White Rice vs Brown Rice Nutrition Chart – Which One is Healthier?

White Rice vs Brown Rice Nutrition Chart – Full Comparisons Infographic

The source we use for the nutritional values are the U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central data. The values might varied when compared to other sources.

For this comparison, the researchers used baked Russet potatoes vs. cooked brown rice from long-grains variant.

Please note that we highlight the side with a higher amount for each nutrition.

Below is the full comparison of the nutritional values between potatoes and brown rice:^{1 2}

So, is white or brown rice healthier?

Well… Brown rice is nutritionally the healthier rice for you. It’s as simple as that. It has more  protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals for the same weight.

The most significant advantage brown rice has over white rice is its low glycemic index of 50. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis study proved that eating brown rice results in a lower risk of Diabetes Mellitus type 2 than eating white rice.³ For diabetics, you’ll have an easier time regulating your blood sugar level with brown rice, instead of white rice.

However, choosing a food you’ll eat every day solely based on its nutritional values is unrealistic—for most people, anyway. As a registered dietitian, I want to address other considerations.  

1. Texture. White rice has a softer mouthfeel than brown rice. The bran layer on brown rice contains fibers that make it harder to absorb water. Cooking brown rice takes longer and more water. Not everybody will appreciate the chewy and firm texture.
2. Varieties: Apart from the unfamiliar texture of brown rice, there are grain varieties you need to consider. Different grains are suitable for other foods. You can’t make good sushi with long-grain rice, such as basmati and jasmine, because they don’t stick well.
3. Cooking process: White rice is easier and quicker to cook. It took me almost twice as long to cook brown rice, not to mention I needed to soak it and let it absorb the water first. Personally, I feel it’s pretty bothersome and doesn’t fit my cooking habit.
4. Enriched products: Brown rice offers more nutritional value, but nowadays, many white rice products have had their lost nutrients added back in. You can find these products by looking at the “Enriched” word on the packaging. Overall, the nutritional difference between brown and enriched white rice is not as significant as you might imagine.
5. Your energy need: In my home country, Indonesia, we have a term called “porsi kuli.” In English, it’d mean “laborer’s meal.” It’s when you eat twice or thrice the regular meal portion because you do physical work for a living. Some people need more energy than others. The blue-collar workers, the working class. White rice is easily digestible, giving you more energy quicker than brown rice. What a perfect combination for a manual worker.
6. Meal combination: People might underestimate white rice nutritionally, but it’s the best rice to eat in various foods. If anything, my experience as a registered dietitian taught me that side dishes and condiments matter more than you think. You can still eat white rice in a healthy diet with lean protein (e.g. chicken or goat meat), vegetables, and lentils.

Maybe it’s weird to say this in a comparison article, but don’t get fixated on a certain kind of rice. White and brown rice have their respective place on your diet, so consider my explanation above and have balanced meals daily!

White Rice vs Brown Rice Nutritional Values in Details

Just in case the image above doesn’t load, you can see the comparisons in the table below. I’ll discuss their in-depth differences according to the Reference Dietary Intake (RDI) in the next subsection.

The Reference Dietary Intake percentages are calculated based on the Dietary Guideline for Americans⁴ provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services..

Calories Comparison

White rice contains 5.69% more calories.

White and brown rice have almost the same calories per 100 grams. You can choose either, depending on the main dishes and side dishes you want.

Carbohydrates Comparison

White rice contains 12.1% more carbohydrates.

White and brown rice have almost similar amounts of carbohydrates. However, brown rice is the healthier choice as you’d benefit from lowering the risk of Diabetes Mellitus type 2, cardiovascular diseases, and various cancers (colorectal, pancreas, and guts).⁵

If you work out daily or competitively, white rice might give you a better performance advantage. Why? Because white rice is easier to digest, so you’d get the energy more quickly.  

Consuming carbohydrates several hours before working out has been proven to increase muscle glycogen storage, improve exercise performance, and reduce your cycle time to exhaustion.⁶ So, how can you eat white rice to get the most benefit for your performance? You can consult a sports nutritionist or dietitian to help you find the optimal nutritional balances and plan your meals.

Protein Comparison

Brown rice contains 16.10% more protein.

Protein in brown rice is a bit higher than white rice. If you’re healthy, you can eat them alternately. However, if you have a specific health condition, please read the dietary fiber and glycemic index part of this article first.

Fats Comparison

Brown rice contains 410.53% more fats.

Brown rice contains more than 4 times higher amounts of fats than white rice. Yet, the actual amount per 100 grams is minuscule, so it doesn’t really matter much for your diet.

Dietary Fiber Comparison

Brown rice contains dietary fibers, white rice doesn’t.

According to the USDA classification, brown rice is considered “whole grain,” while white rice is “refined carbs.”

You get brown rice by removing only the hull (outermost skin) from the rice. White rice is a version of brown rice with more processings, which remove the hull and the bran layer. The bran layer contains a lot of fiber, so it makes sense that brown rice has more fiber than white rice. Consuming more fiber and protein in brown rice makes you feel full longer after a meal.

Vitamins Comparison

Assumed zero amount of vitamin A in white rice and brown rice.

Brown rice contains 8.54% more vitamin B1 (Thiamine).

Brown rice contains 590% more vitamin B2 (Riboflavin).

Brown rice contains 71.81% more vitamin B3 (Niacin).

Brown rice contains 146% more vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid).

Potatoes contain 187.8% more vitamin B6.

White rice contains vitamin B9 (Folic acid), brown rice doesn’t.

Assumed zero amount of vitamin C in white rice and brown rice.

Both rice have similar vitamins, but brown rice has slightly more vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. These vitamins help your aerobic glucose metabolism, cell respiration, and DNA repair.⁷

If you’re a woman during pregnancy or still planning to have a child, consider eating white rice to get some additional folic acid regularly. It helps prevent neural tube defects in babies.

Minerals Comparison

Brown rice contains 387.5% more magnesium.

Brown rice contains 212.12% more phosphate.

Brown rice contains 230.77% more potassium.

White rice contains 1277.36% more iron.

Brown rice contains 700% more copper.

Brown rice contains 200% more calcium.Brown rice contains 77.5% more zinc.

Brown rice has more minerals across the board. These minerals serve many purposes; some help your body’s bones and teeth, improve your immune system, maintain body fluid balance, and even act as antioxidants.⁸

Glycemic Index Comparison

As a rule of thumb, the more process the rice went through, the higher its glycemic index value. It shows on brown rice’s low GI value of 50, while white rice gives you 72 GI value. When boiled, they still show the same relationship with brown rice having a 68 GI value and white rice with a 73 GI value.⁹

The lower GI makes brown rice a better rice for a diabetic. One Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis confirmed that brown rice significantly reduces the postprandial blood glucose response.¹⁰

What if you have diabetes but you really, really want to eat white rice regularly? Well, I got a small trick to help you.

After you cook the white rice, let it cool for a while (you can use the refrigerator to speed this up). The resulting rice will have more resistant starch, making it harder for your guts to digest. This means the glycemic index will drop and become much safer for a diabetic to consume. The drawback of cooling rice to lower its GI value is that it takes more time to prepare and makes the rice’s texture drier or “crunchier” to chew (and yes, I know this because I’ve tried it).