The reason that makes brown rice staple is that it is healthy, easy to prepare and is versatile in the kitchen! Before you opt to have brown rice for weight loss, it is important to remember that they won’t make a difference if you don’t alternate other aspects of consumption. This alternatively states that brown rice will not help if you go on consuming every unhealthy thing that you have been eating. You have to serve brown rice with curries which have calorie-controlled and also exercise regularly. These are some steps towards long term weight loss and better maintenance.
Calories content in brown rice
The process of losing weight is determined by the calories that you have in your body, with the calories that you will consume. When you consume fewer calories, you start burning fat, and that makes the difference. Brown rice isn’t the most favorable thing to consume in terms of low calorie content, but it has high nutritional value. A cup of cooked brown rice contains 216 calories, which is around 14% of the calorie content you need to consume in a day. It is lower in calorie compared to white rice, which has 242 calories per cup. If you are planning to take up brown rice and consume it instead of white rice, then for every 1 cup of rice, you will have saved yourself from almost 9,500 calories. This is about 1.3 kg of fat, but that is constant only when you don’t bring other weight loss or gain aspects under consideration.
Weight loss benefits
Brown rice aids weight loss, due to the fiber content. When you plan to make multiple weight loss changes, eating more fiber, gets you closer to your goal. A latest study had suggested that weight-loss benefits from following the ‘Dash diet’, which is to improve cardiovascular health, is aided mostly by consuming more fiber, even though other diet pattern remains constant. The people who followed Dash diet, lost more weight compared to people who followed other types of diet. You would have to consume about 30 grams of fiber everyday to see significant results. Consume one cup of brown rice, and add 3.5 grams of fiber in your body. That is more than 10% of your goal. On the other hand, white rice adds only about 0.6 gram of fiber.
Proof that brown rice reduces weight
There is one direct link between brown rice and weight loss! There were two women who were tested to switch over from white to brown rice, and both of them had type 2 diabetes. With time, they lost weight and improved blood pressure. There was one more study which concentrated on how brown rice reduces visceral fat, which is the metabolically active belly fat surrounding our organ. This study proved that switching over to brown rice from white, reduced visceral fat and reduced possibilities of health risks too! Brown rice was also researched to interact with fat cells, and prevent the growth of newer fat cells. This triggered fat burn and promoted fat loss in the people who were taken under the study!
Cooking long grain brown rice
Take 1 cup of uncooked brown rice to expand it into 3 cups of cooked rice. Brown rice has a different taste and is not as plain as white rice. This is why, people on extreme diet, often opt consume plain brown rice. You can also eat it like you consume white rice, with recipes that you cook at home. Just make sure that you keep a tab on the calorie content and then add to your diet.
How to cook?
Saucepan
Take a medium-sized saucepan and add 2 cups water. Let it boil, after which you add 1/4th teaspoon of salt to it. Add 1 cup of long grain brown rice and then put tight lid. Let it cook for 45 minutes so that the rice tenders. Let the water get absorbed. Don’t take the lid off, as proper cooking will rely on the amount of steam that develops. Take the pan off heat and let it stand. Cover it for 5 minutes and then use a fork to see if the rice is fluffy enough.
- You could add 1 and ½ teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules instead of salt for better taste.
- When the rice starts boiling, reduce flames to low. The rice at the bottom can burn if the flames are too high, yet semi-cooked.
- Using a glass lid is better than other utensils, since letting out the steam becomes easier!
Rice cooker
Rice cookers are made to make rice the best way possible, which is why there are fewer chances to fail! Your cooker with vary from another, which is why, following instructions is very important. You need to be sure about how much rice and water you are to add. Just like the saucepan method, make sure you don’t remove the lid while the rice is cooking. Specialized rice cooker have a feature to keep the rice warm after the cooking ends. The time you spare from cooking to eating, keep the food fresh and warm!
Oven-cooked rice
If you are going to cook rice in an over, preheat it to 350°F. Take 1-quart casserole and add 1 and ½ cup of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of butter/margarine. Add 3/4th cup of long grain rice and then add ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover and bake for about an hour. Check if rice is soft and liquid had absorbed. Use a fork to check the fluff.
