10 Rice High in Fiber (Beyond White and Brown)

Rice is a large part of the staple diet in many cultures. It serves as an inexpensive and easily accessible food item with well-rounded nutritional content and other powerful, healthy plant compounds like antioxidants.

Because of its digestibility and high carbohydrate composition, rice is popular among fitness enthusiasts as well. By pairing it with other healthy dishes, you can get your daily intake of recommended macronutrients and micronutrients easily.

However, most fitness enthusiasts miss out on an important component – fiber. While rice is not the best source of fiber, it can be paired with many other dishes to meet your daily requirements.

Fiber is one of the most sought-after carbohydrate variants because of its exceptional health benefits. For example, many types of dietary fibers are responsible for feeding the “good” bacteria present in the intestine, thereby acting as prebiotics ^[1].

It is also an essential component for weight-watchers as fibers are associated with a decrease in daily calorie intake ^[2]. This is because fiber can increase satiety for longer periods by slowing down the rate of absorption of nutrients in the body ^[3].

So, having a good amount of fiber in your system can have a positive impact on your overall health. Fortunately, there are some high-fiber rice varieties that you can include in your diet programs to further improve your nutrition.

However, with so many options available in the market, it becomes difficult to identify the rice with the highest fiber content.

To help you with this, we have come up with a ranked list of all varieties of rice with the most fiber in them.

Key Takeaways

• According to the recommendations of the Food and Drug Administration, the Daily Value for fiber (for an average adult) is 28 grams, based on the assumption that 2,000 calories are being consumed by that person each day ^[4]. The number may vary depending on the person’s age and sex.
• Experts briefly define fiber as a certain type of carbohydrate that is difficult to digest by the body ^[5]. Certain types of fibers, however, are digestible.
• Fibers can be divided into two categories – soluble and insoluble. The former kind is water soluble, making them digestible. The latter cannot be digested by the human body.
• Children and teenagers aged between 1 and 18 years should consume around 14 to 31 grams of fiber every day, depending on their age, sex, and activity levels ^[6].
• Fiber is known for improving gut health, leading to several health-related benefits ^[7]. It also improves satiety (the feeling of fullness for longer periods), helps in weight loss, and lowers cholesterol levels.

10 Rice High in Fiber

If you are simply looking to find a variety of rice with fiber, that’s going to be easy. You can pick any of the variants available in the market.

But if you want to try out the highest-fiber rice, you will be left with slim pickings. Unfortunately, researching and studying the fiber content of each type of rice can be pretty boring and time-consuming.

For that reason, we have compiled a ranked list of the top 10 varieties of rice with the most fiber content:

Organic Brown Basmati Rice

Basmati rice is a popular variant of the traditional brown rice that we all know. Like the other varieties, this one is also extremely healthy and fibrous. Because of the retention of the crucial bran layer, brown basmati rice takes longer to cook.

The long and slender grains are filled with many beneficial nutrients and essential components like antioxidants, protein, fiber, and so on.

Basmati rice is also good for digestion and improving satiety, slightly better than the other traditional alternatives.

A single serving (100 grams) of brown basmati rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 7 grams
• Daily Value: 31.07%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 370
• Carbs: 9 grams
• Net Carbs: 2 grams
• Protein: 7 grams
• Fat: 26 grams

Short Grain Brown Rice

Traditionally, we have always been told that brown rice is the healthier alternative. That’s because, unlike other varieties (like white rice), it does not have its bran and germ removed.

While brown rice comes in many different shapes and sizes, the short-grain variant is the healthiest. It is starchier and comes with a stickier texture. Apart from this, short-grain varieties are also lighter on calories, making them a great fit for people on a weight loss journey.

Brown rice also contains a lot of important antioxidants that are important for improving overall body health and disease prevention ^[8].

A single serving (100 grams) of short-grain brown rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 7 grams
• Daily Value: 23.93%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 333
• Carbs: 8 grams
• Net Carbs: 1 grams
• Protein: 67 grams
• Fat: 33 grams

Wild Rice

The wild variant is another type of rice with high fiber content. Wild rice is a long-grain variety and has a very chewy texture. However, the overall flavor is much richer and refined than the other alternatives.

Wild rice offers several health benefits compared to less healthy alternatives like white rice, such as decreased triglyceride and cholesterol levels, oxidative stress, and even insulin resistance ^[9].

Moreover, wild rice is also lighter in calories compared to brown rice, while offering more protein content and less total fat.

A single serving (100 grams) of wild rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 2 grams
• Daily Value: 22.14%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 354
• Carbs: 75 grams
• Net Carbs: 8 grams
• Protein: 6 grams
• Fat: 04 grams

Black Rice

Black Rice is also referred to as ‘Forbidden Rice’ as it was reserved only for the royals in Ancient China.

Apart from offering high fiber content, Black Rice also has other health benefits – improved blood pressure, reduction in the risk of heart disease, neurological disease prevention, and so on.

Black Rice is also very nutritious, as many experts claim that it has the highest level of antioxidant activity compared to any other varieties of rice ^[10]. The black color of this variant comes from the presence of anthocyanin, which is beneficial as well because of its anti-cancer properties ^[11]. 

A single serving (100 grams) of Black Rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 7 grams
• Daily Value: 16.79%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 372
• Carbs: 1 grams
• Net Carbs: 4 grams
• Protein: 6 grams
• Fat: 49 grams

Red Rice

Red rice varieties are high in nutrients and other beneficial compounds. Apart from being a rich source of fiber, they are also exceptional providers of healthy and essential antioxidants for the body ^[12].

Red rice is jam-packed with multiple flavonoid antioxidants, like anthocyanins apigenin, myricetin, and quercetin ^[13].

This category of rice can decrease inflammation in the body. It also helps you keep free radical levels in check while also reducing the risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease ^[14].

A single serving (100 grams) of red rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 4 grams
• Daily Value: 15.71%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 356
• Carbs: 2 grams
• Net Carbs: 8 grams
• Protein: 89 grams
• Fat: 0 grams

Long Grain Brown Rice

In traditional varieties of rice, like white rice, bran, and germ are removed. But in brown rice, this is not the case. This is the primary differentiating factor between the two.

Otherwise, the calorie and carbohydrate content of brown rice is more or less equal to other traditional varieties. However, brown rice is high in protein and fiber content, which makes it the healthier option of the two ^[15].

The long-grain variety of brown rice is considered to be even healthier. It is rich in antioxidants and high in calories, protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

A single serving (100 grams) of long-grain brown rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 4 grams
• Daily Value: 8.57%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 357
• Carbs: 2 grams
• Net Carbs: 8 grams
• Protein: 14 grams
• Fat: 38 grams

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Organic Red Jasmine Rice

The jasmine variant of red rice is healthy as well. It is nutritious, high in fiber content, and offers many other essential components, including antioxidants, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Organic red jasmine means that the rice should be grown without the use of any chemical catalysts like fertilizers and pesticides. Because of how common these practices are, getting authentic organic red jasmine is very difficult in most countries.

But if you do manage to get it, brown jasmine is a flavorful, aromatic, delicious, and healthy variety of rice.

A single serving (100 grams) of organic red jasmine rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 2 grams
• Daily Value: 7.86%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 356
• Carbs: 8 grams
• Net Carbs: 6 grams
• Protein: 89 grams
• Fat: 2 grams

Organic Sushi Rice

Sushi rice is a lesser-known type of short-grain rice, a key ingredient of sushi. It is low in fat and cholesterol content, making it a healthy alternative for fitness-oriented individuals.

We recommend that you try the brown variant of sushi rice, as its outer layer is not removed and contains higher levels of fiber and protein.

A single serving (100 grams) of brown sushi rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 2 grams
• Daily Value: 7.86%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 356 calories
• Carbs: 80 grams
• Net Carbs: 8 grams
• Protein: 67 grams
• Fat: 0 grams

White Basmati Rice

The white basmati variant is very similar to long-grain white rice in terms of calories and composition.

It’s not that rich in fiber and protein content. But it is easily accessible for the masses and can be found in any supermarket.

To meet your daily fiber requirement, eating white basmati rice alone will not help. You will have to pair it up with other food items and ingredients to get a wholesome, fulfilling meal.

A single serving (100 grams) of white basmati rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 2 grams
• Daily Value: 7.14%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 347
• Carbs: 79.6 grams
• Net Carbs: 77.6 grams
• Protein: 8.16 grams
• Fat: 0.3 grams

Long-Grain White Rice

Finally, we are moving on to the white rice variants. In this variety, the husk, bran, and germ are removed to extend the shelf life of the packaged product.

However, this process destroys many beneficial compounds found in the outer layer of rice, making them comparatively less beneficial than other alternatives.

Despite having slightly less amount of protein, minerals, and fiber, white rice is better nourished with vitamin B and iron content ^[16].

A single serving (100 grams) of long-grain white rice offers the following:

• Fiber: 0.7 grams
• Daily Value: 2.5%

Nutritional Profile

• Calories: 171
• Carbs: 35 grams
• Net Carbs: 34.3 grams
• Protein: 3.57 grams
• Fat: 1.43 grams

Does Rice Have Fiber?

Yes, most varieties of rice are fibrous. However, the actual proportion of fiber content differs from one variety to another.

For example, brown rice (and other similar variants with its outermost layers intact) is the richest when it comes to offering fiber, while white rice is the poorest.

Although certain varieties of rice are more fibrous than others, they cannot be considered rich fiber sources. To get to the daily recommended amount, you should pair rice with other fibrous vegetables and dishes.

So, if fiber intake is your sole focus, make sure that rice is not the central ingredient of your diet plan.

Is Rice High in Fiber?

Yes, rice is generally considered to be a good source of fiber. While certain varieties of rice are high in fiber content, there are other superfoods that serve as much better sources of dietary fiber.

Foods like oats and leafy greens are excellent sources of fiber. They can be paired with rice to help you accomplish your daily goals. Eating rice alone, unfortunately, will not help you get to the level that is recommended by dietary experts.

But rice is easily accessible and very convenient. Moreover, there are many high-fiber rice strains as well. You can include them in your overall diet to get all the dietary benefits.

Does White Rice Have Fiber?

Yes, white rice has some amount of fiber. However, because this variety does not have its outermost layers (bran and germ), the fiber content is relatively lower compared to other varieties.

More specifically, brown rice (and other similar variants), with its outermost layers intact, has higher fiber content.

But even then, it should be noted that brown rice (by itself) is not the best source of fiber. If you really want to focus on improving your fiber intake, you need to find other fibrous dishes to complete your meal.

How Much Fiber is in White Rice?

A single serving (100 grams) of cooked white rice will give you anywhere around 0.7 grams of fiber.

However, you can slightly increase this number by getting another variant of white rice – basmati.

Generally, around 100 grams of cooked basmati rice will give you around 2 grams of fiber. This is still not significantly high but is definitely an improvement over normal white rice.

What Type of Rice Has The Most Fiber?

The basmati variant of brown rice, as well as short-grained brown rice, are the two richest sources of fiber compared to other alternatives.

Both of them offer similar nutritional content. However, the fiber content in organic brown basmati rice is much more superior.

Short-grained brown rice, on the other hand, comes at second-highest and competes closely with Wild Rice.

How Much Fiber is in Brown Rice?

Depending on the sub-variant used, a single serving (100 grams) of cooked brown rice can offer anywhere between 2.4 grams and 8.7 grams of fiber.

Generally, brown basmati rice will give you more than 8 grams of fiber per 100 grams of cooked rice.

On the other hand, long-grained variants are not as fibrous as their counterparts. They only offer up to 2.4 grams of fiber for each serving.

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Final Words

There are many varieties of rice available in the market. However, not all of them provide essential nutrients and components in the same proportion.

Some, like organic brown rice, are rich providers of fiber and protein. Others, like white rice, are more accessible and cheaper but are not as healthy.

While planning your meals, it’s essential to meet your daily fiber requirements to improve your overall health. The key is to find the right variety of rice high in fiber content to get all the benefits.

References

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