Whole grains
Brown rice
Brown rice keeps the bran and germ that white rice discards, which triples the fiber. The one real caveat is inorganic arsenic, which rice takes up from soil more than other grains do.
Organic upgrade priority
Residue data does not apply
- →Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to this food in the same way.
Key numbers
- Nutrient density
- 76/100
- Per calorie, across the whole database
- Typical price
- $3.99
- per 2 lb bag · organic +38%
- Servings a week
- 4.8
- Per person, at typical purchase volume
What to look at instead
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to brown rice the way it does to fresh produce. These are the measures that actually decide the purchase.
- Cost per serving
- $0.33
- Fiber vs white rice
- 3.5 g vs 0.6 g
- Inorganic arsenic
- Present
- Rice takes up arsenic from soil. Cooking in excess water (6:1) and draining cuts it by roughly half.
- Lower-arsenic sources
- California, India, Pakistan
- Rice from the U.S. south tends to test higher
Nutrition
Per 1 cup cooked (195 g).
216
calories
5 g
protein
3.5 g
fiber
10 mg
sodium
- Manganese 88% DV
- Magnesium 19% DV
- Selenium 27% DV
Buying and storing
- ◆Cooking rice like pasta — lots of water, drained at the end — removes a substantial share of the inorganic arsenic along with some water-soluble vitamins. For infants and heavy rice eaters this is a worthwhile trade.
- ◆Brown rice goes rancid within about six months because the germ contains oil. Store it in the freezer if you buy in bulk.
Common questions
›Is brown rice a healthy choice?
Brown rice keeps the bran and germ that white rice discards, which triples the fiber. The one real caveat is inorganic arsenic, which rice takes up from soil more than other grains do. A 1 cup cooked (195 g) serving provides 216 calories, 5 g protein, and 3.5 g fiber, scoring 76/100 on nutrient density.
›Does brown rice need to be organic?
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to brown rice the way it does to fresh produce, so this site does not assign an organic upgrade priority. Rice takes up arsenic from soil. Cooking in excess water (6:1) and draining cuts it by roughly half.
›What can I buy instead of brown rice?
If the organic version is out of budget or the fresh price has spiked, Quinoa, Rolled oats cover similar ground on this list. Each one is either lower on residue evidence, cheaper per serving, or both.
Related foods
Rolled oats
$5.49 / 42 oz canister · organic $7.49
Nutrition 88/100 · 5 g protein · 4 g fiber
Not applicableQuinoa
$5.49 / 1 lb bag · organic $6.99
Nutrition 85/100 · 8.1 g protein · 5.2 g fiber
Not applicableWhole wheat pasta
$2.29 / 16 oz box · organic $3.19
Nutrition 74/100 · 7.5 g protein · 5 g fiber
Not applicableWhole wheat bread
$3.99 / loaf · organic $5.49
Nutrition 72/100 · 7.2 g protein · 4 g fiber
Not applicable