Does Rinsing Rice Lower the Calories? Separating Fact from Fiction

December 25, 2025 •

3 min read

According to researchers, a specific two-step cooking method involving fat and refrigeration can potentially reduce rice calories by 50-60%. This fact is often confused with the common but misleading myth that rinsing rice lowers the calories, a practice that actually has a negligible effect on total caloric content.

Quick Summary

Rinsing rice removes superficial starch for a better texture, but negligibly impacts overall calories. Significant calorie reduction requires adding a fat like coconut oil during cooking and then chilling the rice for at least 12 hours to produce resistant starch.

Key Points

Rinsing has negligible calorie effect: Washing rice removes only a tiny amount of surface starch, not the bulk of the calories locked inside the grain.
Rinsing improves texture: The main culinary purpose of rinsing is to remove surface starch (amylose), resulting in fluffier, less sticky rice.
Nutrient loss from rinsing: Rinsing enriched rice can wash away added water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins and minerals like iron.
Resistant starch reduces calorie absorption: A different method involving cooking with fat and then refrigerating the rice creates resistant starch, which is not fully digested and significantly reduces absorbed calories.
Method for calorie reduction: For fewer calories, add a small amount of coconut oil while cooking, cool the rice in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and then reheat it.
Rinsing reduces arsenic: A key health benefit of rinsing is the removal of heavy metals like arsenic, which can be present in rice from environmental factors.
Food safety first: Always store cooked rice in the refrigerator promptly to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and their toxins.

Rinsing Rice and Calorie Content: The Myth

Many people believe that the cloudy water that comes from rinsing rice represents a significant portion of its caloric content being washed away. However, this is largely a misconception. The cloudy substance is primarily excess starch (amylose) that is on the surface of the rice grains, a result of the milling process. The vast majority of the starch and, therefore, the calories are locked within the rice grain itself.

Removing this surface starch will result in a fluffier, less sticky texture for the cooked rice, which is often desirable for certain dishes like pilafs. It may also help remove some impurities like dirt, debris, or microplastics. However, the actual calorie saving from this process is so minimal it's virtually inconsequential to one's overall diet. If you are looking for meaningful calorie reduction, rinsing is not the answer.

The True Methods for Reducing Calorie Absorption in Rice

While rinsing offers minimal caloric benefits, a different scientific method can significantly alter how your body absorbs calories from rice. This method focuses on converting digestible starch into resistant starch.

How the Resistant Starch Hack Works

Add a fat during cooking: This could be a teaspoon of coconut oil or another oil for every half cup of uncooked rice. The fat works by interacting with the starch granules, altering their structure.
Refrigerate after cooking: After the rice is cooked, it must be cooled in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. This chilling process causes the starch molecules to rearrange into a more crystalline, resistant structure, known as retrogradation.
Reheat and eat: The resistant starch formed remains intact even when the rice is reheated. This means you can enjoy your rice while absorbing fewer calories from the starches.

Studies have shown this method can reduce calorie absorption by 10-60%. This is because resistant starch isn't fully digested in the small intestine but instead ferments in the large intestine, behaving more like a soluble fiber. The resulting benefits include improved gut health, increased feelings of fullness, and better blood sugar control. For more on the science, this method was presented at the American Chemical Society.

Comparison Table: Rinsing vs. The Resistant Starch Method


Feature	Rinsing Rice	Resistant Starch Method
Effect on Calories	Negligible reduction by removing surface starch.	Significant reduction (10-60%) in absorbed calories.
Effect on Texture	Results in fluffier, separated grains.	Maintains good texture, even after reheating.
Effect on Nutrients	Washes away fortified vitamins and minerals (iron, folate).	No significant vitamin/mineral loss related to the method.
Other Benefits	Removes dust, microplastics, and some heavy metals.	Acts as a prebiotic, improving gut health and blood sugar control.
Required Effort	Quick, simple wash before cooking.	Requires adding oil, cooling for 12+ hours, and planning ahead.

The Unexpected Side Effects of Rinsing

Beyond the negligible calorie change, rinsing rice has other impacts. For enriched rice, which is fortified with nutrients like B vitamins and iron, rinsing can wash away a significant portion of these added nutrients. However, rinsing is highly effective at reducing heavy metals like arsenic that can accumulate in rice from the soil. So, while it may wash away some beneficial nutrients in enriched rice, it can also remove potentially harmful contaminants. It's a trade-off many health experts consider worth making.

Safety and Best Practices

When dealing with rice, food safety is paramount. The boiling temperatures used for cooking kill bacteria present in uncooked rice. However, a specific type of bacterial spore (Bacillus cereus) can survive the cooking process. If cooked rice is left at room temperature for too long, these spores can germinate and produce toxins. This is why it's critical to store cooked rice properly by refrigerating it promptly and reheating it thoroughly.

Conclusion: Does Rinsing Rice Lower the Calories? The Final Verdict

No, rinsing rice does not meaningfully lower its calorie count. While it effectively removes surface starch for a better texture and can reduce harmful heavy metal content, its impact on your total calorie intake is minimal. The real key to reducing calorie absorption from rice lies in the resistant starch method—cooking with a small amount of fat and then chilling the rice for several hours. This scientifically proven hack is the only way to significantly alter the caloric outcome of your rice, providing genuine dietary benefits beyond simple texture modification. Choose your method based on your culinary goals: rinse for fluffiness or use the resistant starch hack for health benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the cloudy appearance is caused by free starch (amylose) that has come off the surface of the rice grains during the milling process. It is not a significant source of calories.

Yes, for rice that has been enriched with vitamins and minerals like iron and B vitamins, rinsing can wash away a substantial amount of these water-soluble nutrients.

To make resistant starch rice, add a small amount of coconut oil when cooking the rice. After cooking, refrigerate it for at least 12 hours. The resistant starch remains even when the rice is reheated.

Yes, it is safe to eat cold or reheated rice as long as it is stored and handled properly. Always refrigerate cooked rice promptly and reheat it thoroughly to prevent bacterial growth.

Yes, rinsing rice can help reduce the levels of arsenic, a heavy metal that can be present in rice due to environmental absorption.

Some chefs advise against rinsing for dishes like risotto or rice pudding, where the surface starch is needed to create a creamy or sticky consistency.

While coconut oil has been specifically studied for this purpose, other fats can also work. However, coconut oil is thought to be particularly effective at creating the resistant starch structure.