Can Brown Rice Make You Fat?

Over the past years, we’ve been sent the following questions numerous times:

“Will brown rice really make me lose weight?”

“I’m trying to lose weight so I’ll try this.”

“I’m starting my diet, when can you deliver the brown rice?”

It’s always a delicate situation for us because the truth is brown rice CAN make you gain weight.Yup, you heard that right. In fact, if you compare the amount of calories in white rice and brown rice then you’ll be surprised to know that white rice actually has LESS calories than brown rice. This means that all things being equal, brown rice would make you fat.

[1]

But wait, I thought brown rice would make me lose weight?

Brown rice helps you to lose weight in two ways:

1. You feel full faster - Thanks to the fiber rich rice bran present in brown rice, you feel satisfied and full faster during your meals. This means that brown rice can potentially help you eat less during your meals, if you listen to your fullness cues that is!

2. You feel full longer - Again thanks to the fiber rich rice bran that remains in brown rice, you are less likely to feel hungry a couple of hours after eating your meal. This allows you to say no  to or even think about unnecessary snacks between meals that could be full of calories! Yikes!

So the simple answer to the question is YES, brown rice CAN help you lose weight ONLY if you listen to your hunger/fullness cues AKA if you stop eating when you feel full and if you don’t eat when you are not hungry. 

Brown rice can be a powerful tool to aid in your weight loss goals but you also have to do your part to make it successful. Put in some workouts through out the week and you're well on your way to losing weight!

If you want to know more about losing weight with brown rice, you can proceed to our other article here.

For any of your brown rice needs, we are here to help.

Buy brown rice here!

References:

[1] Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology

[2] Abdul Rahim, A. F., Norhayati, M. N., & Zainudin, A. M. (2021). The effect of a brown-rice diets on glycemic control and metabolic parameters in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials. PeerJ, 9. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11291 

Disclaimer: The content on this site is provided for informational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice. If you have any medical conditions, consult your doctor first before making any drastic changes to your diet.