Rice flour is made from ground rice and can be made from either brown or white rice. Because rice flour is made from rice and not wheat, you can eat products made from it even if you are gluten-intolerant or have an allergy to wheat. Rice flour is often used to make gluten-free bread, cookies and tortillas.
Calories
White rice flour and brown rice flour contain a similar amount of calories, with a ½ cup of white rice flour containing 289 calories and a ½ cup of brown rice flour containing 289 calories. Brown rice flour contains slightly more fat and protein, with 2.2 and 5.7 g per serving, respectively. White rice flour contains 4.7 g of protein and 1.1 g of fat per serving.
Carbohydrates and Fiber
Although white rice flour is slightly higher in carbohydrates than brown rice flour, it is lower in fiber. One serving of white rice flour contains 63.3 g of carbohydrates, only 1.9 g of which are fiber. This is only 7 percent of the recommended amount of fiber per day for adults. One serving of brown rice flour contains 60.4 g of carbohydrates and 3.6 g of fiber, which is 13 percent of the recommended amount per day.
Minerals
While brown and white rice flour contain almost the same amount of calories, they do not contain similar amounts of minerals. White rice flour provides more than 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of only three minerals; brown rice flour provides more than 10 percent of nearly every mineral. One serving of brown rice flour supplies more than 20 percent of the recommended amount of magnesium, phosphorus and copper, as well as 11 percent of potassium and more than 100 percent of manganese. In addition, brown rice flour supplies 20 percent of the recommended amount of iron for men and 9 percent for women. In contrast, one serving white rice flour supplies 11 percent of the recommended amount phosphorus and copper, as well as 41 percent of manganese, but provides less than 7 percent of all other minerals.
Vitamins
White rice flour and brown rice flour are both low in all four fat-soluble vitamins, as well as vitamin C. Both flours do, however, provide significant amounts of some of the water-soluble B vitamins. White rice flour provides 13 percent of the recommended amount of niacin and pantothenic acid, along with 26 percent of vitamin B-6. Brown rice flour contains the same three vitamins, but in higher amounts. One serving provides 31 percent of niacin, 25 percent of pantothenic acid and 45 percent of B-6. One serving of brown rice flour also supplies 27 percent of the recommended amount of thiamin, while one serving of white rice flour provides only 9 percent.
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