Is rice good for weight loss? Rice, potatoes, bread and pasta explained

Is rice good for weight loss? The short answer

Yes, rice can be good for weight loss when you eat a sensible portion and serve it with vegetables and a protein food. No study shows that rice on its own makes people gain weight. What changes the picture is how much rice ends up in the bowl and how much oil, butter or sauce goes with it.

The same is true for potatoes, bread and pasta. Each of these staple foods can help you feel full, and each can also become a large, calorie-dense meal. The difference lies in the type you choose, the way you cook it and the amount you serve.

This page looks at each food in turn, with approximate calories and fibre per cooked portion. You will also find a simple plate guide, food safety tips for leftover rice and advice for people living with diabetes.

Before you change your diet, talk to your doctor first, especially if you have diabetes, kidney disease or another long-term condition. The information here is general and does not replace personal medical advice.

What carbohydrates do in your body

Carbohydrates are your body’s main everyday fuel. Starchy foods such as rice, potatoes, bread and pasta are broken down into glucose, which your muscles and brain use for energy.

Not all carbohydrate is digested in the same way. Fibre passes through the small intestine largely undigested and adds bulk to a meal. Whole grains, beans, lentils and potatoes eaten with their skins carry more of it than white flour and white rice.

A large review in The Lancet pooled 185 long-term studies and 58 trials on carbohydrate quality. People who ate the most fibre had a 15 to 30 % lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer than those who ate the least. In the trials, higher fibre intake also went with lower body weight.

The benefits in that review were greatest at about 25 to 29 grams of fibre a day, more than many adults eat today. Choosing the high-fibre version of your usual starchy food is one of the easiest ways to move closer to that amount.

You may also hear about the glycaemic index (GI), a 0 to 100 scale for how quickly a food raises blood sugar compared with pure glucose. According to the international GI tables, pasta is usually a low-GI food. Rice and bread come in low, medium and high-GI versions, and most potato varieties are high-GI.

GI is a helpful extra, not the whole story. It describes a food eaten on its own, while real meals mix starch with protein, fat and vegetables, which slow digestion down.

Why no single carb food makes you gain weight

Weight changes when the energy you take in over weeks and months is higher or lower than the energy your body uses. No single food can override that balance, whether it is rice, bread or anything else.

That is why the claim that carbohydrates themselves cause weight gain does not hold up. Our page on weight loss myths explains what a large trial of low-carb and low-fat diets found, and our guide to the best diet for weight loss compares low-carb and balanced eating in more detail.

In practice, three things decide whether a starchy food helps or hinders your weight loss:

• The portion. A heaped plate of pasta can easily hold twice the calories of a moderate one. Our page on portion control shows simple ways to judge amounts with your hand or a plate.
• The fat added in cooking. Frying, roasting in plenty of oil, butter on potatoes and creamy sauces add calories quickly without making the meal much bigger.
• What else is on the plate. Starch eaten with vegetables and a protein food is more filling than a bowl of starch on its own.

The table below shows how quickly toppings add up. One tablespoon of oil carries more than half the calories of a whole portion of cooked rice.

None of these extras is forbidden. Measuring oil with a spoon instead of pouring it from the bottle, and choosing tomato sauces over creamy or oily ones most days, often saves more calories than giving up the rice or pasta underneath.

White rice vs brown rice for weight loss

Brown rice and white rice have almost the same calories, but brown rice has about four times as much fibre. A 150 g portion of cooked long-grain white rice has around 195 kcal and less than 1 gram of fibre; the same amount of brown rice has about 185 kcal and 2 to 3 grams.

Brown rice keeps the bran and germ of the grain, which hold most of the fibre, vitamins and minerals. White rice has these layers polished off, which makes it softer, quicker to cook and easier to store.

There are few long trials that compare brown and white rice for weight loss directly. The case for brown rice rests mostly on its fibre and on studies of diabetes risk, described in the next section.

If you prefer white rice, you do not need to give it up. You can mix half white and half brown, add peas, beans or lentils to the pot, or serve a smaller portion of rice next to a larger portion of vegetables.

Other whole grains are worth trying too. Pearl barley and bulgur wheat both have more fibre than brown rice for the same weight, and they work well in soups, salads and pilaf-style dishes.

Rice and diabetes risk: what the studies show

Large observational studies link a high intake of white rice with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The link is strongest where people eat white rice several times a day and much weaker where rice is an occasional food.

A meta-analysis in the BMJ combined seven groups of adults followed over time, more than 350,000 people in total. People in China and Japan ate on average three to four servings of white rice a day, while those in Western countries ate one or two servings a week.

In the Chinese and Japanese groups, those eating the most white rice had a 55 % higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those eating the least. In the Western groups, the difference was small and could have been due to chance. Across all groups, each extra daily serving went with an 11 % higher risk.

The international PURE study followed more than 132,000 adults in 21 countries for about nine and a half years. Eating at least 450 g of cooked white rice a day, roughly three cups, was linked with a higher risk of diabetes than eating less than 150 g.

That link was strongest in South Asia. In China, however, the researchers found no clear association, which shows that the overall diet, activity and other habits around the rice matter too.

Brown rice points the other way. In three large US cohorts, people who ate brown rice at least twice a week had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers estimated that swapping about 50 g of cooked white rice a day for brown rice went with a 16 % lower risk.

These are observational studies, so they show associations rather than proof that rice causes diabetes. Even so, they support a practical message: if rice is your main food every day, choose brown or mixed rice more often and keep the portions moderate.

Rice in Asian and other rice-based diets

For many families in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, rice is the heart of every meal, and giving it up is neither realistic nor necessary. Small changes to the bowl usually work better than cutting rice out.

• Serve rice in a smaller bowl and fill a second bowl or half the plate with vegetables, soup or salad.
• Cook rice with lentils, beans or peas, as in many dals, khichdi or rice and peas, to add fibre and protein.
• Use brown, red or mixed-grain rice for some meals of the week.
• Keep fried rice and rice cooked in a lot of ghee or oil for special days rather than every day.

Our weight loss recipes include a red lentil dal with rice and an egg fried rice made with little oil, both with approximate calories per serving.

Cooled rice and resistant starch: a small effect

Cooking and then cooling rice changes some of its starch into resistant starch, which behaves more like fibre. This is real, but the effect on calories and weight is small, so it is a bonus rather than a weight-loss method.

In a small study from Indonesia, white rice that was cooked, kept in the fridge for 24 hours and reheated had about 1.65 g of resistant starch per 100 g, compared with 0.64 g in freshly cooked rice. In 15 healthy adults, the cooled and reheated rice caused a smaller rise in blood sugar.

A study of 32 adults with type 1 diabetes found the same pattern. Rice that had been cooled for 24 hours and reheated led to a lower peak in blood sugar than fresh rice.

The same study also found more episodes of low blood sugar after the cooled rice, when people took their usual insulin dose. If you use insulin, talk to your diabetes team before switching to cooled rice.

The extra resistant starch is only about one gram per 100 g of rice, so the calories in your bowl hardly change. Use cooled rice if it suits your cooking, for example in a quick fried rice, but do not expect it to change your weight on its own.

Leftover rice: how to cool and reheat it safely

Cooked rice needs more care than most leftovers, because uncooked rice can carry spores of the bacterium Bacillus cereus. The spores can survive cooking, and if rice stays warm for too long, the bacteria can make a toxin that causes food poisoning.

Food Standards Scotland advises the following:

1. Cool cooked rice as quickly as possible, ideally within one hour. Take it out of the pan, steamer or rice cooker, and divide it into smaller portions so it cools faster.
2. Put it in the fridge as soon as it has reached room temperature.
3. Eat it within 24 hours.
4. Reheat it only once, until it is steaming hot all the way through.

Cold rice in a salad is also safe when it has been cooled quickly, stored in the fridge and eaten within 24 hours. The longer cooked rice sits at room temperature, the more likely it is to become unsafe, so do not keep rice that has been left out for hours.

Are potatoes good for weight loss?

Yes, potatoes can be very good for weight loss when they are boiled or baked and served without much fat. They are mostly water and starch, so a large portion has a moderate number of calories.

In a classic Australian satiety study, volunteers ate 240 kcal portions of 38 everyday foods and rated how full they felt for two hours. Boiled potatoes scored as the most filling of all, about three times as filling as white bread. Our list of foods for weight loss covers that study and other filling foods.

The same study found that heavier portions for the same calories, and foods with more water, fibre and protein, tended to fill people up more. Foods with more fat tended to fill them less, which helps explain why chips and crisps do not satisfy in the same way.

The cooking method changes the numbers dramatically. Each row in the table below shows 150 g of cooked potato, prepared in a different way.

Long-term studies tell a similar story. In three large US cohorts, people who ate more French fries over four years gained clearly more weight, while extra boiled, baked or mashed potatoes went with only a small gain. Fries were also linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than other potatoes.

The same research found that replacing some potatoes with whole grains went with a lower diabetes risk. So if you eat potatoes most days, it helps to alternate them with brown rice, barley, wholewheat pasta or beans.

Tips for potatoes

• Boil, steam or bake them, and keep the skins on for extra fibre.
• Season with herbs, mustard, lemon, black pepper or a spoon of plain yogurt instead of butter or sour cream.
• For mash, use some of the cooking water or a splash of milk, and mash in some carrot, swede or cauliflower.
• Make oven wedges with a measured teaspoon or two of oil for the whole tray, rather than pouring it on.

Sweet potato vs potato: which is better?

Sweet potatoes and ordinary potatoes are both good choices for weight loss, and neither is clearly better. A 200 g portion of boiled sweet potato has about 150 kcal and 5 grams of fibre, compared with about 175 kcal and 4 grams for potatoes boiled in their skins.

Both are whole, unprocessed foods with a similar amount of carbohydrate per portion. Choose the one you enjoy, can buy easily and can afford, and switch between them for variety.

The same cooking rules apply. Sweet potato fries and roasted sweet potato soaked in oil are no lighter than ordinary chips, and baked sweet potato has slightly more calories per gram than boiled sweet potato, about 90 compared with 76 kcal per 100 g.

Bread and weight loss: wholegrain vs white

Bread can fit into weight loss, and wholegrain bread is the better everyday choice. Two slices of wholemeal bread have roughly 160 kcal and 4 grams of fibre, while two thinner slices of white bread have about 130 kcal and just over 1 gram.

Trials suggest that the type of grain makes a difference. In a Danish study, 50 adults at risk of metabolic syndrome followed a whole grain diet and a refined grain diet for eight weeks each. They could eat as much as they liked, yet they weighed less after the whole grain period, which fitted with a lower energy intake.

Large cohort studies point the same way. Over four-year periods, eating more whole grains went with slightly less weight gain, while eating more refined grains went with slightly more.

Calories from bread add up through the toppings and the number of slices. Butter, cheese, jam and chocolate spread can double the energy of a sandwich, so use protein fillings such as egg, tuna, chicken, hummus or cottage cheese, and add salad or vegetables.

How to choose a better bread

• Look for “wholemeal” or “wholegrain” as the first ingredient; a brown colour alone does not tell you much.
• Compare the fibre per 100 g on the labels of two or three loaves and pick the higher one.
• Dense rye bread and wholegrain sourdough are filling options for many people.
• Some breads are quite salty. If you have high blood pressure, compare salt or sodium between brands too.

For ideas that combine bread, eggs, yogurt and fruit into a filling morning meal, see our page on breakfast for weight loss.

Is pasta good for weight loss?

Pasta can be good for weight loss, especially wholewheat pasta in a moderate portion with a vegetable-rich sauce. In the international GI tables, pasta is usually a low-GI food, while most potatoes and many breads are higher.

A systematic review in BMJ Open combined 32 trial comparisons with almost 2,500 adults who ate pasta as part of a low-GI diet. Compared with higher-GI diets, they lost a little more weight, about 0.6 kg on average over a median of 12 weeks, and pasta did not lead to weight gain.

The difference was small and the researchers noted that pasta was eaten within a healthy low-GI pattern, not in unlimited amounts. The message is reassuring rather than a reason to eat more: pasta does not need to be off the menu.

Portions are the main thing to watch. A 170 g portion of cooked pasta has about 255 to 270 kcal, and restaurant plates are often twice that size. Weighing dry pasta once or twice helps you see what a moderate portion looks like in your own bowl.

Tips for pasta

• Try wholewheat pasta, or mix half white and half wholewheat while you get used to it.
• Bulk up tomato sauces with courgette, peppers, mushrooms, spinach or lentils.
• Keep creamy, cheesy and oily sauces for smaller portions or special meals.
• Add a protein food such as fish, chicken, beans or tofu, so the meal fills you up for longer.

Are rice cakes good for weight loss?

Rice cakes can be a handy snack base, but they are not especially filling on their own. One plain brown rice cake weighs about 9 grams and has roughly 35 kcal.

Because the water has been removed, rice cakes hold about 387 kcal per 100 g, three times as much as cooked rice. They are light because each one is small and full of air, not because the food itself is low in energy.

Two rice cakes have less than 1 gram of fibre and little protein, so many people feel hungry again soon. A topping changes that: cottage cheese and tomato, a thin layer of peanut butter with banana slices, hummus and cucumber, or an egg.

Rye crispbreads are a good alternative with more fibre. For other ideas, see our page on healthy snacks.

Carb portions compared: calories and fibre

A sensible cooked portion of most starchy foods has between 120 and 270 kcal. The table shows typical portions with approximate values from the USDA food composition database; your own portion may be larger or smaller.

Values are for plain foods without added fat or salt and are rounded. Brands, varieties and cooking times differ, so treat the numbers as a guide rather than exact figures.

The table also shows why fibre matters more than small differences in calories. Barley, bulgur and wholewheat pasta give you several times the fibre of white rice for a similar amount of energy.

How to build a plate with rice, potatoes or pasta

A balanced plate gives starchy food a place without letting it take over. Fill about half the plate with vegetables or salad, a quarter with a protein food and a quarter with rice, potatoes, pasta or bread.

Talk to your doctor first before you change your eating pattern, especially if you take medicines for diabetes. Then try these steps for one week:

1. Start with the vegetables. Serve them first and give them the most space, cooked, raw or in a soup.
2. Add a protein food. Fish, eggs, chicken, beans, lentils, tofu or yogurt help the meal last.
3. Choose your starch. Pick a high-fibre version where you can and serve roughly one cooked cupful or a fist-sized amount.
4. Measure the fat. Use a spoon for oil, butter and dressings rather than pouring freely.
5. Check your hunger. If you are hungry an hour later, add vegetables or protein first. If your weight does not move over several weeks, trim the starch or the added fat a little.

For the protein quarter, our page on meat and fish for weight loss compares the leanest cuts and fish.

If you prefer a ready structure, our free eating plan shows how a full week can look with rice, potatoes, bread and pasta included.

Carbs and diabetes: talk to your doctor first

If you live with diabetes, you can still eat rice, potatoes, bread and pasta. But changing the amount suddenly can affect your blood sugar and your medicines, so speak to your doctor or diabetes team before big changes.

The American Diabetes Association’s nutrition consensus states that there is no ideal percentage of calories from carbohydrate for everyone with or at risk of diabetes. It advises focusing on non-starchy vegetables, fewer added sugars and refined grains, and whole foods rather than highly processed ones.

Two situations need extra care:

• Insulin or sulfonylureas. If you use insulin, or tablets such as gliclazide or glimepiride that can cause low blood sugar, eating much less carbohydrate can make your blood sugar drop too far. Your doses may need to change first.
• Fixed insulin doses. The consensus advises people on fixed daily insulin doses to keep the amount and timing of carbohydrate fairly consistent from day to day. Skipping rice at dinner one day and eating a large portion the next can make control harder.

The same consensus says very low-carb eating should only be started with a knowledgeable professional, because blood sugar can fall quickly and medicines often need lowering. Our page on insulin resistance explains what to eat and how to spot low blood sugar.

Carbs, walking and suitable exercise

Good food works best together with regular movement. A short walk after dinner, a session of seated exercises or a few flights of stairs are easy ways to add activity to an ordinary day.

You do not need to earn your rice or potatoes with exercise. See movement as something that helps you feel better, sleep better and keep your weight steady over time. Our walking plan and workout videos start gently and build up at your own pace.

How Obesity Foundation helps you lose weight with everyday foods

We help people lose weight and get healthier with good food, suitable exercise and walking. You do not have to give up the rice, bread or potatoes your family loves; we help you fit them into meals that keep you full.

• A free eating plan that includes your favourite staple foods in sensible portions: request your free eating plan.
• Free exercise videos for every level, from seated moves to stronger sessions: get the free workout videos.
• A free video meeting (in English) to talk through your meals, portions and questions with someone who will not judge you: book a free video meeting.
• The free Obesity Foundation Club, your own account to follow your progress and stay in touch: join the free Club.

Pick one change this week. Swap half your white rice for brown, boil your potatoes instead of frying them, or measure your pasta once. One small, lasting step is worth more than cutting out a food you will miss every day.