Rice is the collective term for the seeds of the rice plant (Oryza sativa.) Rice is a cereal crop, which means it's a grass that's cultivated for the edible components of its seeds. According to the journal "Plant & Cell Physiology," it's the most commercially important cereal crop in the tropical parts of the world. The number of biologically distinct forms of rice currently exceeds 100,000 as of 2010, according to the International Rice Research Institute. They're generally classified according to the shape of the grain and the texture. The variety of the rice and the cooking method can both affect the nutritional value of rice. The protein and carbohydrate content is highly dependent on the the variety of rice. The milling process also determines the amount of husk and endosperm that remain on the rice, which directly affects the vitamin content of the rice. The length of time that you steam the rice determines the volume of the steamed rice and therefore affects its nutritional value.
Preparation and Serving Size
The Cereal Knowledge Bank reports that parboiling is the most common method of cooking rice. This generally requires you to place the appropriate amount of rice and water in a rice steamer. You may then turn on the steamer and allow the rice to absorb the water. Steamed rice has a different nutritional value by volume than uncooked rice since the steamed rice also contains water. Th nutritional information in this article is for ½ cup of steamed, long-grain white rice weighing 2.9 oz.
Calories
A serving of steamed rice provides 97 calories, which is 4.9 percent of the daily value (DV) for calories. This assumes a standard diet of 2,000 calories per day. Carbohydrates provide 86 calories, protein accounts for 7 calories and fat contributes the remaining 4 calories.
Carbohydrates
A serving of steamed rice contains 20.7 total grams of carbohydrates, which is 7 percent of the DV for total carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates comprise 20.2 g of this total, and dietary fiber provides the remaining 0.5 g of carbohydrates. This provides 2 percent of the DV for dietary fiber. Steamed rice contains no simple sugar.
Fat
A serving of steamed rice also has a total of 0.4 grams of fat, which is less than 1 percent of the DV for total fat. Saturated fat provides less than 0.1 grams of this total, which is less than 0.1 percent of the DV for saturated fat. Steamed rice contains no trans fat or cholesterol.
Additional Nutrients
A serving of steamed rice has 1.8 grams of protein, which is 3.6 percent of the DV for protein. It also has 3 mg of sodium, 6.6 mg of calcium and 7.4 mg of potassium. All of the quantities are less than 1 percent of their respective DVs.
Member Comments