Today we are discussing one of the foods most often found in an athlete’s diet. Have you ever wondered about the calories in rice? Is it good for you? How can you enjoy it without getting bored?
Read on: this post is for you.
How many calories are in 100 grams of white rice?
Here we are referring to the calories in dry rice, before cooking.
Calories in white rice
100 grams of white rice contain 353 calories.
Macronutrients in white rice
100 grams of white rice provide the following macros:
- Calories: 353 kcal
- Protein: 7 g – 28 kcal – (8 %)
- Carbohydrate: 79 g – 316 kcal – (90 %)
- Fat: 1 g – 9 kcal – (3 %)
Micronutrients in white rice
What about micronutrients?
Vitamins
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 0.578 mg
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 0.048 mg
- Vitamin B3 (niacin): 5.093 mg
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 1.342 mg
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 0.145 mg
- Vitamin B9 (folic acid): 9 micrograms
- Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin): 0 micrograms
- Vitamin C: 0 mg
- Vitamin A: 0 micrograms
- Vitamin D: 0 micrograms
- Vitamin E: 0.11 mg
Minerals
- Calcium: 9 mg
- Iron: 4.36 mg
- Magnesium: 35 mg
- Zinc: 1.16 mg
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Potassium: 86 mg
- Phosphorus: 108 mg
- Selenium: 15.1 micrograms
How many calories are in 100 grams of brown rice?
You may have heard that brown rice contains more micronutrients than white rice, and that is true. Keeping the bran layer on the grain preserves more vitamins and minerals.
What about the calories in brown rice?
Calories in brown rice
100 grams of brown rice contain 367 calories.
Macronutrients in brown rice
100 grams of brown rice provide the following macros:
- Calories: 367 kcal
- Protein: 8 g – 32 kcal – (9 %)
- Carbohydrate: 77 g – 308 kcal – (84 %)
- Fat: 3 g – 27 kcal – (7 %)
Micronutrients in brown rice
Vitamins
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 0.401 mg
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 0.093 mg
- Vitamin B3 (niacin): 5.091 mg
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 1.493 mg
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 0.509 mg
- Vitamin B9 (folic acid): 20 micrograms
- Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin): 0 micrograms
- Vitamin C: 0 mg
- Vitamin A: 0 micrograms
- Vitamin D: 0 micrograms
- Vitamin E: 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K: 1.9 micrograms
Minerals
- Calcium: 23 mg
- Iron: 1.47 mg
- Magnesium: 143 mg
- Zinc: 2.02 mg
- Sodium: 7 mg
- Potassium: 223 mg
- Phosphorus: 333 mg
- Selenium: 23.4 micrograms
Is brown rice or white rice better?
This is not a rice competition. Neither variety is universally better than the other. There are, however, situations where one may be more useful.
Brown rice has not been refined, which gives it a darker appearance because it retains the bran layer of the original grain. Keeping the whole grain produces three main differences compared with white rice:
- It contains more vitamins, antioxidants and minerals.
- It provides more fibre, slowing digestion and increasing feelings of fullness.
- Its glycaemic index is lower, allowing a more sustained release of glucose into the bloodstream.
White rice is easier to digest. Remember that carbohydrate is the main energy source used during moderate- or high-intensity exercise. Since brown rice is absorbed more slowly than white rice, consider the time between your meal and your next training session to reduce the risk of digestive discomfort.
Which rice should athletes eat?
White rice is often recommended for athletes, although you can choose either variety depending on the circumstances.
Here are three examples:
- In the day or days before an important race, if you are carbohydrate loading, choose white rice to reduce your fibre intake and make digestion as straightforward as possible.
- If you train after eating or have a high training volume throughout the day, prioritise white rice. Its faster absorption compared with brown rice helps you access energy quickly in the short term.
- If your daily training volume is low, you are having a rest day or have already trained by mealtime, brown rice can be an excellent option.
Rice before training
If your session is low intensity, such as an easy ride on the turbo trainer, your main energy source may be fat rather than carbohydrate, so eating rice may not offer a particular benefit. For training that is more demanding, your pre-workout meal should be low in fat and fibre, moderate in protein and rich in slowly absorbed carbohydrates. A recipe using white rice can fit well here.
In any case, allow enough time to digest. If you train soon after eating a rice dish, some of your blood flow will be directed towards the stomach for digestion rather than the muscles. This can affect energy efficiency and performance, and increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems, especially during intense training.
Can I carbohydrate load with rice?
Yes, rice is suitable for keeping your glycogen stores topped up and supplying energy. However, it is worth varying your carbohydrate sources when carbohydrate loading. Other options include pasta, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, millet and bread.
Rice after training
Several hours of exercise use a wide range of resources, so recovery should include protein, carbohydrate, fat, water, vitamins and minerals. Your post-workout meal and subsequent meals should therefore be balanced and complete. In particular, replenishing glycogen stores used during training requires carbohydrate-rich foods such as rice.
Muscle glycogen resynthesis after exercise takes hours or even days. It is important that recovery continues beyond the immediate post-workout meal: recovery is an ongoing process.
The best time of day to eat rice
Giving a universal recommendation about the best time to eat rice would be misleading. We cannot know the best option for your individual situation without asking about your meal frequency, schedule, preferences and appetite patterns, among other things.
How much rice can you eat each day?
The answer needs to be individualised, considering factors such as your physical characteristics, goals and training.
The appropriate amount can vary greatly. For example, someone with low energy expenditure and a goal of weight or fat loss will generally need a carbohydrate-rich food portion such as rice that is smaller than that of someone who is very active, has a high training volume and aims to gain weight or muscle.
Can you eat rice at night?
Yes, you can eat rice at night, especially after an afternoon training session to support recovery, or before a morning session to help replenish glycogen stores.
3 rice recipes
Feeling hungry? Here are three recipes available with your INDYA subscription. Your sports nutritionist may include them in your nutrition plan according to your individual needs.
- Brown rice salad with chickpeas, avocado, tomato, cucumber and red cabbage
- Portobello mushrooms stuffed with lentils, rice and vegetables
- White and wild rice with sweet potato purée, poached egg and rocket
If you like keeping rice ready to serve with your meals, a Lékué steam case makes preparation simple. Add one measure of rice and twice the volume of water: one glass of rice to two glasses of water. Microwave for 11 minutes and it is ready. Easy!
If you want to take these recommendations further and adapt them to your goals, training and individual needs, at INDYA you can work with a sports nutritionist who will design and adjust a personalised nutrition plan for you.
If you want to complement your online nutrition plan with an anthropometric assessment, visit INDYA’s centre in Valencia, where the skinfold calipers are ready and waiting ;)
