 2,000 calories a day as follows:

Grains	6 ounces
Vegetables	2.5 cups
Fruits	2 cups
Milk	3 cups
Meat and Beans	3.5 ounces

Create balance in your diet by eating a variety of grains and watching portion sizes to control your weight. Notice that you can have up to six servings of grains per day (one-third cup equals one serving). Try to make at least three servings whole-grain products. So, enjoy at least one cup of cooked brown rice each day. Rice is an important part of your diet, but you should also include other whole grain breads and pasta.

A good diet can lower your risk for developing diabetes, but it’s not the only thing. Address your other diabetes risk factors by increasing the amount of physical activity that you do. Also, remember, as I’ve said before in my article “Carbohydrate Control and the Diabetes Pantry,” a healthy diet for a diabetic looks a lot like healthy diet for everyone, so model good practices for your family members.

Your feelings about rice probably resonate with the famous Japanese proverb that a meal without rice is no meal. Follow the tips above to get the most out of this cultural favorite.

Learn More About Rice and Grains:

Read More About Diet & Nutrition on MSN Health & Fitness:

Find all articles by Keecha.

Do you have a nutrition question you'd like to ask MSN Health & Fitness? Send e-mail to experts@microsoft.com. Please include Ask the Nutritionist in the subject line. We regret that we cannot provide a personalized response to every submission.
Keecha Harris is President of Harris and Associates, a food systems and public health consulting firm based in Birmingham, Ala. (Read her full bio.)