Written By: Upneet Pansare | Updated : February 22, 2018 2:31 PM IST
Rice is one of the widely consumed grains across the world and is the staple food of many countries. Many parts of India are primarily rice-eating regions. There is a lot of debate about eating rice at night, eating rice when you re diabetic or avoiding rice when you want to lose weight. The fact is that there are many health benefits of rice and it shouldn t be skipped entirely from your diet. But you need to keep in mind that your body can reap the benefits of rice only when it s eaten in the right way, in the right quantity and with a combination of other essential nutrients. Here celeb nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar answers the most common FAQs about rice.
1. How to cook rice?
Cook it the way in which it tastes the best, which is invariably how your grandmother used to.
2. Should you eat brown rice or white rice?
Hand pounded or single polished white rice. Too much fibre in brown rice comes in the way of absorption of minerals like zinc which is crucial for insulin function. Here are reasons why you need zinc.
3. Which rice should you eat?
There are thousands of varieties of rice in India, each one having its own distinct aroma and flavour. These aromatic compounds provide many nutritional benefits and work like antioxidants in the body and help defy the effects of ageing. So eat the variety which grows in (or closest to) the region you live. Do you know how much food you should eat during a meal?
4. Can you have rice and roti together?
Yes, you can if you have the appetite.
5. What if we have late dinner? Can we still have rice?
Yes, it s the easiest meal to digest. You can have it as khichdi or dal rice. Here is why you must eat dal rice during dinner.
6. Can diabetics have rice?
Rice is traditionally eaten with dal/sabzi/meat/dahi, etc., along with ghee, and this lowers the glycaemic index of meals and is therefore totally safe for diabetics.
7. I feel hungry later if I have only dal rice for dinner. What should I do?
Make sure you add ghee to your dal rice and eat slowly and without any distraction. Have a glass of milk before sleeping if you still feel hungry.
8. How much rice should you eat?
If you have been having a wholesome meal between 4-6pm and are exercising and are keeping the gadget away during meal times, you will be eating just right. Nothing more, nothing less.
Read: Rujuta Diwekar answers FAQs on ghee.
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