Which one makes you fatter, rice or noodles? Which one is healthier? 4 suggestions on staple foods!

Rice and noodles have a very high status on the dining tables of our country's residents and are irreplaceable staple foods.

In daily life, some people prefer to eat rice, while others prefer to eat noodles. Some families even argue over whether to eat rice or noodles for today's meal.

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Why is there such a difference in diet? Which one is more worth eating, rice or noodles, and how can we eat it healthily?

Let’s let rice and noodles compete to see who is more powerful.

01

Rice and noodles

Which one is more likely to gain weight?

Let me tell you the answer first: eating noodles makes you fat!

Staple foods account for the bulk of daily energy intake, so those who are trying to control their weight will pay special attention to whether eating rice or noodles will make them fatter.

So which one is more likely to make you fat?

There are actually relevant researches in this aspect. Considering the types of food that can be made from rice and noodles, it is relatively easier to gain weight by eating noodles .

First of all, there are so many delicious dishes that can be made from pasta that it is really hard to resist the temptation.

For example, fried cakes, deep-fried dough sticks, buns, dumplings, pies, pot stickers, bread, and shortbread... These delicacies are not only delicious, but some are also high in oil and sugar.

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In terms of calories, the calories of most pasta are higher than rice. For example, the calories of flower rolls, steamed buns, and fried cakes are nearly 1.8 times, 2 times, and 3.5 times that of steamed rice respectively .

If you eat every meal and don't control your intake, it will be difficult not to gain weight.

In addition, many studies have shown that replacing wheat with rice at the same frequency and amount can reduce the risk of excess body fat.

A recent study from the School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, included more than 100,000 people to observe the relationship between their staple food preferences and obesity. The results also showed that:

People who prefer rice have lower abdominal fat than those who prefer pasta. [2]

If you really like to eat pasta, but at the same time want to reduce your calorie intake and control your weight.

It is recommended that in addition to giving priority to pasta containing whole grains, you should also eat less pasta that contains oil and sugar.

In addition, the amount should be controlled. Generally, 1 to 1.5 fists of staple food per meal is enough for people.

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02

Rice and noodles

Which one is more nutritious?

Let me tell you the answer first: the nutritional value is about the same!

When it comes to the nutritional comparison between rice and noodles, their main task is to provide carbohydrates and calories. In this regard , the two are almost the same .

In terms of protein content, flour does have a higher content than rice, but the quality of protein in both is not as good as that in meat, eggs and milk and is easier for the human body to absorb and utilize.

In terms of dietary fiber content, wheat’s insoluble dietary fiber is originally 18 times that of rice. However, after being processed into wheat flour, much of it is lost, leaving only 0.8 g/100 g[1], which is about the same as the content in rice.

Therefore, white flour has no advantage in dietary fiber.

As for the contents of other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, they are mostly similar.

Map: Xue Qingxin

So overall, there is no need to worry about which is more nutritious, rice or white flour.

If you care about the nutrition of staple foods, it is recommended to eat a combination of coarse and fine grains to increase the intake of whole grains.

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For example, for those who love to eat rice, you can replace 1/3 of the rice with miscellaneous grains and beans;

It is very good to make it into oatmeal rice, black rice, barley rice, quinoa rice, brown rice, black bean rice, red bean rice, etc.

For those who love pasta, you can use whole grain noodles to replace part of the wheat flour;

Made into buckwheat buns, cornmeal buns, oatmeal buns, sorghum noodles, buckwheat noodles, etc.

03

Rice and noodles

Who is more likely to have high blood sugar?

Let me give you the answer first: They’re on par with each other!

When it comes to eating staple foods, diabetic patients are also quite concerned about this aspect. Some diabetics deliberately avoid eating staple foods for fear of increased blood sugar levels after meals.

This operation is not acceptable!

When it comes to raising blood sugar, the GI value should be considered. The higher the GI value, the greater the postprandial blood sugar response caused by consumption, especially high GI foods with a GI value greater than 70.

Refined rice and white flour are both high GI foods, with the GI of cooked rice being as high as 82 and the GI of white steamed bread being 85. [1]

The carbohydrate content of the two is similar , so their ability to raise blood sugar can be said to be comparable. Eating them as staple foods is not conducive to controlling blood sugar.

In addition, many people like to eat rice porridge. The longer the porridge is cooked, the higher the GI value and the greater the blood sugar response after the meal.

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Although diabetic patients need to control blood sugar, they cannot stop eating staple foods in order to control blood sugar. It is recommended to do the following 4 things:

1. Thickness and thinness matching

Don't eat too refined foods and increase your intake of whole grains.

For example, if you replace white steamed buns with buckwheat buns, the GI value can be reduced from 85 to 67, turning it from a high GI food to a medium GI food.

For example, by replacing rice with whole-grain oatmeal rice, the GI value can be reduced from 82 to 42, directly transforming it from a high-GI staple food to a low-GI staple food.

In addition, if you are cooking porridge, it is best to add some mixed beans.

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Studies have shown that the blood sugar response of bean-rice porridge is significantly lower than that of glutinous rice porridge, but the satiety index is significantly higher than that of glutinous rice porridge. [3]

Such changes are not only very effective in controlling blood sugar, but also help control food intake.

Of course, you can also grind the miscellaneous beans into powder and mix it into flour to make miscellaneous bean steamed buns, which will also improve the taste.

2. Don’t overcook food

When cooking rice, a higher rice-to-water ratio, longer soaking time, and greater cooking pressure will all lead to an increase in the GI value of the rice.[4]

When cooking porridge, the longer it is cooked, the softer the porridge will be, the easier it will be to digest and absorb, and the higher the GI value will be.

3. Pay attention to your diet

A meal should not only include staple foods, but also vegetables and protein foods. A mixed meal is more conducive to controlling postprandial blood sugar.

For example, steamed buns + scrambled eggs with celery (low GI), pancakes + scrambled eggs with black fungus (low GI), rice + scrambled pork with celery (medium GI), rice + scrambled eggs with garlic sprouts (medium GI), and celery and pork buns (low GI). [1]

4. Pay attention to the order of eating

You can eat vegetables and protein first, then the staple food, and finally drink soup;

Or drink soup first, then eat vegetables and protein, and finally eat the staple food.[5]

The best soup is light, low in oil and salt, and preferably without starch thickening.

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04

Summarize

Whether to eat rice or noodles as the staple food has a lot to do with the dietary differences between the north and the south.

The staple food of southerners is mostly rice, while people in the north prefer pasta, such as steamed buns, flower rolls, pancakes, noodles, etc.

The reason for such differences may be related to the agricultural production structure in different regions.

The temperature in the south is high, it rains frequently, and most of the cultivated land is paddy fields, so rice planting is more common;

The north has lower temperatures and less rainfall, making it more suitable for growing wheat.

However, now that material resources are abundant, food variety is rich, and logistics is particularly convenient, while respecting dietary differences, it is best to switch between rice and noodles.

References:

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Xu, K.; Zhang, B.; Liu, Y.; Mi, B.; Wang, Y.; Shen, Y.; Shi, G.; Dang, S.; Liu, X.; Yan, H. Staple Food Preference and Obesity Phenotypes: The Regional Ethnic Cohort Study in Northwest China. Nutrients 2022, 14, 5243. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245243

[3] Zhou Wei, Fan Zhihong, Wang Lu, Zhao Jianjing. Effects of beans on glycemic response and satiety of porridge[J]. Food Science, 2010, 31(05): 298-301.

[4] Wu Yijie. Effects of different cooking conditions on the quality and low GI characteristics of black rice[D]. Huazhong Agricultural University, 2022. DOI: 10.27158/d.cnki.ghznu.2022.001354.

[5] Yong Guangjin. Effects of dietary intake order and meal frequency on blood glucose levels in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus[D]. Dalian Medical University, 2022. DOI: 10.26994/d.cnki.gdlyu.2022.000610.

Author: Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered dietitian, health manager, public nutritionist

Reviewer: Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University School of Public Health

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