Can you live off rice?

In this article, we will answer the question “Can you live off rice?”, and what is the rice diet?

Can you live off rice?

No, you cannot live off the rice. Let alone rice, you cannot live very long by exclusively relying on a single type of food for sustenance. It is very impractical. 

One type of food cannot fulfill your diverse dietary requirements and you will soon start to experience symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiency. Sure you can survive a few days by exclusively sticking to rice or any other food for a sentence but the question is how long. 

The bottom line is that it is not possible to live off any single food without undergoing health issues. We will not call that living but surviving!

Nutritional value of rice

A 100 gram (g) serving of white, short-grain, cooked rice provides the following nutrients.

Carbs make up about 80% of the dry weight of rice. Starch is the predominant carb present in rice. High-amylose rice take longer to digits than sticky or glutinous rice.  

White rice is stripped of its bran or fiber during refining. The bran is a rich source of insoluble fibers some vitamins and minerals. Therefore, nutritionists recommend eating brown rice to reap the full benefits of eating rice

How does the rice diet works?

The rice diet involves restricting salt, high-sodium and dairy foods, and saturated fats. The goal is to de-bloat, remove water weight and promote fat loss. 

The rice diet plan works within a specific caloric allowance per day. You are supposed to eat high-fiber foods such as fruit, vegetables, grains, and beans by staying within the allowed caloric limit and following portion control. The structure for the per-day rice diet plan looks something like this. 

• 1,000 calories
• 500 to 1,000 mg of sodium
• 22 g of fat
• 5.5 g of saturated fat
• 0 to 100 mg of cholesterol

Unlike the other fad diets, the rice diet fixates on lifestyle changes and building a healthy relationship with food. So, that you are not just restricting but fueling your body.

Effective of the rice die plan 

Any diet plan that involves cutting out sugar and carbs and eating lean proteins and high-fiber foods is bound to show you weight loss results. 

But you want to make sure that you are taking enough calories to function properly and losing weight healthily and sustainably. 

If there is a huge parity between your caloric intake and metabolism and activity levels, you are putting your body under strain due to which you may not achieve the desired weight loss results.

The benefits of the diet rice

The rice diet promotes portion control and encourages you to incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies into your diet. Since the rice diet is low fat and sodium-restricted diet, it is particularly useful for heart patients. 

Unlike other starvation diets, the rice diet does not present carbs in a bad light. We need a certain amount of carbs to function properly. So, carbs are a necessity and we should learn to focus on eating moderate amounts of carbs for a healthy living. 

The rice diet fixates on eating complex carbs such as rice, sweet potatoes, or oatmeal, instead of simple carbs like soda, cookies, and cake.

Going for a carb-restricted diet can lead to fatigue, brain fog, and hunger. Therefore, the rice diet incorporates all the food groups in your diet in the correct portion size. 

Should you eat brown rice or white rice?

You can eat either as long as the rice is made without any added salt or fat. Brown rice is nutritionally superior to white rice due to menial processing. So, you may want to eat brown rice instead of white if you are nutrition-conscious.

Sample rice diet recipes

Recipe name: French toast 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 6-8 slices of bread

Instructions 

1. Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until homogenous.
2. Dip the bread in the mixture and toast on a heated skillet. 

Recipe name: Savory rice 

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice, cooked
• 4 tbsp. onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. paprika

Instructions 

1. Saute the garlic, onion, and rice in a large skillet. 
2. Sprinkle the rice with finely chopped parsley and paprika before serving.

Other FAQs about Rice that you may be interested in.

How to preserve rice

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rice?

Can you eat white rice on a diet?

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question “Can you live off rice?”, and what is the rice diet?

References