Owing to the complication of the disease, the diabetes patients are always on the lookout of a healthy diet. This also makes them conscious of what they should and what they should not eat as part of their daily diet. In this article, we shall analyze the relationship that exists between diabetes and rice and whether or not the carbohydrate-rich food should be included in the daily diet of a diabetic patient.

So, come and join us for the article “Can Diabetics Eat Rice? Is It Good or Bad?”

White Rice and Diabetes

Amongst the various food items which diabetics often question as to whether they should eat them or not, one of them is the white rice. White rice is known to be not only a source of carbohydrate but to make things worse, it is also a starchy carbohydrate. This means that when you consume white rice, your blood glucose levels will rise to a great extent.When you see the number of carbs that white rice has: it has around 15 grams of carbohydrates in one-fourth cup. When you normally eat rice in your meal, you eat around 50 to 60 grams of carbohydrates. The matters get worse when you use rice that has been processed. Processed rice is known to be devoid of essential nutrients and minerals.

Another problem with white rice is that this variety of rice is processed much more than some of the other varieties. The glycemic index of these is also on the higher side. This means that the process of the white rice getting digested and converting into glucose is faster when you compare to other types of rice. This process is mainly responsible for the increase in the levels of blood glucose after eating white rice.

Although the above statement about rice is true, you need not avoid the food item completely. If had in moderation and if you are able to make white rice a part of your overall meal plan, you can definitely include it in your diabetic diet.

Keeping the above things in mind, there are many other varieties of rice that you can actually eat when you are a person suffering from diabetes. We explain these rice varieties in the section that follows:

Rice Varieties That Can be Safely Consumed in Diabetes

• Brown rice is nothing but actually the unprocessed variation of the carbohydrate-rich white rice. It has the basic nutrients such as fiber and magnesium intact. These can help in regulating the rise in the levels of blood glucose to a large extent. However, you cannot go overboard with eating brown rice as well. You need to follow the below-mentioned guidelines for including it in your diabetic diet:
• You should reduce the quantity of rice that you eat as that will help in keeping the blood glucose levels under control.
• When you are eating brown rice for a meal, you should include food items that are high in fiber and do not affect your blood glucose levels to a considerable extent. You can safely include various beans and vegetables along with rice in your meal plan.
• You can also mix brown rice with various herbs, seasonings, nuts, as well as vegetables for best results.
• Basmati rice and wild rice also has a glycemic index in the moderate range and therefore can be had in moderation.

Rice Substitutes for Diabetic Patients

Rice is not a favored food by all those who suffer from diabetes because of its ability to increase the blood glucose levels in the patients. Hence, there are various rice substitutes that you can eat if you are diabetic. The following are a few examples of alternative grains that have a high nutritional value as well as a low glycemic index when compared to rice.

• Barley, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, steel-cut oats, bulgur are a few safe examples of grains that you can try in diabetes.
• Cauliflower rice is one of the other substitutes for rice in diabetes. The following is the recipe:
• You first need to cut the cauliflower florets. Post that, after you have rinsed the same with some water, take a pan and Sautee the cauliflower florets in oil. You can also add some onions if you wish to. Post that, you can add the seasonings of your choice along with a few herbs, salt, pepper, lemon juice, etc.
• Cilantro Lime Quinoa:

For making this you would need canola oil, onion, garlic, quinoa, lime juice, cilantro or coriander leaves, as well as chicken broth which has a low-sodium content.

For preparing the Cilantro Lime Quinoa, put some oil in a skillet and Sautee onion and garlic. Post that, you should stir the quinoa for around a couple of minutes time. After adding lime juice and chicken to it, bring it to a boil and finally add some cilantro to it.

The above-mentioned rice substitutes are a healthy version of rice and can safely be included in your diabetic diet without the fear of increasing your blood glucose levels.

We hope that the above article has been helpful in improving your understanding of the relationship that exists between diabetes and rice. Although high in carbohydrates, rice can be eaten in moderation. You have various other substitutes of rice which you can include in your diet without the fear of increasing blood glucose levels if your medical expert so prescribes!!