Rice FAQs

Q: What is brown rice?
A: Brown rice is the whole grain rice taken from the field with the inedible husk removed.

Q: What is the difference between brown and white rice? Is brown rice more nutritious?
A: Milling is the primary difference between brown and white rice. The varieties may be identical, but it is in the milling process where brown rice becomes white rice. Milling, often called ‘whitening’, removes the outer bran layer of the rice grain.

Q: What does that do to the rice grain?
A: You mean, does milling affect the nutritional quality of the rice? The answer to this question is YES. Milling strips off the bran layer, leaving a core comprised of mostly carbohydrates. In this bran layer resides nutrients of vital importance in the diet, making white rice a poor competitor in the nutrition game The following chart shows the nutritional differences between brown and white rices. Fiber is dramatically lower in white rice, as are the oils, most of the B vitamins, and important minerals.

Bran contains several things of major importance – two major ones are fiber and essential oils. Fiber is not only filling, but is implicated in prevention of major diseases in this country such as certain gastrointestinal diseases and heart disease. The National Cancer Institute recommends 25 grams of fiber a day, a cup of brown rice adds nearly 3.5 g, while an equal amount of white rice not even 1 g. Also, components of the oils present in rice bran have been shown in numerous studies to decrease serum cholesterol, a major risk factor in heart disease.
According to the USDA’s new food guide pyramid with six major food groups (fats, dairy, protein, vegetables, fruits, and starches), starches should comprise the major portion of the diet – about 58% – which translates into 6-11 servings of carbohydrate a day. Whole grains such as brown rice figure prominently in this group. A one cup serving of brown rice yields about 50 grams of carbohydrate. In addition, it has been shown that a diet rich in carbohydrates can be useful in weight control. Studies show that diets with identical caloric loads but one richer in fats and protein versus a diet rich in carbohydrate tends to contribute to weight gain. Dietary fat tends to go to body fat stores whereas dietary carbohydrate tends to be utilized or held in muscle stores for a period of time. We are much better off, then, to eat a well balanced diet low in fat and rich in complex carbohydrates. Brown rice rounds out the diet in a way white rice cannot begin to approach.

Source: Lundberg Family Farms.

Gluten Intolerance and Rice

Q: I was told that no rice exists that contains the protein (or fragment thereof) gluten. I am very sensitive to wheat and wheat proteins. Now I find sweet rice contains gluten, is that true?
A: It is false. This is a result of confusing two terms: “glutinous”, meaning sticky, with “gluten,” a term describing a protein found in wheat and other cereal grains. Sweet rice is also called “waxy rice” or “glutinous rice” or “sticky rice.” Sweet rice tends to have a higher level of free sugars than the nonwaxy rices, hence the name “sweet rice.” It is also stickier than short grain when it is cooked, and is used in Asia for sticky sweets and snacks, as well as for a variety of desserts. It is also a nice rice for Japanese sushi. Sweet rice, when ground to a flour, has excellent thickening, binding and freeze-thaw properties, making it important for industrial production of gravies and sauces.

Q: I am allergic to gluten so I must avoid all wheat-containing products. This includes soy sauce, which is brewed from wheat and soy. Tamari has been wheat-free until recently, when I noticed it had some wheat pieces in it. Does the Tamari in your rice cakes contain wheat?
A: We use organic Tamari manufactured by San-J, a manufacturer who does not use wheat pieces to produce the organic Tamari sauce we use. So, you are safe with all our Tamari cakes.

Q: I have gluten enteropathy. Which of your products are safe for me to eat?
A: Rice is one of two grains that do not contain gluten, a substance associated with Celiac Sprue disease. With the exception of rice and corn, most other grains (including the wheat, rye, barley, oats, and “ancient grains”) contain gluten, gliadin protein, or a fraction thereof. We recognize that a number of our customers are gluten intolerant; Lundberg Family Farms® is interested in developing products that contain the most wholesome, highest quality natural ingredients. To this end, we recently reformulated our rice syrup making it safe for gluten intolerant individuals to consume. All of our whole grain rices and blends are by definition gluten free.

Our other products, to the best of our knowledge based upon the most current research, are gluten-free and safe for those sensitive to the gliadin protein found in gluten.

Source: Lundberg Family Farms.

Why does Lundberg rice taste so good, and why are their farming techniques so good for our planet?

Farming Philosophy. “We believe the soil is living, and as such needs to be fed and cared for,” says Harlan Lundberg. The Lundbergs have spent decades experimenting and investing in the development of farming practices that put their principles to work and strengthen their partnership with nature.
Eco-Farmed. Instead of being totally dependent on synthetic chemicals, highly productive cover crops of legumes are used. Crop rotation is practiced to aerate and rest the soil. No rice straw is burned after the harvest; instead, it is turned under to replenish the organic matter and keep the air clean. The birds eat grain left in the fields after harvest. All of these practices leave the soil in better condition than when it was found.
Planting. In the spring, before the fields are readied for planting, Operation Egg Aid is staged, combing the fields in search of nests containing duck or pheasant eggs. Along with the Lundberg family, volunteers carefully remove the eggs and take them to a local hatchery, where the rescued eggs hatch. The fowl are eventually banded and released back into the wild.

Source: Lundberg Family Farms.