Rice is a staple that fits into several cuisines. However, high consumption of white rice might not be very healthy, due to its high glycemic index, which may raise blood sugar levels. Because of this diabetics are advised to take brown rice which comparatively has a lower glycemic index. In addition, brown rice serves great if you are on a vegan diet.

Is Brown Rice Vegan?

The simple answer is yes. In fact, any rice is vegan. Rice comes from grasses. Grasses are plants and therefore rice is vegan! This includes brown rice, white rice, red rice, basmati, and black rice, just to name a few. 

However, to stay vegan, you need to watch out for the kind of rice recipes you eat.  

Although rice is often served plain as a side dish, it is also frequently combined with other ingredients and flavorings. This means, even if you use brown rice to make rice pudding, the finished dish isn’t vegan if you add dairy or other non-vegan ingredients.

Above all, I am glad to say, all rice is vegan friendly, however, you should read about some environmental factors that may affect the quality of the rice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rice_cultivars

Is Brown Rice Wholegrain?

Yes, brown rice is wholegrain! In other words, it contains all parts of the grain. However, white rice has had its bran and germ removed.

Hull: This is the outermost layer in rice.  The hull is highly fibrous but not edible. Thus, it is always removed during processing.  

Bran: Unlike the hull, the bran is edible. It is safe to say that all types of brown rice come with bran. During food processing, the bran is left if the intention is to produce brown rice. Bran contains antioxidants, protein, oil, and minerals.  

Endosperm: It is large with a white interior of the rice kernel. This white kernel includes starch, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Apart from brown rice, all other types of rice production begin from the endosperm stage.

The Germ (Embryo): The germ makes up about 2% of the weight of a paddy rice kernel and can sprout into a new plant if allowed to grow. Its components include oils, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and protein. During milling, the germ is removed, oftentimes resulting in an indented shape at one end of the milled rice kernel.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Histology-of-the-wheat-grain-Figure-from-23_fig1_321151175

What Type of Rice Should a Vegan Eat?

All types of rice are edible for vegans. Vegans have a wide range of choices when it comes to rice. You could decide to consume white rice, brown rice, basmati rice, and other types of rice. Brown rice has more fiber than its counterparts, particularly the presence of the bran in it which is absent in other types of rice.  

Brown rice is healthier and is preferred by health-conscious people. However, brown rice takes more time to cook than white rice but it is healthier.

What Type of Brown Rice Should I Buy? 

https://www.eatthis.com/minute-instant-rice-vs-brown-rice/

There are different brands of brown rice available but how can you be certain of the right one to buy?  Here are some brands you should consider

Jasmine Brown Rice: They are not 100% organic, but offer great texture and fragrance.

Nishiki Brown Rice: They are cheap and organic. It doesn’t take much processing. Therefore, most of its natural components remain intact. However, if you are trying to get a drier rice recipe, Nishiki might not be your best bet. 

Lundberg Organic California Brown Rice: Lundberg is 100% organic and gluten-free. If you are diabetic, Lundberg brown rice can still be a part of your diet.  There are no cons to using the Lundberg organic rice. 

https://www.lybrate.com/topic/brown-rice-benefits

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