HEALTHY CHOICES: Why is brown rice better than white?
A grain of rice is composed of several different layers. Only the outside layer, the 'hull', is removed during the production of brown rice and very little goodness is lost by the grain in the process.
But during the production of white rice, the grains are milled to remove more layers - the bran and almost all of the germ. This process strips the grains of the majority of their nutrients.
In the final part of the process, another layer called 'aleurone' is removed and the grains are polished. But aleurone is a good source of essential fats, which play such an important role in your diet.
So what are you left with?
White rice - a refined starch that offers your little one very little in the way of nutrition.
Source: Mayo Clinic (Whole Grains)
Why is brown rice such a healthy choice for baby?
Just look at what it contains!
- vitamins B1, B3 and B6
- manganese (essential for healthy bones, manganese also reduces the
symptoms of asthma and is a powerful, energy-providing antioxidant)
- iron
- phosphorus
- selenium
- Essential Fatty Acids
- fibre
Other important benefits gained from eating brown rice include a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and lower levels of cholesterol.
Yet a very large percentage of these valuable nutrients are lost during the production of white rice.
By law, white rice in some countries must be 'enriched' and certain nutrients must be added back in. So it should be just as good for you as brown rice, right?
Wrong - because the nutrients are not in their original form, they are far less beneficial to health. In fact, enriched white rice is STILL lacking 11 valuable nutrients that are NEVER replaced (see The World's Healthiest Foods for more information).
Brown rice is full of flavour
Some people say that brown rice does not taste as good as white. But these people have often grown up ONLY eating white rice, which actually has very little flavour (unsurprising, when you consider how much is removed from the grain to produce it!). Brown rice does taste VERY different to white! Its flavour is almost nutty and - conversely - people who regularly eat brown rice find white rice very bland and unappetizing.
That's why it's a good idea to get you accustomed to the full flavour of nutritious brown rice from an early age!
any comments are highly appreciated!
Smile & Have a great day
Astrid
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