Is Rice Bad for Diabetes? Portions, Better Choices and Tips

Is rice bad for diabetes? No, rice can still be part of a healthy diet when you have diabetes. What matters most is how much you eat, because the total amount of carbohydrate has the biggest effect on your blood sugar, and choosing brown or wholegrain rice over white where you can.

Why does rice raise blood sugar?

Rice is a starchy food, and starchy foods are mostly carbohydrate. Your body breaks carbohydrate down into glucose for energy, which is why your blood sugar goes up after a rice-based meal.

Diabetes UK explains that the total amount of carbohydrate you eat has the biggest effect on your glucose levels after eating. Eating more carbohydrate than usual can push blood sugar too high.

The type of rice matters too. Diabetes UK says cooked white rice is absorbed almost as quickly as glucose from a sugary drink, which gives it a high glycaemic index (GI).

What is the glycaemic index, and where does rice fit?

GI ranks foods and drinks that contain carbohydrate from 0 to 100, based on how quickly they raise blood sugar. Diabetes UK uses these bands:

Diabetes UK lists basmati rice as a medium GI food. It also points out that GI doesn’t account for portion size, and that the amount of carbs you eat has a bigger effect on blood sugar than GI alone.

GI also changes with cooking, processing and what you eat alongside a food. Fat, protein and fibre can all lower the GI of a meal, so rice eaten with vegetables, beans or chicken behaves differently from a plate of rice on its own.

Which rice is best for diabetes?

Diabetes UK suggests choosing brown rice instead of white, and looking out for brown basmati and quick-cook brown rice. Brown rice is a whole grain, so it keeps more of the bran and germ, where most of the nutrients are. When grains are refined, most of that is removed.

According to Diabetes UK, wholegrain foods are usually better for managing blood glucose levels, and choosing high-fibre wholegrains over refined carbs is also better for heart health. The NHS adds that brown and wholegrain rice provide fibre and B vitamins, which help release energy from food.

A quick guide to common choices:

1. Brown basmati or quick-cook brown rice: a whole grain with more fibre, and the swap Diabetes UK recommends.
2. White basmati: medium GI, a better pick than standard white rice if you prefer a white grain.
3. Standard white rice: high GI, so keep portions modest and pair it with vegetables and protein.

Brown rice still contains carbohydrate and still raises blood sugar, so Diabetes UK says it’s worth keeping an eye on portion sizes whichever rice you choose.

How much rice is a portion?

Diabetes UK’s portion guide says a portion of cooked rice is about the amount that would fit in two hands cupped together, around 180g. That’s the same as its guide for boiled pasta and cooked noodles.

Some tips from Diabetes UK for getting portions right:

• Rice can be tricky to judge at first, so weigh it, then use the same container each time
• Don’t assume the portion on the packet suits you
• Try smaller plates and bowls, which make portions look bigger
• Fill part of your plate with vegetables, which are low in calories and high in fibre
• Freeze leftover rice dishes in single portions

These portions are a guide for an average healthy adult. A dietitian can tell you the right amount for you.

What can I eat instead of rice?

You don’t have to give rice up, but variety helps. Diabetes UK suggests trying wholewheat couscous, quinoa or bulgur wheat in place of white rice. Adding pulses such as beans and lentils to a meal is another way to bring in fibre.

Fibre is worth the effort. Diabetes UK says it helps keep the digestive system healthy and helps manage blood glucose and cholesterol, and adults should aim for 30g of fibre a day.

If you’re watching carbs, Diabetes UK also says not everyone with diabetes needs to restrict their carb intake. If you take medication that can cause hypos and want to cut down, talk to your GP, diabetes nurse or dietitian first so they can review it with you.

How should I store and reheat leftover rice?

Leftover rice needs a bit of care. The NHS explains that spores of some food poisoning bugs can survive cooking, and if cooked rice is left at room temperature they can produce toxins that cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

The NHS advice is to:

• serve rice as soon as it’s cooked, or cool it within 1 hour and keep it in the fridge
• eat refrigerated rice within 24 hours
• throw away rice left out at room temperature overnight
• reheat it only once, until it’s steaming hot all the way through

Checking a rice dish without a label

Packets of rice come with nutrition labels, and our guide on how to read food labels with diabetes explains them. A takeaway curry or a plate of jollof at a family gathering doesn’t. The Dietary Insight app can estimate the carbs in a meal from a photo and suggest a swap, such as a smaller portion of rice with more vegetables. If you’re looking for lighter options between meals, see our best snacks for type 2 diabetes.