# Trainer suggested brown rice - Made some and it's not all that great - Any alternatives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182 "2014-01-19T03:14:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/21 "2014-01-19T15:33:53Z")
You can also get the frozen kind, which is available in the frozen veggies section of the supermarket. It’s a LOT faster than cooking it from scratch, and it’ll come out just fine. Season to taste. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/22 "2014-01-19T15:59:03Z")
Yeah, don’t eat plain rice, either brown or white. Learn how to cook it appropriately for its style, and use it as an ingredient in a dish. You probably wouldn’t eat plain pasta, even with a little salt or a little butter, so don’t eat plain rice either. I’m a fan of brown basmati rice, myself, but brown long-grain rice is good too. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/23 "2014-01-19T16:03:53Z")
[Black rice](http://www.livestrong.com/article/265623-black-rice-nutritional-information/) is another option (although I’ll also go with working on your method … also once you get the method down you can make it in bulk for the week). Other starch options, [Buckwheat](http://www.healthaliciousness.com/recipes/how-to-cook-buckwheat.php) as Jeff sugests, [bulgar](http://runners-fuel.blogspot.com/2011/03/fuel-better-bulgur-wheat.html), and [barley](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/barley-recipe_n_1896911.html). (Huh, all begin with B!) In white rice not only fiber is removed and the then refortified B vitamins, but a host of other phytochemicals. White rice counts as a “refined grain.” ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/24 "2014-01-19T16:15:00Z")
Put coconut milk in the water. Look for it in the Asian market frozen section. ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/25 "2014-01-19T16:23:19Z")
This from The Barefoot Contessa isn’t bad. I cut back the vinegar a bit th. > **[Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/brown-rice-tomatoes-and-basil-recipe-1945224)** > > Get Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil Recipe from Food Network ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/26 "2014-01-19T17:38:57Z")
In _Cook This, Not That!_, from the _Eat this, Not that!_ book series, the authors ranked ten carbohydrate sources, with fiber the most important factor, followed by calories from protein, calories from sugar, and the nutrients. In order from best to worst, their list is: Bulgur Quinoa Oatmeal 100% Whole wheat bread Pearled Barley Enriched Pasta Brown Rice Couscous White rice White bread Brown rice is better than white, but it’s still pretty far down that list. ETA: Are there whole grain boxed rice or other boxed whole grain mixes available where you live? If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, you could look there. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/27 "2014-01-19T18:18:33Z")
Give me Quinoa, Buckwheat or Barley any day over Brown Rice. All are better and healthier, especially Quinoa. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/28 "2014-01-19T20:39:11Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > In _Cook This, Not That!_, from the _Eat this, Not that!_ book series, the authors ranked ten carbohydrate sources, with fiber the most important factor, followed by calories from protein, calories from sugar, and the nutrients. In order from best to worst, their list is: > > Bulgur > Quinoa > Oatmeal > 100% Whole wheat bread > Pearled Barley > Enriched Pasta > Brown Rice > Couscous > White rice > White bread > Brown rice is better than white, but it’s still pretty far down that list. > > ETA: Are there whole grain boxed rice or other boxed whole grain mixes available where you live? If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, you could look there. I would recommend hulled barley over pearled barley, and I agree with everyone else. You might not have cooked your rice long enough. It can be chewy, but it shouldn’t be crunchy. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/29 "2014-01-19T21:14:59Z")
I just came here to echo that QUINOA is much better imho than brown rice. Easier to cook, more nutritional value and a soft fluffy texture. I buy mine by the pound at the local bulk food store ($7.29/pound) where its organic. Rinse in a sieve to get the bitter flavor off of it Then cook covered on medium heat with twice as much water as quinoa for 15 min. Fluff with a fork and add some plum seed oil, Braggs ACV and Braggs aminos, toss with some black walnuts, dried currants and some kalamata olives for a healthy treat! om nom nom. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/30 "2014-01-19T21:31:47Z")
If the OP can’t cook up a decent side of brown rice, what’s going to happen to the oats and barley? Blech. 🙂 Quinoa is less likely to get mushy I guess, but also needs to be a pilaf or something if plain grains aren’t your thing. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/31 "2014-01-19T21:33:13Z")
I hated whole rice all my life. Like you, I found it mushy and uncooked at the same time, slimey yet crunchy, Blecgh. Then I tried out the store brand and cooked it exactly according to the package. Man, was that a revelation. Yum. So, what everybody else said. Try different brands of rice, different kinds (chinese, indian, basmati, surinam, etc) try following the exact cooking recepies, and try different recipies for combining it with other stuff. Or try quinoa. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/32 "2014-01-19T23:15:52Z")
Googled up “cooking brown rice” instructions. Odd how different the recommendations are. They’re all over the board. Water rice ratios 2-1 or 1.5-1 or 12-1 and then drain and steam etc. etc. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/33 "2014-01-20T00:51:11Z")
We’ve never done a great job with cooking brown rice, despite using a rice cooker - always a major burnt crust on the bottom despite adding plenty of water for the amount of rice. Also even our white rice winds up sticky (as does the brown) - nothing like the fluffy stuff you get at Indian and Chinese restaurants. Annoying as heck. That said, we DO prefer brown when we plan enough ahead to use it - as others have said, it takes longer to cook. We’ve also found that even using the recommended water quantities, it turns out kind of too chewy / crunchy unless we let it soak for 10-15 minutes before cooking it. Alton Brown recommends [cooking it in the oven](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html#!), and a similar-sounding version is [here](http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/cooking-class-perfect-brown-rice-in-the-oven/). I haven’t tried this, but want to do so at some point. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/34 "2014-01-20T00:51:25Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Googled up “cooking brown rice” instructions. Odd how different the recommendations are. They’re all over the board. Water rice ratios 2-1 or 1.5-1 or 12-1 and then drain and steam etc. etc. Interesting. For the best bare-bones cooking directions for just about anything, stick with Alton Brown or America’s Test Kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/35 "2014-01-20T04:38:06Z")
there is apparently a variety between white rice and brown rice. I think it is referred to as pink rice. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/36 "2014-01-20T04:55:29Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > there is apparently a variety between white rice and brown rice. I think it is referred to as pink rice. There is Red rice. > **[What is Red Rice?](https://www.delightedcooking.com/what-is-red-rice.htm)** > > Red rice is any of several varieties of rice with a red husk. Nutty and nutrition-rich, red rice is high in fiber, and may even... Good photo on that site of some of the different varieties of rice. Personally, I quite like brown rice. Cooked properly it has a nutty flavour and is a lot more filling than white rice. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/37 "2014-01-21T18:52:53Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Googled up “cooking brown rice” instructions. Odd how different the recommendations are. They’re all over the board. Water rice ratios 2-1 or 1.5-1 or 12-1 and then drain and steam etc. etc. Interesting. That is why you should follow the directions on the package to the letter. The manufacturer of that rice knows his stuff. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/38 "2014-01-21T19:31:21Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Googled up “cooking brown rice” instructions. Odd how different the recommendations are. They’re all over the board. Water rice ratios 2-1 or 1.5-1 or 12-1 and then drain and steam etc. etc. Interesting. The foolproof method is the “pasta method,” which sounds like the 12-1 method, but it doesn’t nearly need to have that much water. You can get by with fine at 6-1, and I suspect even less. That’s the method I use for brown rice. It’s easier, it’s a little faster (cooking time is only about 25 minutes, and then 5 minutes of rest/steam time after it’s drained) and it’s pretty much impossible to screw up. You can use this method for white rice, too. But brown rice itself does take some getting used to. It certainly has a different flavor profile and, personally, I’m not convinced that it’s _that_ much healthier for you. It has a similar amount of calories, similar amount of protein, a hair of fiber, a few grams less of carbs. At least when I’ve compared Riceland [brown](http://www.riceland.com/consumers/products/detail.asp?id=4) vs [white rice](http://www.riceland.com/consumers/products/detail.asp?id=2), the differences seemed negligible (and the nutritional content of the white rice in that case happens to be better, as it seems to be enriched.) Still, while I prefer white rice, I enjoy brown rice from time to time for its nutty and more grainy flavor. Wild rice (which is not a rice) is the one I really like, but it’s fantastically expensive. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/39 "2014-01-21T19:36:08Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > That is why you should follow the directions on the package to the letter. The manufacturer of that rice knows his stuff. It’s still worth experimenting and tweaking. I find the 2:1 water-to-rice ratio on most rice packaging to produce rice that is too wet. The ratio that works best for me (for white rice) is around 1.75:1, sometimes even closer to 1.5:1, depending on the brand and freshness. So I don’t take the instructions on the packaging to be gospel. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182/40 "2014-01-21T20:01:41Z")
> [@astro](#): > > “Lower in calories, higher in fiber. Make it a your go to main carb” I was told by my trainer. Trainers spew a lot of incorrect information. At least one other poster has mentioned in this thread that calories are about identical. Choosing this food over that usually means nothing; it’s your overall diet that matters. White rice can be just as beneficial to a healthy diet as brown rice. Okinawans are the longest lived people on the planet (with a high quality of life) and collectively they average about 840 grams of white rice per day, or about 3 to 4 bowls. Every food can have benefits another doesn’t. Some reasons white rice can trump brown: > **[\[Comparison of the nutritional value between brown rice and white rice\] - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9302338/)** > > Cereals are considered an important source of nutrients both in human and animal nourishment. In this paper nutritional value of brown rice is compared to that of white rice in relation to nutrients. Results show that despite higher nutrients... > **[Effects of brown rice on apparent digestibility and balance of nutrients in...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2822877/)** > > The effect of brown rice with low protein intake was studied in five healthy young men. Feces were weighed, the digestibility of nutrients was determined, and blood tests were made. Each subject followed a diet consisting mainly of polished rice for... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trainer-suggested-brown-rice-made-some-and-its-not-all-that-great-any-alternatives/679182.md?page=3)