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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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Rice is arguably one of the most popular food staples around the world. It fits into many diets, but is rice keto? Get answers to all your keto rice questions, including the number of net carbs in rice and the best keto rice substitute.
For even more keto guidance, take a look at this full keto food list and macro calculator!
Is rice keto friendly?
No, white rice is not keto friendly. Since the ketogenic diet dramatically reduces net carb intake to an average of 20 grams per day, rice contains too many carbs to qualify as keto-friendly.
How many carbs in rice?
If this food is so detrimental to keto, how many carbs are in rice anyway?
One cup of cooked white rice contains 44g net carbs [*], which would obliterate one’s entire carb allotment for the day. Most people need to limit carbs to 20-30g per day to stay in ketosis.
Bottom line: If you have plain white rice on keto, you will almost certainly fall out of a fat-burning state of ketosis.
Is brown rice keto?
Brown rice on keto is also not recommended due to the high carb count, even though it contains more fiber than white rice.
A 1-cup serving of cooked brown rice contains 46g net carbs [*].
How much fiber in rice?
Both white rice and brown rice are primarily carbohydrates, with very little fiber. Brown rice is whole grain whereas white rice is refined.
So, how do they stack up? You’ll find 3.1g fiber in a cup of cooked brown rice, and only 0.6g fiber in a cup of cooked white rice.
In comparison, 1 cup of cauliflower rice has 3g fiber, but less than 1/2 the calories and 90% fewer carbs than both brown and white rice varieties.
Is cauliflower rice keto?
Yes, cauliflower rice is keto friendly! In fact, many keto diet rice recipes use riced cauliflower instead of traditional rice.
That’s because a 1-cup serving of cauliflower rice contains 4 grams of net carbs, making it a very keto friendly rice option!
And if you’re wondering, “is cauliflower rice keto friendly?” you’re in luck — it is keto, and it’s delicious! It’s super simple to learn how to make cauliflower rice, too.
Bonus Tip: When substituting cauliflower rice for white rice in recipes, your dish will be ready much faster! Unlike white rice, brown rice, or other rice grains, cauliflower rice cooks in just a few minutes and requires no additional water.
Keto Rice Substitutes
Can you have rice on keto? As long as you steer clear of traditional varieties, you can choose from lots of rice substitutes for keto.
Here are a few delicious keto rice recipes to try:
- Keto cauliflower fried rice – Tastes just like takeout, with a hidden veggie boost.
- Rice-free sushi rolls – Get all the flavor of sushi, just skip the rice!
- Homemade cauliflower rice – It’s quick and easy, and pairs with almost anything.
- Keto jambalaya – A traditional Southern one-pot meal that swaps in cauliflower rice. And unlike the original, it only takes 30 minutes!
- Keto cabbage rolls – You won’t notice the rice substitute in this meal! They are pure comfort food.
- Konjac rice – A plant-based rice alternative with zero net carbs.
So, is rice keto friendly? White and brown rice may be off the table, but you can still have rice on keto with the right substitutes.
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3 Comments
Ann
0One cup of rice has 46g carbs, yes, but who eats a full cup of rice? I eat at most a quarter cup of rice, along with a protein and many veggies. Yes, I do substitute cauliflower rice most of the time. But rice can be enjoyed in moderation. (Many Asian restaurants don’t offer cauliflower rice, anyway.)
kazy
0Knowing how high the carbs are in rice, if you were to combine it with a high fiber meal, wouldn’t that reduce its ability to raise your blood glucose? Rice has been eaten for thousands of years in many cultures who before the introduction of Western Food, in general and American food specifically, into their diets, diabetes was rare, so when you combine rice with high fat and high fiber food, which many Asian and Middle Eastern countries do, wouldn’t that blunt the rise in blood sugar. After all, Middle Eastern and Italians and Japanese have very low incidence of diabetes when they eat their traditional foods. OTOH they can all have really strong pancreases. The point is that no one just eats plain rice or pasta or bread. We eat them while accompanied with other foods that influence our digestion as well, no? Just asking. I so miss my rice. Chinese food, Japanese food, Indian food.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kazy, Even if you consumed a high amount of fiber, rice would still likely put you over your carb limits for the day. As for other cultures and their rice consumption, these cultures are burning glucose and not fat. This is not the goal of a keto diet, we are wanting our bodies to be fat fuelled. Cauliflower rice can be used as an alternative to traditional rice and there are a couple of off-the-shelf alternatives, like shirataki rice.