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Celebrate the GREAT Grain During September National Rice Month

Rice Helps Consumers Follow 2005 Dietary Guidelines

Arlington, VA, March 1, 2005 — September is National Rice Month and this year there are even more good reasons to enjoy this wholesome, great-tasting and low-calorie grain. A favorite culinary staple that nourishes two-thirds of the world’s population, costs only 5 cents per serving and contributes over 15 essential nutrients to the diet, rice can help consumers achieve the key goals of maintaining a healthy weight and increasing physical activity recommended in the recently released 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

A nutrient-rich complex carbohydrate, rice fits well in the Guidelines’ recommendation to get the most nutrition out of calories consumed and provides the main energy source to fuel muscles for an active lifestyle. It also fits the recommendation to limit intake of fats, sugar, cholesterol and salt highlighted as America’s health and nutrition goals; and, when partnered with vegetables, it helps consumers reach their recommended 2 ½ cups of vegetables daily. Nutritious, versatile, low-cost, low calorie rice can be the foundation for healthier eating for all consumers and in all cuisines.

Enriched and whole grain foods, like enriched white rice (which is fortified with folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron) and whole grain brown rice, are among the food groups that should form the basis for a healthy diet. Specifically, the Guidelines recommend that people “consume 3 or more servings (a serving is defined as a one- ounce equivalent) of whole grain products per day, with the rest of the recommended grain servings coming from enriched or whole-grain foods.” At the highest caloric intake levels, individuals are advised to eat five or more servings of whole grains and up to five of enriched for a total of 10 grain servings.

Rice Fits

“Rice is an ideal grain for a number of reasons,” says Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, FADA, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “It’s a complex carbohydrate source that is low in fat and calories, contributes over 15 essential nutrients to the diet, and because of its versatility, both brown and white rice can complement and partner with other nutritious foods at meal-time, like vegetables, beans, fish, lean meat and poultry.”

Here are some specific ways that rice fits into many of the key recommendations in the new Dietary Guidelines:

Adequate Nutrients within Calorie Needs

At 103 – 108 calories per serving (1/2 cup cooked rice), both white and brown rice are nutrient-rich as well as filling and satisfying low-calorie grains. Because of its great taste and versatility, rice is an ideal partner for other low-calorie, nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables and beans.

Less than one percent of the calories in rice come from fat. If prepared with low-fat eating in mind, rice can be used as a staple in low-fat meal preparation. Rice is naturally cholesterol-free and contains no trans fats.

Rice is naturally sodium-free and can be prepared using very little salt, meaning rice contributes virtually no salt to the diet.

Food Groups to Encourage

In general, at least half of daily grain servings should come from whole grains, like brown rice. The balance should come from enriched (like enriched white rice) or whole grain products. Since it’s a familiar food, consuming brown rice is one of the easiest ways to increase whole grain consumption. In addition, both brown and white rice are versatile, which makes it easy for people to prepare healthy meals combining rice with a variety of healthy vegetables.

Enriched white rice also contributes many important nutrients and is especially rich in folic acid (folate). Since 1998, the U.S. government has mandated that cereal grains, like white rice, be fortified with folate for the prevention of neural tube defects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) credits this fortification program for reducing the incidence of severe brain and spinal birth defects by at least 27 percent as well as reducing the number of deaths caused by heart disease.

Physical Activity

Rice contributes complex carbohydrates to the diet, which fuel the body. Carbohydrates, the body’s preferred energy source for the muscles, are critical to an active lifestyle. The Dietary Guidelines continue to support the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation that 45 to 65 percent of daily calories should come from carbohydrates.

Stats & Facts At A Glance

At 103 – 108 calories per half-cup cooked serving, rice is a low-calorie food

Over 85 percent of rice’s calories come from energy-providing complex carbohydrates

Less than one percent of rice’s calories come from fat; rice contains no trans fat

Each serving of rice contains 2.5 grams of highly-digestible protein

Naturally sodium- and cholesterol-free

Contributes over 15 essential nutrients to the diet, including folate (enriched white), other B-vitamins, potassium, magnesium, iron, selenium (brown) and fiber (brown)

When paired with beans, can provide all essential amino-acids for a complete source of protein

A half-cup serving of brown rice counts as one serving of whole grains

Note to Editors: Important new research about the healthy diets of rice eaters will be released this spring. We will send the report to you upon release. Research findings, together with the information in this release, strongly support the important role of rice in a healthy diet.

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