Rice: Can You Eat It on a Ketogenic Diet?

is rice keto

The short answer is no.

Rice is not suitable for you to eat rice or rice in other forms on a ketogenic diet.

The answer is also no for all rice colors, lengths, and varieties such as brown, wild, Basmati, and Jasmine.

This answer is also about all processed foods such as rice flour, cakes, crackers, puffed, canned, and instant rice.

And… if we talk about rice starch, it is also not healthy for everyone and certainly not appropriate for your keto recipes.

In this article, we will go through everything you need to know about this grain and the ketogenic diet.

We take a closer look into the topics such as nutritional content, how much rice you can eat on keto, and which types have the fewest carbs.

Finally, we will look at some keto-friendly alternatives.

Carb In Rice: Is It Safe To Eat Rice While On A Keto Diet?

Brown Rice

What is Rice?

Rice is a grain produced in grass crops that is the plant’s edible part.

Arborio rice, basmati, jasmine, brown rice, red cargo rice, sticky rice, and parboiled rice are some of the varieties.

This grain is also available in three lengths: short, medium, and long. We usually cook rice in boiled water to eat.

Because of its versatility, rice can be found in savory and sweet dishes because of its versatility. It is estimated that more than half of the world’s population depends on this food for eating or economic reasons.

Nutritional Facts for Rice

This tasty grain is more than just a carbohydrate. It also contains vitamins and minerals such as manganese, selenium, thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and copper.

Being a keto dieter, you may have a question:  How many grams of carbohydrate does 1 cup of rice have?

The actual quantity of a 1 cup of cooked white rice is (174) grams

  • Total carbs: 35 g
  • Calories: 169 kcal
  • Fat: 0.3 g
  • Fiber: 1.7 g
  • Total carbs: 36.7 g
  • Protein: 3.5 g

As you can see, it contains a lot of carbohydrates. One cup contains 35 g of net carbs.

One major drawback of white rice (traditional rice) is that it is low in fiber. A large percentage of the fiber is lost during the processing. That is why its net carbs are still high.

It has a moderate protein content of 3.5 g per cup and a very low-fat content of 0.3 g.

Why is Rice Not Keto-friendly?

This simple answer is that the total carbohydrates in rice are too high. This substance is found in both white and brown rice, as well as all processed rice products.

The whole point of a ketogenic meal plan is to burn fat for fuel without sugar or carbs to boost weight loss.

So you will not be able to eat it if you want to maintain ketosis if you try to use your favorite recipes with rice.

Can Rice Provide Energy on Keto?

Because eating very little to no rice during ketosis, you should not expect to get any significant energy from the small amount that you may eat.

If your concern for energy surrounds your need to exercise, you can look into trying keto-friendly pre-workouts.

These will provide you with the extra kick that you need. We have an article where you can learn more about keto pre-workouts.

Do I Need to Avoid Rice Completely?

Rice is high in carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid it forever. To some extent, you can eat rice even if you are following a ketogenic lifestyle.

You just need to be careful with the portion size, as you cannot eat the whole bowl, but you can eat a very small amount.

If you don’t watch how many carbs you consume, it’s very easy to consume all of your daily carbs allotment just by eating this grain.

This would prevent you from including healthier carb sources such as vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Even though these foods are low in carbs, they do contain small amounts that pertain to your daily total.

As a result, always measure your portion and subtract it from your total carb intake for the day.

If you follow a modified keto diet or adjust your keto recipes, you can have a wider range of carbs to include in your eating plan, which means you have a better chance of successfully adding them to your meals.

Remember that while the keto meal plan has many potential health benefits, this carb-restricted lifestyle isn’t for everyone.

It can have a negative impact on certain populations (like folks with type 1 diabetes or women who are pregnant).

If you are considering going on keto, talk to a dietitian first. They will help you in choosing the best plan for you.

Is White Rice Keto?

White rice isn’t keto.

A single serving of white rice has 28 grams of net carbohydrates.

A quarter cup of rice would be the most common serving. However, the amount required for ketosis should be at least 20 grams.

White rice will not be enough. Similarly, other varieties of white rice are not working.

Is Basmati Rice Keto?

Basmati is rich in fiber with 32g per half-cup, and low GI rice is 33g per 125 grams.

Is Jasmine Rice Keto?

Another favorite, Jasmine rice, offers 19 calories net in half-sized portions.

Is Brown Rice better than White rice?

When keto dieters learn that cooked rice isn’t a good food option for staying in ketosis, the next most common question is whether brown rice is acceptable?

Brown rice being nutritionally healthier or significantly different from white rice is a common misconception in the health and fitness industry.

Brown rice keto is also not recommended on keto due to its high carb count, which has more fiber than white rice. Both options are starchy and are processed by the body in a similar manner, particularly in terms of carbohydrates.

A 1 cup of long-grain cooked brown rice has 46g total carbs, 42.7g net carbs, 4g fat, 4.5g protein, and 248 calories.

How can you prepare Resistant Starch Rice?

When you are cooking rice normally, use healthy fats like coconut oil and cook together, the oil binds to the rice’s digestible starch (the starch that converts to glucose). The digestible starch begins to crystallize after being bound with coconut oil, resulting in resistant starch.

It is important not to get too excited about this idea because it is debatable whether the net carb reduction is significant enough to make resistant-starch rice a workable keto option.

Impact of Eating High Carbs

Eating too many carbs makes it difficult to stay in ketosis. Therefore, no matter which type you want to take, the GI remains high, and it is quite possible to increase blood sugar and insulin. This will lead to hunger and possibly cravings.

Consequently, two of the most significant benefits of a ketogenic diet are denied.

  • Not always being hunger
  • Getting rid of appetites.

Keto-friendly Rice Substitutes

Are you looking for a new grab-side dish? We’ve got you covered! Check out our delicious keto-friendly rice substitute.

1) Cauliflower rice

Cauliflower rice, a popular low-carb rice substitute among keto dieters, it has only 6 grams of net carbs per 1 cup serving.

Cauliflower rice is sweeping the keto world, providing a truly low-carb, keto-friendly rice option for anyone following a keto diet.

Research shows that eating vegetables like cauliflower may improve digestion and gut health.

2) Miracle rice

Miracle rice is a special keto-friendly rice substitute. It is made with flour gained from the root of a plant known as konnyaku.

What makes it so miraculous? Miracle rice has only 1 gram of carb per serving.

Additionally, because this rice contains soluble fiber, it may improve digestion.

3) Rutabaga rice

Rutabaga is a root vegetable related to cabbages and turnips. Rutabaga is a root vegetable related to cabbages and turnips. It contains 9 grams of net carbs per 1-cup serving.

However, it depends on your daily carbohydrate goal; it may fit into your keto diet.

Cooking rutabaga rice is very simple, chop raw rutabaga in a food processor and cook it on the stove.

4) Broccoli rice

It has color, taste, and the appearance of a tiny tree that is called broccoli!

It resembles cauliflower, so some people relate broccoli to its cousin; it is another excellent low-carb substitute for your typical rice dish.

To make broccoli rice, simply place the broccoli in a food processor and pulse until the broccoli is the size of rice grains.

A cup of cooked broccoli contains about 6 grams of net carbs and 30 mg of calcium, making it an excellent dairy-free calcium source.

Final Thoughts

Any kind of rice, whether it would be white, brown, wild, or basmati — is generally not recommended as a high-carb food option on a keto diet.

When following a keto diet, you must be careful of what you suit it with.

Because it is high in carbohydrates, it is best to pair it with something low in that macronutrient.

This is to avoid adding more to your daily limit.

You could have wild rice and just limit your portion to stay under your daily carb intake goal.

You can also satisfy your appetite with keto rice substitutes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much rice can I have on keto?

If you follow a keto meal and aim for 0g of carbs per day, rice will most likely be off your plate. If you aim for 20g of carbs per day, you can have about a half cup of rice once per day if that is your only way to serve.

Can I eat potatoes on keto?

On the ketogenic diet, starchy vegetables contain more digestible carbohydrates than fiber and should be limited. Corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets are among them. It contains a little more than 4 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. Most individuals consume roughly 20 grams of carbs per day to stay in ketosis — so a single potato would take up your entire carb allotment for the day.

Is it peanut butter keto?

Peanut butter has a low-carb diet, with 7 grams of total carbs and 5 grams of net carbs per 2-tablespoon (32-gram) serving. You can eat it on the keto diet as long as you limit your intake and plan out your other food options.