Rice makes a great base for so many dishes. It’s a favorite of households across America, and for good reason. However, not all types of rice pack the same nutritional punch. Diabetics looking to get the most out of their food choices should look into adding variety in their rice choices.

What to Look For in Rice

People with diabetes have to be careful about the type of carbs they consume. While it’s true that rice is a carb heavy food, certain types of rice offer healthy carbs in order to keep you going. It’s important to look at both the carb count and the glycemic index score in order to help manage your diabetes.

When eating out and considering ordering a dish with rice, it’s almost just as important to ask about sauces and dressings added to the dish as it is to ask what type of rice the dish contains. These add-ons can come with unnecessary sugars that will threaten your careful planning. Brown rice and wild rice are popular options at many restaurants and make great substitutions for white rice when available.

Helpful hint: Glycemic index scores measure how much a food will affect your blood sugar. On a scale of 0 - 100 the index measures how fast that particular food will turn into glucose in your bloodstream. Try to stick to rice varieties with a low glycemic index score!

Brown Rice

While brown rice has nearly the same amount of calories and carbs as white rice, it contains many of the valuable nutrients that white rice lacks. This is partially due to the fact that brown rice is simply the less processed version of white rice. These essential nutrients are things like fiber, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

Brown rice is a great choice for diabetics because the higher fiber content is great for filling you up. 

Wild Rice

Known for its high protein content, wild rice is a great base for many diabetic dishes. Even though it’s called ‘wild rice’, it isn’t actually rice at all! High in fiber as well as many other beneficial nutrients, it works great to fill you up. Some studies have even linked wild rice to lowering your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Basmati Rice

Often recommended to diabetics because of its inherently low glycemic index count, basmati rice is a traditionally Indian variety of rice. A long grain rice with a distinct and pleasant flavor and aroma, basmati makes a wonderful substitution for white rice in many dishes. Because of the grain structure of basmati rice, it works wonderful in dishes with low carb sauces because the grain can be fully coated for maximum flavor.

There Are Many Rice Varieties

Rice is a great way to fill your plate with healthy carbs if you select the right variety. Which rice you like the most will come down to personal taste and the dish you’ve prepared. It’s important to arm yourself with healthy options so you can make dinner time easier when managing you type 2 diabetes.