I love going to a restaurant and see what “healthy” choices they offer. Today, in most restaurants it easy to find brown rice as a “healthy” alternative to white rice. It’s my choice. However, now that Quinoa is appearing everywhere I was wondering which is best. Therefore, I did my research.
One cup of cooked brown rice has about 214 calories, 5 grams of protein, 1.75 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 3.5 grams of fiber and 1 gram of natural sugar. A cup of cooked quinoa has 220 calories, 8 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat, 39.5 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fiber. Although quinoa is slightly higher in fat, it edges out brown rice in both amounts of protein and dietary fiber per serving. It’s important to note that quinoa is a seed versus a whole grain. Quinoa has all essential amino acids in it; brown rice is not a complete protein on its own.
So next time you’re asked for rice, as for THE healthy alternative; ask for quinoa and not brown rice. It’s only a matter of time……
