Rice, white, long-grain, precooked or instant, enriched, dry
Whole food · Cereal Grains and Pasta
Photo: Wikipedia
This is the ultimate pantry workhorse: light, fluffy, and neutral-tasting grains that rehydrate in minutes. It's white long-grain rice that's been parboiled and dried, stripping away the bran for a soft, separate texture. Nutritionally, it's a dense, low-fat energy source, fortified with essential B vitamins and iron.
💚 Why it's loved
People adore it for its incredible convenience and reliability—it's the fastest path to a hot, starchy base for any meal. Its mild flavor makes it a perfect canvas for bold sauces, curries, and stir-fries from countless culinary traditions.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
Its high glycemic index can cause rapid blood sugar spikes, making it less ideal for sustained energy or diabetes management. To counteract this, pair it with protein (like beans or chicken) and healthy fats (like avocado or nuts), or mix it with higher-fiber grains or vegetables.
Key benefits
- Excellent source of quick, digestible energy
- Enriched with iron and B vitamins like thiamin and niacin
- Naturally low in fat and cholesterol-free
- Gluten-free and hypoallergenic
- Long shelf life and requires no refrigeration
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The 'instant' or 'parboiled' process actually drives some nutrients from the bran into the grain's core before milling, which is why it retains more nutrients than regular white rice before enrichment.
Full nutrition (scales with serving)
| Water | 8.4 g |
| Energy | 380 kcal |
| Energy | 1591 kj |
| Protein | 7.8 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.94 g |
| Ash | 0.53 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 82.3 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.05 g |
| Sucrose | 0.02 g |
| Glucose | 0.02 g |
| Fructose | 0.02 g |
| Lactose | 0.00 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Galactose | 0.00 g |
| Starch | 73.8 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 22.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 6.3 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 14.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 118 mg |
| Potassium, K | 27.0 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 10.0 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 1.4 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.18 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.98 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 37.2 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.00 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.93 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 mg |
| Niacin | 7.0 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.43 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.12 mg |
| Folate, total | 275 ug |
| Folic acid | 273 ug |
| Folate, food | 2.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 466 ug |
| Choline, total | 6.1 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 0.00 ug |
| Retinol | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 0.00 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 0.00 iu |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.04 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.01 mg |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 0.19 mg |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.04 mg |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0.00 iu |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 0.10 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.15 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.15 g |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.14 g |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.14 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.22 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.20 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.02 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.00 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
| Tryptophan | 0.11 g |
| Threonine | 0.29 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.36 g |
| Leucine | 0.69 g |
| Lysine | 0.22 g |
| Methionine | 0.19 g |
| Cystine | 0.16 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.41 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.23 g |
| Valine | 0.50 g |
| Arginine | 0.69 g |
| Histidine | 0.19 g |
| Alanine | 0.46 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.84 g |
| Glutamic acid | 1.5 g |
| Glycine | 0.38 g |
| Proline | 0.50 g |
| Serine | 0.38 g |
FAQ
What's the difference between instant rice and regular white rice?
Instant rice is fully cooked and then dehydrated, so it rehydrates much faster (3-5 minutes). Regular white rice requires 15-20 minutes of cooking. Nutritionally they are similar, but instant rice may have a slightly softer, less distinct texture.
Why is it 'enriched'?
During processing, the bran and germ are removed, stripping away natural B vitamins and iron. Enrichment adds back specific nutrients (thiamin, niacin, folic acid, iron) to replace what was lost, making it nutritionally comparable to whole grains in those aspects.
Can I use this for sushi?
It's not ideal. Sushi requires short-grain or medium-grain rice with higher amylopectin content, which makes it sticky. Long-grain rice stays fluffy and separate, which is perfect for pilafs and curries but won't hold a sushi roll together.