You are doing a Keto diet — or you’re planning to do it — and you’ve thought about trying Basmati rice since you found out that it’s very healthy and useful for losing weight; just what you were looking for, right? But is Basmati rice Keto friendly?
Although Basmati is a fairly healthy type of rice compared to other more conventional types, the reality is that the Keto diet only allows you to get up to 10% of calories from carbs, a percentage that you could easily exceed if you consume Basmati rice. Let’s see why.
About Basmati rice
Basmati is a type of rice very popular in both Asian and African cuisine and is characterized by having larger grains compared to conventional rice, as well as having a characteristic aroma similar to that of popcorn that makes it especially appetizing.
Basmati rice usually comes in two varieties, white and brown, the latter being much more nutritious as it’s less processed. In this sense, brown Basmati rice offers the benefits of fiber and a lower glycemic index than other types, making it suitable for keeping blood glucose and cholesterol levels under control.
According to the data, a cup of white Basmati rice contains:
- Calories: 210
- Protein: 5 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Carbs: 46 grams
- Fiber: 0.7 grams
In addition to micronutrients such as thiamine, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium, among others.
About Keto
The Keto or Ketogenic diet is a low-carb eating regimen used primarily for weight loss. The goal of this diet is to obtain the calories that your body needs mainly from protein and fat, so it considerably limits the consumption of high-carb foods, such as bread, pasta, sweets, etc.
The process of breaking down fat to use as fuel for the body is called “ketosis” and occurs when you consume less than 50 grams of carbs per day for a minimum of three to four days in a row. During ketosis, your body breaks down fat and protein cells to use for fuel, eventually causing you to lose weight.
Is Basmati rice Keto friendly?
If you’ve carefully read the above paragraphs, you can easily answer the question, is Basmati rice Keto friendly?
Basmati rice is a no-no on a Ketogenic diet. Keep in mind that all types of rice contain enough carbs to push you over the Keto limits, so a single serving of rice can easily kick you out of ketosis. Remember that in a Keto diet the purpose is to obtain the energy that your body needs from the fat deposits accumulated in your organism, so if you consume an amount of carbs that exceeds 50 grams per day, you are already breaking with the number one rule of Keto diets.
How many carbs does Basmati rice contain?
According to the aforementioned studies, a single cup of Basmati rice has enough carbs to break ketosis quickly. At 45 to 50 grams per serving – and even just half a cup – you’d already be getting more than 20 grams of carbs, making it difficult to maintain ketosis along the day.
The fact that many people consume Basmati rice to lose weight, especially in its unprocessed variety, is because this type of rice has a lower glycemic index compared to conventional rice, in addition to a high fiber content, which makes it a slow-absorbing carbohydrate that doesn’t significantly raise blood glucose levels.
On the contrary, foods with fast-absorbing carbs, such as white bread and sweets, have a high glycemic index. This means that these foods can quickly raise blood glucose levels and if this occurs too often, excess glucose ends up accumulating as fat in the body.
And if it’s whole grain, is Basmati rice Keto friendly?
For Keto diet purposes, there really isn’t much difference between Basmati rice in its white or brown variety. Brown Basmati still contains enough carbs to easily kick you out of ketosis if you consume even half a cup a day.
If you consider that to maintain ketosis you must limit your carbs intake between 20 to 30 grams per day, consuming brown Basmati rice is not a recommended option.
On the other hand, Basmati rice is considered very beneficial for human health due to its important contribution of nutrients, so once you’ve finished your Keto diet, consuming Basmati rice might be an interesting option to consider instead of conventional white rice.
In summary
As you can see, the answer to whether or not Basmati rice is keto friendly is quite clear. Basmati rice is not the most appropriate food if you’re on Keto, or if you are thinking of doing it. Consuming even half a cup of this type of rice can help push you off limits on the diet due to its high carbs content, even in its brown variety.
However, once you have achieved your weight loss goals on the Keto diet, you may choose to consume this type of rice if you want to maintain a healthier diet in the long term. In any case, always remember that the number one rule is moderation.