Can You Eat Brown Rice on the Ketogenic Diet?

Is Brown Rice Keto-Friendly? Using Brown Rice on a Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins diet. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

Many people have found success managing weight and health conditions like type 2 diabetes with a keto diet. However, this restrictive eating pattern eliminates nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources like whole grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, and legumes.

You may wonder if you can include healthier carbs like brown rice in keto. Here is a detailed look at brown rice’s effects on ketosis and how to incorporate modest portions into a ketogenic eating pattern.

Brown Rice Nutrition Facts

Brown rice is a 100% whole grain that contains the nutrient-rich bran and germ along with the endosperm. One cup of cooked brown rice (195 grams) provides:

• Calories: 218
• Fat: 1.8 g
• Carbs: 44.8 g
• Fiber: 3.5 g
• Protein: 5 g

Brown rice is a good source of manganese, selenium, magnesium, and niacin. It also contains lignans that act as antioxidants to reduce inflammation.

Brown Rice Glycemic Index and Load

The glycemic index (GI) is a value assigned to foods based on how slowly or quickly they impact your blood sugar levels. Foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100.

Brown rice has a GI of 50, making it a medium glycemic food. The glycemic load takes portion size into account. Brown rice has a glycemic load of 20 per serving.

In comparison, white rice has a GI of 73 and a glycemic load of 23 per serving. So brown rice impacts blood sugar slightly less drastically than white rice.

Does Brown Rice Kick You Out of Ketosis?

To achieve the metabolic state of ketosis, the keto diet recommends limiting net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) to 20-50 grams per day. The typical keto ratio is:

• 60-75% fat
• 15-30% protein
• 5-10% carbs

With 44.8 total grams of carbs and 3.5 grams of fiber, brown rice has 41.3 net grams of carbohydrate per serving. This single serving size may use up your entire carb allowance on keto.

Consuming over 50 grams of net carbs will typically kick most people out of ketosis, as it causes a spike in blood sugar and insulin. So enjoying a typical serving size of brown rice is not keto-approved.

Potential Benefits of Adding Brown Rice to Keto

The keto diet eliminates all grains, including nutrient-rich whole grains. Here are some of the key nutrients you miss out on when avoiding brown rice and other grains on keto:

• Fiber - Helps regulate blood sugar levels, improves gut health, and aids weight loss.
• B vitamins - Play a role in metabolizing carbs, protein, and fat.
• Minerals - Whole grains provide magnesium, iron, zinc, and antioxidant selenium.
• Phytochemicals - Grains contain plant compounds like lignans that act as antioxidants.

The fiber in brown rice can also help relieve constipation, a common side effect of a low-carb, low-fiber ketogenic diet. The nutrients in modest portions of brown rice can make the keto diet more balanced and sustainable in the long run.

Tips for Incorporating Brown Rice into Keto

It’s possible to incorporate small servings of brown rice occasionally without disrupting ketosis. Here are some tips:

• Limit rice to 1⁄4 cup serving size or less.
• Mix rice with riced cauliflower for added nutrients.
• Eat rice only occasionally, not daily.
• Avoid eating rice two days in a row.
• Pair rice with fat and protein to help curb carb spike.
• Choose white rice instead for smaller effect on blood sugar.
• Save rice for when you do higher intensity workouts.

Monitor your symptoms and test ketone levels to see how your body responds to small servings of brown rice. The extra fiber and nutrients can make the diet more sustainable.

Brown Rice Alternatives on Keto

Sticking to very low-carb keto alternatives instead of actual rice may be easier for maintaining ketosis. Some options include:

Riced Cauliflower

Riced cauliflower makes a fantastic rice substitute. With just 5 grams of carbs per cup, it won’t disrupt ketosis. Cauliflower rice provides a neutral base to soak up sauces and seasonings.

Miracle Rice

This rice alternative is made from finely shredded vegetables like beets, carrots, and kohlrabi held together with psyllium husk powder. With 5 net carbs per serving, it makes a nutritious and ketogenic substitute for brown rice.

Shirataki Rice

Shirataki rice is made from konjac fiber, or konjac noodles, and contains almost zero digestible carbs or calories. The texture takes some getting used to but makes for an excellent rice substitute.

Celery Root Rice

Simply grate fresh celery root into rice-sized pieces to make a delicious alternative, or process finely chopped celery root in a food processor. Each cup of celery root rice has about 5 grams of net carbs.

Cabbage Rice

To make cabbage rice, finely chop or shred raw cabbage until it resembles the texture of rice. Saute it lightly to soften. With about 3 net carbs per cup, cabbage makes a great rice stand-in.

Zucchini Rice

Spiralizing or grating zucchini into rice-like strands makes for an easy, fast and low-carb rice substitute at only 2.5 grams of net carbs per cup.

Nuts and Seeds

Chopped nuts like pecans or seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds also mimic the chewy texture of rice. Sprinkle them on salads or stir-fries for added crunch.

Is Brown Rice Keto-Friendly? The Bottom Line

Brown rice is not strictly keto-friendly due to its high carbohydrate content. The average 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup serving size may kick you out of ketosis temporarily. Limit rice to very small portions occasionally or stick to low-carb vegetable rice substitutes instead.

Carefully incorporating small servings of brown rice and other whole grains may make the keto diet more sustainable and nutrient-dense. But for optimal ketone production, it’s best to minimize or avoid rice on keto.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is brown rice low carb?

No, brown rice is not a low-carb food. A typical serving of 1⁄2 cup brown rice contains over 20 grams of net carbs, which is considered high for a low-carb diet.

Is brown rice Keto at 20 net carbs?

Eating 20-50 net grams of carbs per day is recommended on keto. While 1⁄2 cup of brown rice could potentially fit into a 20 net carb limit, it would use up almost all of your carb allowance for the day.

Is brown rice better than white rice on keto?

Brown rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice, meaning it impacts blood sugar slightly less drastically. But both contain too many carbs to be regularly included on keto.

Can I eat brown rice once a week on keto?

You may be able to incorporate 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup portions of brown rice once or twice per week without knocking yourself totally out of ketosis if you stay under 50 net carbs daily. Monitor your ketone levels to see how your body responds.

Is brown rice anti-inflammatory?

Brown rice contains antioxidants including powerful anti-inflammatory compounds called lignans that can help reduce inflammation in the body.

The Bottom Line

The ketogenic diet minimizes carbs from all sources, including nutritious whole grains like brown rice. Typical serving sizes of rice are too high in carbs to include regularly on keto.

Including small portions occasionally may provide extra nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. But low-carb vegetable rice substitutes keep your body in ketosis better than actual rice. Focus on making the diet sustainable and nutrient-dense.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.