# Which is Better: Rice or Beans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213 "2019-12-22T01:21:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/21 "2019-12-22T05:21:09Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Neither rice or beans are a complete protein on their own. However, when combined, they are. So for long term survival, keep both on hand. Being recently diagnosed with adult diabetes, I asked my doctor about this. She said that this was an old wives tale. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/22 "2019-12-22T05:25:32Z")
I eat rice way more often than I eat beans. It’s my staple, to the extent I have a staple food. But… When I visited Japan I stayed at a place that served rice, pickles, a little tub of natto, and hot tea for breakfast. I couldn’t bring myself to eat the natto. I hated the pickles. But if I are nothing but rice I couldn’t eat much, and I felt hungry. So I ate the pickles and about half the rice. And still felt hungry. But still couldn’t eat the rest of that bowl of unseasoned rice. It’s funny, because when rice is part of a meal I can eat a lot of it. Anyway, I can eat just beans. So… I guess… Beans? ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/23 "2019-12-22T06:37:13Z")
Rice feeds more than half of humanity, while beans mostly just give people gas. It’s got to be rice. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/24 "2019-12-22T06:50:44Z")
Beans are a protein, rice is a carbohydrate. They’re not in the same nutritional or culinary “slot”. You should be asking, “Rice or bread?” and “Beans or meat?” Personally, I like baked beans on rice. They make a complete meal. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/25 "2019-12-22T07:01:02Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Rice is versatile, and good on its own too. I agree > [@](#): > > Beans are what they are, and that’s it. But there are so many kinds of beans: vulgar beans, fava beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans, azuki beans, lentils, moth beans, you name it. Even if you take “bean” to refer only to phaselates, you have a lot to work with. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/26 "2019-12-22T07:10:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Beans are a protein, rice is a carbohydrate. They’re not in the same nutritional or culinary “slot”. You should be asking, “Rice or bread?” and “Beans or meat?” > > Personally, I like baked beans on rice. They make a complete meal. Beans are rich in protein, but they provide starch and fiber too; don’t sell them short 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/27 "2019-12-22T07:32:33Z")
I never heard of anyone eating a bowl of rice and a nice chianti. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/28 "2019-12-22T07:46:05Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Rice is versatile Ever had _tofu_? Glass noodles? _Papadums_? Soy milk?_Anpan_? _Cassoulet_? Baked beans on toast? Beans are damn versatile. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/29 "2019-12-22T07:50:31Z")
I prefer rice. Beans are better than rice though. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/30 "2019-12-22T08:04:36Z")
My vote really shouldn’t count because I’m Asian, but rice all the way! I go weeks or months without eating beans, but can’t go more than a day without eating rice before my stomach starts acting up. As for rice being tasteless, good short grain rice like Nishiki is slightly sweet and gets sweeter the more you chew. On the other hand, I find long grain bland, especially converted rice like Uncle Ben’s in which almost all the starch is gone. Taking my cue from _Seven Samurai_, in which the samurai ask only as for a bowl of rice a day, some days I eat only rice with a small portion of pickled vegetables or protein. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/31 "2019-12-22T08:29:43Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Ever had _tofu_? Glass noodles? _Papadums_? Soy milk?_Anpan_? _Cassoulet_? Baked beans on toast? Hummus? Peanut butter? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/32 "2019-12-22T08:48:12Z")
Rice. I hate beans, with only two exceptions: Refried beans in Mexican food; and jellybeans. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/33 "2019-12-22T10:11:00Z")
What would one substitute for rice in a bowl of gumbo? Same with stir fry only less so. I’ll go with rice. But I sure will miss borracho beans though. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/34 "2019-12-22T11:15:30Z")
Why do you have to go with one or the other? It’s your kitchen- you are allowed to have both, in the same dish even. I cook with both pretty often, and do not think they are at odds with each other. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/35 "2019-12-22T12:33:53Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Being recently diagnosed with adult diabetes, I asked my doctor about this. She said that this was an old wives tale. Which part is an old wives tale? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/37 "2019-12-22T13:37:15Z")
When eating out at Mexican places, I order rice and frijoles as sides. When it comes (after scraping off any horrid cheese on top of the beans), I mix them together. So both … But if I could only order one I’d go with beans. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/38 "2019-12-22T14:00:15Z")
Beans are more tasty and filling. I usually use rice as a addition to soup or a bowl of beans. Rice soaks up the flavors. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/39 "2019-12-22T15:30:16Z")
They go well together, in almost every cuisine, but if forced to choose, beans are going to win every time. Most of the time I can sub noodles for rice and be just fine. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/40 "2019-12-22T15:35:43Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Beans are a protein, rice is a carbohydrate. Which makes rice&peas such a great dish, enjoyed throughout the Caribbean and in the US as “Hoppin John”. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-rice-or-beans/845213/41 "2019-12-22T15:36:15Z")
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