Nutritional value
As with flour, rice in its natural 'whole' state has more nutrients and fibre than the refined white kind. To make rice grains white, their pale-brown, outer bran layer is stripped off ('polished'), and as with white flour products, the resulting soft, fibre-less mass of starch encourages both over-consumption and constipation. Also, without its bran layer, rice's plentiful B vitamins leach out into the cooking water.
Rinsing rice after cooking causes further losses. Processing 'instant' rice can force nutrients into the centre of the grain, thus preserving them, although the fibre is still lost.
Using brown rice
To preserve the vitamin E, keep rice in a cool, dark place and use within three months. Brown rice takes longer to cook than white, but is less likely to stick together. Here is a fool-proof method. Water is measured by volume:
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