Rice comes in over 7,000 varieties and is usually classified according to its length. Long-grain rice is 4 to 5 times as long as its width, according to Epicurious.com. Long-grain rice cooks up into light, separate grains that are not gummy or moist. Well-known versions of long-grain rice are basmati and texmati. Understanding the nutrition value of long-grain rice can help you determine how to include it as part of a healthy diet.
Calories and Macronutrients
One cup of long-grain white rice contains 205 calories and no fat. It provides 45 g of carbohydrates. With only 1 g of fiber, white rice is not considered a high-fiber food. In a cup of long-grain white rice, you also get 4 g of protein. Because the outer bran husk is removed, long-grain white rice is considered refined and not a whole grain.
Vitamins
One cup of long-grain white rice is fortified with extra B vitamins because most of these vitamins are removed with the outer bran. The B complex of vitamins help you breakdown food into energy and support red blood cell health. One cup of long-grain rice provides .147 mg of vitamin B6, 92 mcg of folate, 2.3 mg of thiamin, .3 mg of niacin and .62 mg of pantothenic acid.
Minerals
White long-grain rice is also fortified with iron, so 1 cup provides 1.9 mg of this mineral essential to red blood cell functioning. One cup also provides 16 mg of calcium, 19 mg of magnesium, 68 mg of phosphorus and 55 mg of potassium. It also provides .75 mg of the trace mineral manganese, .77 mg of zinc, .11 mg of copper and 12 mcg of selenium.
Considerations
Long-grain rice is also available in a whole grain brown version. Brown rice is not as refined as white rice and, consequently, it retains more nutrients. One cup of long-grain brown rice contains 216 calories and 2 g of fat. Long-grain white rice is enriched with extra iron and B vitamins, so it offers more of these nutrients. Long-grain brown rice, however, has four times the fiber, with 4 g per cup, and 25 percent more protein, with 5 g per cup. Long-grain brown rice also provides a higher amount of most minerals, including 84 mg of magnesium, 162 mg of phosphorus, 1.8 mg of manganese, 1.23 mg of zinc and .2 mg of copper.
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