What is the healthiest version of white rice?

October 28, 2025 •

5 min read

Globally, over 3.5 billion people rely on rice as a daily staple. For those looking for the most beneficial option, understanding what is the healthiest version of white rice requires looking beyond just the variety to how it's prepared and what it's served with.

Quick Summary

The healthiest version of white rice depends on factors like variety, preparation method to boost resistant starch, and how it's paired with other foods like protein and fiber to create a balanced meal.

Key Points

Consider Parboiled Rice: Converted or parboiled rice is a healthier white rice option due to a special steaming process that forces nutrients into the grain and results in a lower glycemic index.
Choose Basmati for Lower GI: White basmati rice typically has a lower glycemic index (GI) than other white rice varieties, making it a better choice for blood sugar management.
Employ the Cool-and-Reheat Trick: Cooking and then cooling white rice significantly increases its resistant starch content, which acts like fiber to lower the glycemic response and improve gut health.
Balance Your Meal with Protein and Fiber: The health benefits of white rice are enhanced by pairing it with protein sources (like fish or legumes) and fiber-rich vegetables, which slows digestion and stabilizes blood sugar.
Enriched White Rice Restores Nutrients: Most regular white rice in the US is enriched with B vitamins and iron, restoring some of the nutrients lost during milling.
White Rice has Less Arsenic: The milling process that removes the bran and germ also reduces the levels of inorganic arsenic, which primarily accumulates in the outer layers.

White rice has long been a staple in cuisines worldwide, but its health implications are often debated. Unlike whole grains such as brown rice, white rice is refined, meaning the nutrient-rich bran and germ layers have been removed during processing. This refining process strips away much of the fiber, vitamins, and minerals, resulting in a grain that is primarily a source of carbohydrates. However, not all white rice is created equal. Several varieties and preparation techniques can significantly alter its nutritional impact, offering healthier options for those who prefer white rice.

Understanding the Health of White Rice

When rice is milled and polished to become white rice, the removal of the outer layers drastically changes its nutritional composition. This process leaves behind the starchy endosperm, which is quickly digested by the body. For this reason, plain white rice has a high glycemic index (GI), causing a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. However, the nutritional deficiencies of regular white rice are often addressed through a process called enrichment, where key nutrients like iron, niacin (B3), thiamine (B1), and folate are added back.

For those managing blood sugar or seeking more balanced energy, the health of white rice is not just about the variety, but about strategic choices. These include selecting specific varieties with a naturally lower glycemic impact and employing specific cooking methods to modify the starch structure. The key is to enhance the nutritional profile and slow down digestion, making a traditionally high-GI food act more like a lower-GI one.

The Contenders: Comparing White Rice Varieties

While the nutritional differences between standard white rice varieties are minor, some offer distinct advantages. Flavor, texture, and glycemic index can all vary depending on the type of rice chosen.

Basmati Rice: A long-grain rice popular in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It has a lower glycemic index than many other white rice types, which means it causes a more gradual increase in blood sugar. Basmati is also known for its distinct aroma and fluffy, non-sticky texture, which can aid in portion control.
Converted (Parboiled) Rice: This rice undergoes a special process where the paddy is soaked, steamed, and dried before milling. This pre-cooking process forces some of the nutrients from the bran into the starchy kernel, resulting in a more nutritionally dense white rice. Converted rice also has a lower GI and more fiber and protein than regular white rice.
Regular Long-Grain Rice: This is the most common white rice variety. It is polished and enriched in most Western countries to restore some of the lost nutrients, but it has a higher GI than basmati or converted rice.
Other Varieties: Short-grain white rice, like Arborio (for risotto) and sushi rice, is starchier and tends to clump. It typically has a higher GI than long-grain varieties.

The Cooking Method Hack: Boosting Resistant Starch

One of the most effective strategies for making white rice healthier is to change how you cook it. A simple two-step process can significantly increase its resistant starch content. Resistant starch is a type of prebiotic fiber that passes through the small intestine largely undigested and is fermented in the large intestine, where it feeds beneficial gut bacteria.

Cook and Cool: Cook the rice as you normally would. After it's finished, let it cool completely and then refrigerate it for at least 12 hours. As the rice cools, its starches rearrange into a tighter, more resistant structure.
Reheat and Enjoy: You can reheat the cooled rice without losing the resistant starch benefits. This process can reduce the available calories and carbs, and result in a lower glycemic response.

Some studies also suggest that adding a small amount of coconut oil to boiling water before cooking and then cooling the rice may further increase its resistant starch content.

The Power of Pairing: Completing the Meal

Regardless of the type of white rice you choose, the context of your meal is crucial for its overall health impact. Eating white rice alone primarily provides simple carbs, which can lead to a blood sugar spike and subsequent crash. However, pairing it with sources of protein and fiber can dramatically improve the meal's nutritional profile and help regulate blood sugar.

Add Fiber: Mixing rice with vegetables, beans, or lentils will increase the fiber content, slowing down the digestion process and keeping you full longer.
Include Protein: Serving rice with lean meat, fish, tofu, or eggs provides essential amino acids and helps balance the meal, preventing blood sugar swings.
Balance the Plate: A balanced plate with a moderate portion of rice, a generous portion of vegetables, and a lean protein source is the most effective approach to healthy eating.

Nutritional Comparison: Basmati vs. Converted vs. Regular White Rice (Approximate values per 1 cooked cup)


Feature	White Basmati	Converted (Parboiled) White	Regular Long-Grain White
Glycemic Index (GI)	Lower GI (approx. 57-67)	Lower GI (approx. 38-50)	Higher GI (approx. 70-90)
Fiber	Low	Slightly Higher	Low
Nutrients	May have higher zinc & B vitamins	Higher B vitamins, iron	Enriched with B vitamins, iron
Texture	Fluffy and separate	Firmer, separate grains	Soft and tender
Cooking Time	Average	Longer	Average

Arsenic Content in Rice

An important consideration when choosing rice is the presence of inorganic arsenic, a toxic heavy metal. Because arsenic tends to accumulate in the bran, white rice generally contains lower levels of arsenic than brown rice. While the health risks from low-level arsenic exposure are not a concern for most people who eat rice in moderation, this is an advantage of white rice for those who consume it frequently. The parboiling process has also been shown to reduce arsenic levels.

Conclusion: Making the Healthiest White Rice Choice

There is no single "healthiest" version of white rice, as the optimal choice depends on your specific health goals. For individuals prioritizing blood sugar management, basmati and converted (parboiled) rice are superior options due to their lower glycemic index. Converted rice offers the added benefit of retaining more vitamins and minerals due to its unique processing method. For everyone, the most impactful change comes from your cooking method—specifically, cooking and then cooling the rice to increase its resistant starch content. This simple trick reduces the glycemic impact and improves gut health. Ultimately, pairing any white rice with plenty of protein and fiber-rich vegetables ensures a balanced and nutritious meal that can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. The key is mindful consumption and strategic preparation.

Learn more about overall heart health from authoritative sources like the American Heart Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, for blood sugar management, basmati rice is generally considered healthier than jasmine rice because it has a lower glycemic index (GI), meaning it causes a slower, less dramatic rise in blood sugar.

Converted rice, also known as parboiled rice, is partially precooked in its husk before milling. This process pushes some nutrients from the bran into the endosperm, making it slightly more nutritious and giving it a lower glycemic index than regular white rice.

The most effective method is to cook the rice and then cool it completely in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. This process increases resistant starch, which has gut health benefits and lowers the glycemic response.

No, reheating cooked and cooled rice does not destroy the resistant starch. The beneficial starch structure remains even after the rice is warmed up.

Yes, because inorganic arsenic tends to accumulate in the outer bran layer, the milling process that creates white rice removes most of it, resulting in lower arsenic levels compared to brown rice.

In countries like the US, white rice is often enriched with B vitamins (niacin, thiamine) and iron to replace some of the nutrients lost during processing. This helps boost the micronutrient content of the otherwise refined grain.

Serving white rice with sources of protein and fiber, such as meat, beans, or vegetables, helps balance the meal and slows the absorption of carbohydrates. This prevents blood sugar spikes and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.