As we all begin our weight loss journeys, we are all convinced that carbohydrates are a creation of the devil and should be avoided at all costs.
However, carbs are a necessary part of our diets that give us energy and help make us feel full for longer.
Pasta and rice are excellent sources of slow-release energy that help you power through your workouts.
But which one is healthier? We discuss the nutritional value of both starchy carbohydrates and what they can do for you. Allowing you to determine which one is better suited to your diet.
Find out whether rice or pasta is healthier below!
Nutritional Values
To begin, we have to investigate the nutritional value of both white rice and white pasta. This allows us to determine which ingredient has a better nutritional value within your diet when consumed.
White Rice Nutritional Value (Per 100 Grams)
- Calories: 117
- Carbs: 25.1g
- Fiber: 1.2g
- Starch: 24.9g
- Fat: 0.5g
- Protein: 2.7g
White Pasta Nutritional Value (Per 100 Grams)
- Calories: 160
- Protein: 5.1g
- Carbs: 32.5g
- Starch: 31g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Fat: 0.7g
Pasta Vs Rice
As we take a look at the nutritional value of both white pasta and rice there doesn’t seem to be a significant difference.
However, with a deeper investigation, we can see that there are some large differences between each carbohydrate.
Pasta
The nutritional value above demonstrates that pasta has a larger dietary fiber content than rice, which is significant for both a balanced diet and the condition of the digestive system.
If you frequently feel hungry soon after meals, consider choosing pasta over rice because pasta has more fiber that can help you stay satisfied for longer.
In addition, pasta has more protein per 100g than 2.6g, at 5.1g. Even though it doesn’t seem like much of a difference, obtaining enough protein is crucial for supporting muscle growth and recovery.
Adding a few extra grams may help you feel satisfied for longer after your meal because it also increases satiety.
Getting protein from a variety of sources is crucial for vegans and vegetarians as well, and switching rice for pasta might help you obtain more protein without giving it much consideration.
While not everyone will be consuming 100 grams of pasta with every meal, having between 50 to 80 grams of pasta can boost your protein and fiber intake tremendously.
Rice
Rice contains much fewer calories per 100g than pasta, which has 160 calories per 100g.
Therefore, switching from pasta to rice may be advantageous for anyone watching their calorie intake in order to lose or maintain their weight.
Although 43 calories may not seem like much, they build up over time, and every little bit helps when it comes to weight loss and calorie adherence.
Rice has a significantly lower carbohydrate than pasta making it easier for the body to digest while providing you with the energy to tackle your day.
Whole Grain Vs White
For years it has been debated whether brown or white carbohydrates are better for the body.
With both having their advantages and disadvantages, it is important to consider what these can do for you on your health journey.
Whole Grain Vs White Pasta
When it comes to weight loss, brown or whole-grain pasta will provide you with more benefits. Not only is it lower in calories, but it also contains more vitamins and minerals than white pasta.
This is due to the fact that white pasta is often washed of the majority of healthy vitamins and minerals in order to make it easier to cook and to be more appealing to our taste buds.
Whole grain pasta may take a little longer to cook and may require more effort to taste delicious, but the benefits make it a much more pliable option for weight loss.
Those looking to bulk may prefer the more calorie-dense option of white pasta.
While there is not as much nutritional value as whole grain pasta, white pasta is still a great healthy option. It just requires a little more consideration when making your meals.
Whole Grain Vs White Rice
Regarding nutrient content, whole grain rice has a modest edge over white rice.
Along with additional vitamins and minerals, it also contains more fiber and antioxidants. These variations are not largely significant.
Due to being high in magnesium and fiber, whole-grain rice can help control blood sugar levels and ensure the digestive system is functioning properly.
White rice significantly raises blood sugar levels than brown rice, with a GI of roughly 89 compared to about 50 for brown rice.
However, both include a lot of carbohydrates, which will raise your blood sugar.
White rice’s GI can be reduced, though, by cooling it. This creates resistant starch, which functions similarly to soluble fiber and passes through your digestive system unchanged.
If at all possible, prepare your rice the day before you intend to eat it. After that, keep it in the fridge for the night. When you’re ready to eat it, reheat.
Rice, no matter the grain, is an excellent slow-releasing carbohydrate for both pre-workout and post-workout meals. They provide your body with energy and allow you to remain fuller for longer.
As you can see both whole grain and white variations of pasta and rice have their own benefits.
Your decision on which to consume should be based on your goals and daily needs for carbohydrates.
Pasta Vs Rice: Benefits
Pasta
- Exorphins are released during the digestion of pasta, which may have an opioid effect, according to researchers at the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology. This could account for your enormous grin after eating some mac and cheese.
- Even though pasta has fewer carbohydrates, it is quickly absorbed, so eating a big bowl of it two hours before a workout can provide you with plenty of energy. Furthermore, it tastes far better than a can of pre-workout.
- Store-bought wholemeal pasta provides more than half of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of selenium, which supports fertility.
Rice
- Eat whole grains. The risk of heart disease can be reduced by 18% by choosing brown carbs over white ones, according to a study of 45 studies conducted by Imperial College London.
- Rice is your jet fuel because it has 25g of carbohydrates per serving. Additionally, the magnesium found in wild rice supports your body’s production of ATP energy, preventing weariness throughout your HIIT workout.
- Brown rice fiber is fermented by gut bacteria to create short-chain fatty acids, which support healthy colon function and reduce infection risk.
Pasta Or Rice: Which Is Healthier?
Ultimately, the decision is yours. Depending on your needs and goals.
However, using the information above it can be determined that rice is the healthier option of the two starchy carbohydrates.
Save your favorite for your cheat days since white pasta is superior to white rice in its refined forms.
However, the fiber and mineral richness of brown rice makes it the ideal fuel to feed your exercise goals in terms of real health, weight reduction, and performance benefits.
