Whole grain - New health claim for brown rice.

I've always recommended clients make a switch from white rice to brown rice as a way to boost dietary fiber intake. A diet high in dietary fiber (ideally 25-35 grams/day) is linked with reduced heart disease risk by lowering LDL and total cholesterol levels.

The FDA just approved a new ruling that will allow brown rice to use a health claim on its label. So, when you're shopping for groceries, be on the look out for the new whole-grain logo added to the brown rice packaging and don't forget to reach for the brown rice over the white! A 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice contains two grams of fiber.

Brown rice takes extra time to prepare (~45 minutes). I checked out the nutrition label on brown "minute" rice recently and it's another option, still providing 2 grams of dietary fiber per 1/2 cup serving. Best of all, only takes ~10 minutes to prepare. Haven't tried it yet, so can't vouch for its flavor, but I have added it to my shopping list.

All the best,

Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
The Heart of Health