Quinoa vs. rice: which is healthier?
A tale of two healthy carbs. But which one is better for you? Our resident dietitian Melissa Meier explains.
They’re two of the most popular grain choices, but is one better than the other when it comes to nutritional value? While many a health influencer might have you believe trendy quinoa wins over humble rice, that’s not always the case. Here’s why.
Quinoa
Here’s a fun fact for your next game of trivia: quinoa technically isn’t a grain, but a seed. Nonetheless, it’s classed as a grain as it offers many of the same culinary and nutritional qualities as true grains.
Along with low-GI carbs, quinoa is relatively high in protein. In fact, it’s a ‘complete’ protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids your body needs to function. That’s unlike many other plant foods which are often ‘incomplete’ and need to be paired with complementary plant proteins to get the full range of amino acids.
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BODYANDSOUL.COM.AU1:02
Simple tips for weight loss
Here are some simple tips for weight loss including exercise, portion control and healthy eating.
The problem with low-calorie diets
‘So, what’s the problem with that?’ you might be asking yourself right now… and actually, there’s quite a few:
1. Reducing your calorie intake too much is likely to mean your diet is not nutritionally adequate because you’re simply not consuming enough food to meet your daily nutrient requirements. Depending on the food group you decide to limit, or worse – omit, you could miss out on nutrients like fibre for gut health, vitamin b12 for nervous system function or iron for oxygen transport, which obviously is not ideal in terms of your overall health.
2. Your body requires a certain number of baseline calories just to keep it ticking. Your beating heart, breathing lungs and thinking brain all contribute to your ‘basal metabolic rate’ (i.e. the amount of energy your body needs just to keep you alive). If you’re not giving your body enough energy to fuel these functions, your metabolism could eventually slow down, especially if you’re a chronic dieter. In the long run, that’ll make it even harder to not only lose weight, but maintain a healthy weight altogether… And that’s obviously not ideal.
3. If you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you’re likely to lose lean muscle mass, not the excess fat mass you’re trying to. That’s because when you don’t give your body the energy it needs to keep ticking (see point two, above), it starts to break down your muscle for energy in the form of protein. Again, not ideal.
Muesli, reduced fat yoghurt and passionfruit make for a yummy and nutritious breakfast. Image: iStock.Source:BodyAndSoul
How many calories should you be eating to lose weight?
With that being said, you’re probably wondering about the magic number of calories to eat to help you lose weight without going too far – and while that number is unique to you as an individual, the ballpark figure is 1510 calories (6300 kilojoules). In other words: goodbye silly 1000 calorie meal plans. And hello real food and long-lasting, sustainable weight loss.
To give you a little healthy weight loss inspo, here’s my dietitian-approved ~1500 calorie day-on-a-plate:
- Breakfast – half a cup of natural muesli, 170g reduced-fat yoghurt and two passionfruit (410 calories)
- Morning tea – latte with skim milk (70 calories)
- Lunch – two slices of wholegrain bread, one 220g tin of reduced-salt baked beans and a sprinkle of reduced-fat cheese (430 calories)
- Afternoon tea – one apple (90 calories)
- Dinner – 100g (raw weight) salmon served with a bunch of sautéed broccolini and half a roasted sweet potato, cooked in a drizzle of olive oil (510 calories)
Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based accredited practising dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Related topics
Weight Loss
MORE IN LOSE WEIGHT
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F45-approved tips to hit your goal weight if you’ve plateaued
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‘I lost 40kg hitting 10k steps a day and sleeping more’
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-
The 4 fat loss tips ALL trainers can agree on
A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.
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Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.
3
BODYANDSOUL.COM.AU1:02
Simple tips for weight loss
Here are some simple tips for weight loss including exercise, portion control and healthy eating.
The problem with low-calorie diets
‘So, what’s the problem with that?’ you might be asking yourself right now… and actually, there’s quite a few:
1. Reducing your calorie intake too much is likely to mean your diet is not nutritionally adequate because you’re simply not consuming enough food to meet your daily nutrient requirements. Depending on the food group you decide to limit, or worse – omit, you could miss out on nutrients like fibre for gut health, vitamin b12 for nervous system function or iron for oxygen transport, which obviously is not ideal in terms of your overall health.
2. Your body requires a certain number of baseline calories just to keep it ticking. Your beating heart, breathing lungs and thinking brain all contribute to your ‘basal metabolic rate’ (i.e. the amount of energy your body needs just to keep you alive). If you’re not giving your body enough energy to fuel these functions, your metabolism could eventually slow down, especially if you’re a chronic dieter. In the long run, that’ll make it even harder to not only lose weight, but maintain a healthy weight altogether… And that’s obviously not ideal.
3. If you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you’re likely to lose lean muscle mass, not the excess fat mass you’re trying to. That’s because when you don’t give your body the energy it needs to keep ticking (see point two, above), it starts to break down your muscle for energy in the form of protein. Again, not ideal.
Muesli, reduced fat yoghurt and passionfruit make for a yummy and nutritious breakfast. Image: iStock.Source:BodyAndSoul
How many calories should you be eating to lose weight?
With that being said, you’re probably wondering about the magic number of calories to eat to help you lose weight without going too far – and while that number is unique to you as an individual, the ballpark figure is 1510 calories (6300 kilojoules). In other words: goodbye silly 1000 calorie meal plans. And hello real food and long-lasting, sustainable weight loss.
To give you a little healthy weight loss inspo, here’s my dietitian-approved ~1500 calorie day-on-a-plate:
- Breakfast – half a cup of natural muesli, 170g reduced-fat yoghurt and two passionfruit (410 calories)
- Morning tea – latte with skim milk (70 calories)
- Lunch – two slices of wholegrain bread, one 220g tin of reduced-salt baked beans and a sprinkle of reduced-fat cheese (430 calories)
- Afternoon tea – one apple (90 calories)
- Dinner – 100g (raw weight) salmon served with a bunch of sautéed broccolini and half a roasted sweet potato, cooked in a drizzle of olive oil (510 calories)
Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based accredited practising dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Related topics
Weight Loss
MORE IN LOSE WEIGHT
-
F45-approved tips to hit your goal weight if you’ve plateaued
-
‘I lost 40kg hitting 10k steps a day and sleeping more’
-
How to lose 3 kilograms, fast (but safely)
-
The 4 fat loss tips ALL trainers can agree on
A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.
bodyandsoul.com.au may receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Learn more
Nationwide News Pty Ltd Copyright © 2020. All times on this site are AEDT (GMT +10).
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.
3
BODYANDSOUL.COM.AU1:02
Simple tips for weight loss
Here are some simple tips for weight loss including exercise, portion control and healthy eating.
The problem with low-calorie diets
‘So, what’s the problem with that?’ you might be asking yourself right now… and actually, there’s quite a few:
1. Reducing your calorie intake too much is likely to mean your diet is not nutritionally adequate because you’re simply not consuming enough food to meet your daily nutrient requirements. Depending on the food group you decide to limit, or worse – omit, you could miss out on nutrients like fibre for gut health, vitamin b12 for nervous system function or iron for oxygen transport, which obviously is not ideal in terms of your overall health.
2. Your body requires a certain number of baseline calories just to keep it ticking. Your beating heart, breathing lungs and thinking brain all contribute to your ‘basal metabolic rate’ (i.e. the amount of energy your body needs just to keep you alive). If you’re not giving your body enough energy to fuel these functions, your metabolism could eventually slow down, especially if you’re a chronic dieter. In the long run, that’ll make it even harder to not only lose weight, but maintain a healthy weight altogether… And that’s obviously not ideal.
3. If you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you’re likely to lose lean muscle mass, not the excess fat mass you’re trying to. That’s because when you don’t give your body the energy it needs to keep ticking (see point two, above), it starts to break down your muscle for energy in the form of protein. Again, not ideal.
Muesli, reduced fat yoghurt and passionfruit make for a yummy and nutritious breakfast. Image: iStock.Source:BodyAndSoul
How many calories should you be eating to lose weight?
With that being said, you’re probably wondering about the magic number of calories to eat to help you lose weight without going too far – and while that number is unique to you as an individual, the ballpark figure is 1510 calories (6300 kilojoules). In other words: goodbye silly 1000 calorie meal plans. And hello real food and long-lasting, sustainable weight loss.
To give you a little healthy weight loss inspo, here’s my dietitian-approved ~1500 calorie day-on-a-plate:
- Breakfast – half a cup of natural muesli, 170g reduced-fat yoghurt and two passionfruit (410 calories)
- Morning tea – latte with skim milk (70 calories)
- Lunch – two slices of wholegrain bread, one 220g tin of reduced-salt baked beans and a sprinkle of reduced-fat cheese (430 calories)
- Afternoon tea – one apple (90 calories)
- Dinner – 100g (raw weight) salmon served with a bunch of sautéed broccolini and half a roasted sweet potato, cooked in a drizzle of olive oil (510 calories)
Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based accredited practising dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Related topics
Weight Loss
MORE IN LOSE WEIGHT
-
F45-approved tips to hit your goal weight if you’ve plateaued
-
‘I lost 40kg hitting 10k steps a day and sleeping more’
-
How to lose 3 kilograms, fast (but safely)
-
The 4 fat loss tips ALL trainers can agree on
A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.
bodyandsoul.com.au may receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Learn more
Nationwide News Pty Ltd Copyright © 2020. All times on this site are AEDT (GMT +10).
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.
3
BODYANDSOUL.COM.AU1:02
Simple tips for weight loss
Here are some simple tips for weight loss including exercise, portion control and healthy eating.
The problem with low-calorie diets
‘So, what’s the problem with that?’ you might be asking yourself right now… and actually, there’s quite a few:
1. Reducing your calorie intake too much is likely to mean your diet is not nutritionally adequate because you’re simply not consuming enough food to meet your daily nutrient requirements. Depending on the food group you decide to limit, or worse – omit, you could miss out on nutrients like fibre for gut health, vitamin b12 for nervous system function or iron for oxygen transport, which obviously is not ideal in terms of your overall health.
2. Your body requires a certain number of baseline calories just to keep it ticking. Your beating heart, breathing lungs and thinking brain all contribute to your ‘basal metabolic rate’ (i.e. the amount of energy your body needs just to keep you alive). If you’re not giving your body enough energy to fuel these functions, your metabolism could eventually slow down, especially if you’re a chronic dieter. In the long run, that’ll make it even harder to not only lose weight, but maintain a healthy weight altogether… And that’s obviously not ideal.
3. If you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you’re likely to lose lean muscle mass, not the excess fat mass you’re trying to. That’s because when you don’t give your body the energy it needs to keep ticking (see point two, above), it starts to break down your muscle for energy in the form of protein. Again, not ideal.
Muesli, reduced fat yoghurt and passionfruit make for a yummy and nutritious breakfast. Image: iStock.Source:BodyAndSoul
How many calories should you be eating to lose weight?
With that being said, you’re probably wondering about the magic number of calories to eat to help you lose weight without going too far – and while that number is unique to you as an individual, the ballpark figure is 1510 calories (6300 kilojoules). In other words: goodbye silly 1000 calorie meal plans. And hello real food and long-lasting, sustainable weight loss.
To give you a little healthy weight loss inspo, here’s my dietitian-approved ~1500 calorie day-on-a-plate:
- Breakfast – half a cup of natural muesli, 170g reduced-fat yoghurt and two passionfruit (410 calories)
- Morning tea – latte with skim milk (70 calories)
- Lunch – two slices of wholegrain bread, one 220g tin of reduced-salt baked beans and a sprinkle of reduced-fat cheese (430 calories)
- Afternoon tea – one apple (90 calories)
- Dinner – 100g (raw weight) salmon served with a bunch of sautéed broccolini and half a roasted sweet potato, cooked in a drizzle of olive oil (510 calories)
Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based accredited practising dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Related topics
Weight Loss
MORE IN LOSE WEIGHT
-
F45-approved tips to hit your goal weight if you’ve plateaued
-
‘I lost 40kg hitting 10k steps a day and sleeping more’
-
How to lose 3 kilograms, fast (but safely)
-
The 4 fat loss tips ALL trainers can agree on
A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.
bodyandsoul.com.au may receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Learn more
Nationwide News Pty Ltd Copyright © 2020. All times on this site are AEDT (GMT +10).
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.
3
BODYANDSOUL.COM.AU1:02
Simple tips for weight loss
Here are some simple tips for weight loss including exercise, portion control and healthy eating.
The problem with low-calorie diets
‘So, what’s the problem with that?’ you might be asking yourself right now… and actually, there’s quite a few:
1. Reducing your calorie intake too much is likely to mean your diet is not nutritionally adequate because you’re simply not consuming enough food to meet your daily nutrient requirements. Depending on the food group you decide to limit, or worse – omit, you could miss out on nutrients like fibre for gut health, vitamin b12 for nervous system function or iron for oxygen transport, which obviously is not ideal in terms of your overall health.
2. Your body requires a certain number of baseline calories just to keep it ticking. Your beating heart, breathing lungs and thinking brain all contribute to your ‘basal metabolic rate’ (i.e. the amount of energy your body needs just to keep you alive). If you’re not giving your body enough energy to fuel these functions, your metabolism could eventually slow down, especially if you’re a chronic dieter. In the long run, that’ll make it even harder to not only lose weight, but maintain a healthy weight altogether… And that’s obviously not ideal.
3. If you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you’re likely to lose lean muscle mass, not the excess fat mass you’re trying to. That’s because when you don’t give your body the energy it needs to keep ticking (see point two, above), it starts to break down your muscle for energy in the form of protein. Again, not ideal.
Muesli, reduced fat yoghurt and passionfruit make for a yummy and nutritious breakfast. Image: iStock.Source:BodyAndSoul
How many calories should you be eating to lose weight?
With that being said, you’re probably wondering about the magic number of calories to eat to help you lose weight without going too far – and while that number is unique to you as an individual, the ballpark figure is 1510 calories (6300 kilojoules). In other words: goodbye silly 1000 calorie meal plans. And hello real food and long-lasting, sustainable weight loss.
To give you a little healthy weight loss inspo, here’s my dietitian-approved ~1500 calorie day-on-a-plate:
- Breakfast – half a cup of natural muesli, 170g reduced-fat yoghurt and two passionfruit (410 calories)
- Morning tea – latte with skim milk (70 calories)
- Lunch – two slices of wholegrain bread, one 220g tin of reduced-salt baked beans and a sprinkle of reduced-fat cheese (430 calories)
- Afternoon tea – one apple (90 calories)
- Dinner – 100g (raw weight) salmon served with a bunch of sautéed broccolini and half a roasted sweet potato, cooked in a drizzle of olive oil (510 calories)
Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based accredited practising dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Related topics
Weight Loss
MORE IN LOSE WEIGHT
-
F45-approved tips to hit your goal weight if you’ve plateaued
-
‘I lost 40kg hitting 10k steps a day and sleeping more’
-
How to lose 3 kilograms, fast (but safely)
-
The 4 fat loss tips ALL trainers can agree on
A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.
bodyandsoul.com.au may receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Learn more
Nationwide News Pty Ltd Copyright © 2020. All times on this site are AEDT (GMT +10).
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.
3
BODYANDSOUL.COM.AU1:02
Simple tips for weight loss
Here are some simple tips for weight loss including exercise, portion control and healthy eating.
The problem with low-calorie diets
‘So, what’s the problem with that?’ you might be asking yourself right now… and actually, there’s quite a few:
1. Reducing your calorie intake too much is likely to mean your diet is not nutritionally adequate because you’re simply not consuming enough food to meet your daily nutrient requirements. Depending on the food group you decide to limit, or worse – omit, you could miss out on nutrients like fibre for gut health, vitamin b12 for nervous system function or iron for oxygen transport, which obviously is not ideal in terms of your overall health.
2. Your body requires a certain number of baseline calories just to keep it ticking. Your beating heart, breathing lungs and thinking brain all contribute to your ‘basal metabolic rate’ (i.e. the amount of energy your body needs just to keep you alive). If you’re not giving your body enough energy to fuel these functions, your metabolism could eventually slow down, especially if you’re a chronic dieter. In the long run, that’ll make it even harder to not only lose weight, but maintain a healthy weight altogether… And that’s obviously not ideal.
3. If you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you’re likely to lose lean muscle mass, not the excess fat mass you’re trying to. That’s because when you don’t give your body the energy it needs to keep ticking (see point two, above), it starts to break down your muscle for energy in the form of protein. Again, not ideal.
Muesli, reduced fat yoghurt and passionfruit make for a yummy and nutritious breakfast. Image: iStock.Source:BodyAndSoul
How many calories should you be eating to lose weight?
With that being said, you’re probably wondering about the magic number of calories to eat to help you lose weight without going too far – and while that number is unique to you as an individual, the ballpark figure is 1510 calories (6300 kilojoules). In other words: goodbye silly 1000 calorie meal plans. And hello real food and long-lasting, sustainable weight loss.
To give you a little healthy weight loss inspo, here’s my dietitian-approved ~1500 calorie day-on-a-plate:
- Breakfast – half a cup of natural muesli, 170g reduced-fat yoghurt and two passionfruit (410 calories)
- Morning tea – latte with skim milk (70 calories)
- Lunch – two slices of wholegrain bread, one 220g tin of reduced-salt baked beans and a sprinkle of reduced-fat cheese (430 calories)
- Afternoon tea – one apple (90 calories)
- Dinner – 100g (raw weight) salmon served with a bunch of sautéed broccolini and half a roasted sweet potato, cooked in a drizzle of olive oil (510 calories)
Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based accredited practising dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Related topics
Weight Loss
MORE IN LOSE WEIGHT
-
F45-approved tips to hit your goal weight if you’ve plateaued
-
‘I lost 40kg hitting 10k steps a day and sleeping more’
-
How to lose 3 kilograms, fast (but safely)
-
The 4 fat loss tips ALL trainers can agree on
A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.
bodyandsoul.com.au may receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Learn more
Nationwide News Pty Ltd Copyright © 2020. All times on this site are AEDT (GMT +10).
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
What’s more, quinoa is classed as a wholegrain. It offers far more nutrition than it’s refined grain counterparts as well as a stack of health perks if consumed on the reg along with other wholegrains (think: protection from disease and weight management).
If you’re into numbers, here’s the breakdown per 100 grams of cooked quinoa: 414 kilojoules (99 calories), 3.9 grams of protein, 1.7 grams of fat, 0.2 grams of saturated fat, 15.9 grams of carbs, 1.4 grams of sugar and 2 grams of fibre.
Rice
Rice, on the other hand, is a true grain – but all rice is not the same. There’s a big difference between white and brown varieties, as well as short and long grain varieties.
You see, brown rice is a type of wholegrain, while white rice is not. Brown rice contains all three natural layers of the grain: the fibre-rich outer layer called the bran, the nutrient-rich core called the germ and the starchy component in the middle of the grain called the endosperm. To produce white rice, the bran and the germ are removed, taking with it a whole lot of wholegrain goodness.
In terms of grain length, short-grain rice (think: Arborio) has a higher-GI (hello blood sugar rollercoaster), while long-grain rice (like basmati) tends to be lower-GI, which helps to balance blood sugars.
And again, if numbers are your thing, here’s the nutritional content of 100 grams of cooked white rice: 671 kilojoules (161 calories), 2.7 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 36 grams of carbs, 0.1 grams of sugar and 1 gram of fibre.
And for the sake of comparison, 100 grams of cooked brown rice: 639 kilojoules (153 calories), 2.9 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, 0.2 grams of saturated fat, 31.8 grams of carbs, 0.3 grams of sugar and 1.5 grams of fibre.
The verdict
Yes, quinoa is very good for you, but rice can be a great choice, too. I’d put quinoa and long grain brown rice on a level playing field and encourage you to include both in your diet regularly. White rice, on the other hand, isn’t completely off the menu, but doesn’t stack up next to its wholegrain counterparts, so should only be an every-now-and-then kinda food.
Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based accredited practicing dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram @honest_nutrition.