Having an Instant Pot is a game-changer in the kitchen! Being able to cook up this brown rice in the Instant Pot in 16 minutes rather than 45-50 on the stovetop is incredibly convenient. This Brown Rice is quick, easy, and can be used in any dish that calls for rice!
Why soak rice?
It’s not to help with the cooking time but rather to help rid the rice of possible arsenic. I realize this sounds terrible but hear me out! The benefits from eating rice far out-weight possible arsenic risks AND there are actions you can take to help reduce exposure!
Arsenic is a naturally occurring heavy metal found in rock, soil, and water. Inorganic arsenic is what we really need to worry about and it can be found from contaminated soil and ground water from livestock manure, fertilizer, pesticides, or industrial waste. The reason arsenic levels can be higher in rice than other grains is because rice crops sit in standing water.
But there are tricks you can do to reduce the chance that your rice is tainted with arsenic!
- Buy rice grown in California. Avoid buying rice from southern U.S. states (I’m looking at you, Texas) as the fertilizers of yore used to be arsenic-laced when growing cotton crops.
- Soak rice for 15 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly before cooking with fresh water.
- Cook rice with much more water than instructions call for. Once rice is finished cooking, strain extra water out and rinse rice one more time. This step alone can reduce any arsenic levels by 50% but unfortunately some water-soluble B vitamins will also be lost.1 I usually don’t do this, but know that the option is there for you.
How healthy is brown rice?
Brown rice is a whole grain and loaded with tons of nutrients so it’s incredibly healthy! If you’re choosing between brown or white rice, reach for the brown; it’s less processed than white rice and still contains the nutrient-packed bran and germ (whereas white rice is stripped of those).
One cup of cooked brown rice contains:
- Calories: 216
- Carbs: 44 grams
- Fiber: 3.5 grams
- Fat: 1.8 grams
- Protein: 5 grams
(% of the Recommended Daily Intake)
- Thiamin (B1): 12%
- Niacin (B3): 15%
- Pyridoxine (B6): 14%
- Pantothenic acid (B5): 6%
- Iron: 5%
- Magnesium: 21%
- Phosphorus: 16%
- Zinc: 8%
- Copper: 10%
- Manganese: 88%
- Selenium: 27%2
Brown rice has been shown to significantly help with weight loss (that’s right!) and with reducing blood pressure.3
What about diabetes?
Brown rice is actually rated on 55 on the glycemic index which makes it a low glycemic food (white rice varies from around 64-70, making it a high glycemic food). Studies show that those who eat brown rice as a regular diet staple have a reduced risk for developing type II diabetes.4
Brown Rice in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Brown Rice long grain
- 1 ¾ cup Water
- ¼-½ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Soak brown rice for 15 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer and add to Instant pot along with 1 ¾ cup of fresh water and salt.
- Seal lid and set Instant Pot to cook at High Pressure for 16 minutes. Allow a full natural pressure release.
- Enjoy rice immediately or refrigerate in a well-sealing container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/rice/#:~:text=The%20average%20GI%20for%20brown,risk%20for%20type%202%20diabetes.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-brown-rice-good-for-you#nutrition
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4018597/
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/416025
