Rice is the seed of the rice plant, also called Oryza sativa, and is the most important cereal grain in most parts of the world. Its nutritional value can vary considerably depending on the variety of the rice and how it's milled. The cooking technique can also affect rice's nutritional value.
Serving Size
This nutritional information, from Nutritiondata.com, will be for ¼ cup of long-grain white rice weighing 45 grams, or approximately 1.9 ounces. This rice is uncooked, so this nutritional information will be independent of the technique used to cook the rice. It's important to note that brown rice will have a different nutritional value since it still contains the rice bran.
Calories
A serving of rice provides 160 calories, which is 8 percent of the daily value, or DV, for calories. This assumes a daily diet of 2,000 calories. Carbohydrates provide 143 calories, protein contributes 12 calories and fat accounts for the remaining 5 calories.
Carbohydrates
A serving of rice contains 36 grams of carbohydrates, which includes 35.5 grams of pure carbohydrates and 0.5 grams of dietary fiber. A serving of rice provides 12 percent of the DV for total carbohydrates and 2 percent of the DV for dietary fiber. A gram of pure carbohydrates provides 4 calories, so a serving of rice gets 35.5 x 4 = 142 of its calories from pure carbohydrates. Dietary fiber averages about 2 calories per gram, so a serving of rice gets about 0.5 x 2 = 1 calorie from dietary fiber.
Fat
A serving of rice also contains about 0.5 grams of fat, which is less than 1 percent of the DV for fat. Rice doesn't contain any cholesterol, saturated fat or trans fat. A gram of fat has 9 calories, so a serving of rice provides 0.5 x 9 = 5 calories from fat.
Protein and Minerals
A serving of rice has 3 grams of protein, which is 6 percent of the DV for protein. A gram of protein has 4 calories, so a serving of rice provides 3 x 4 = 12 calories from protein. A serving of white rice also contains 2 percent of the DV for calcium and 2 percent of the DV for iron.
Member Comments