Is Brown Rice Healthier Than White Rice?

Short answer: Cooked long-grain brown rice has more fiber than unsalted cooked white rice. Choose for fiber; either can fit a meal with vegetables and protein.

Selected foods: Brown rice, boiled and White rice, boiled. These specific preparations are compared below.

Which to pick for your goal

If you want	Better pick	The numbers
Fewer calories	About the same	brown rice 123 kcal, white rice 130 kcal per 100 g
More protein	About the same	brown rice 2.7 g, white rice 2.7 g per 100 g
More fiber (keeps you full)	Brown Rice	1.6 g vs 0.4 g per 100 g
Overall (Nutri-Score)	About the same	both A

Small differences count as a tie: a few calories or a few tenths of a gram won't change your day.

Nutrition side by side, per 100 g

Per 100 g	Brown Rice	White Rice
Calories	123 kcal	130 kcal
Protein	2.7 g	2.7 g
Fat	1 g	0.3 g
incl. saturated	0.3 g	0.1 g
Total carbohydrates	26 g	28 g
incl. sugars	0.2 g	0.1 g
incl. fiber	1.6 g	0.4 g
Salt	0 g	0 g
Nutri-Score	A	A

Rounded values from exact USDA records (see * Data and sources below). Different brands, cuts and recipes can have different values. Diary food cards and the alternative versions below retain their own typical recipes.

For the same amount: 50 g

Equal amount	Brown Rice	White Rice
Calories	62 kcal	65 kcal
Protein	1.4 g	1.3 g
incl. saturated	0.1 g	0 g
incl. sugars	0.1 g	0 g
incl. fiber	0.8 g	0.2 g

In a typical serving

One serving	Brown Rice	White Rice
Serving	plate, 200 g (7.1 oz)	plate, 200 g (7.1 oz)
Calories	246 kcal	260 kcal
Protein	5.5 g	5.4 g
Fiber	3.2 g	0.8 g
Easy walking to burn it*	80 min	85 min

* For a 70 kg (154 lb) person; the app works it out for your weight and your activities.

Portion size usually moves the numbers more than the choice between two similar foods: a heaping serving of the “healthier” one can easily outweigh a modest serving of the other.

Blood sugar angle

Brown rice has 26 g of carbohydrate per 100 g (0.2 g sugars, 1.6 g fiber); White rice has 28 g (0.1 g sugars, 0.4 g fiber). This table is not a measured glycemic-response comparison; the amount eaten and the rest of the meal matter. Glycemic index values vary by variety, ripeness and cooking, so treat any single number with caution — and eat either with vegetables and some protein.

Other versions: typical diary estimates

The first two rows repeat the selected USDA records; other rows are typical diary estimates, without an exact source-record match. The cut, fat level or recipe can change the result. Per 100 g:

Per 100 g	Calories	Protein	Sat. fat	Sugars	Fiber	Nutri-Score
Brown Rice	123	2.7 g	0.3 g	0.2 g	1.6 g	A
White Rice	130	2.7 g	0.1 g	0.1 g	0.4 g	A
Basmati rice, boiled	120	3.5 g	0.1 g	0.1 g	0.6 g	B
Wild rice, boiled	101	4 g	0 g	0.7 g	1.8 g	A
Quinoa, boiled	120	4.4 g	0.2 g	0.9 g	2.8 g	A

*Data and sources

Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) — USDA FDC 169704 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).
Rice, white, long-grain, regular, unenriched, cooked without salt — USDA FDC 169757 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).

Retrieved 2 October 2026. USDA composition is per 100 g; drink values per 100 ml use the record’s measured household weight, with the USDA customary cup of 236.6 ml. Displayed cup servings remain 240 ml. Carbohydrate includes fiber on this US site; salt is sodium × 2.5. The food records are historical reference values, not current brand guarantees.

WHO guideline on free sugars: honey, syrups and fruit-juice sugars count as free sugars. WHO guideline on saturated and trans fats: consider replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat.

FAQ

Which has fewer calories, brown rice or white rice?

They're about the same: brown rice 123 kcal, white rice 130 kcal per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 246 kcal for brown rice (plate, 200 g) and 260 kcal for white rice (plate, 200 g).

Is brown rice or white rice better for weight loss?

No single food makes you gain or lose weight — the day's total does. Gram for gram they're close in calories (brown rice 123 kcal, white rice 130 kcal per 100 g), so neither is a shortcut. The portion usually matters more: a typical serving of brown rice (plate, 200 g) is 246 kcal, of white rice (plate, 200 g) 260 kcal.

Which has more fiber, brown rice or white rice?

Brown rice: 1.6 g vs 0.4 g per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 3.2 g for brown rice and 0.8 g for white rice — and most adults eat less fiber than dietary guidelines recommend.

Does this comparison apply to every brand or recipe?

No. The main table uses the two specific USDA foods named and linked on this page. Fat level, ingredients, trimming, cooking and water content can change the result. Use the same amount for a fair comparison and check the label for the product you actually eat.

Log it and see your day

In Calories Not Count every food gets a Nutri-Score grade, a sugar–salt–fat–fiber traffic light, fair same-calorie swaps and the minutes of movement it costs for your weight and your activities — no scale needed. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.