Children can regard rice as a rather exotic treat, and a change from potatoes! It can certainly be part of some delicious and very useful Mediterranean, oriental, Caribbean and Middle Eastern dishes. In addition, powdered brown rice flakes can make a nutritious early weaning food, and ground rice can be used instead of flour for thickening and added texture.
WHITE RICE OR BROWN?
The two chief nutritional benefits of rice are its B vitamins and fibre, but only brown rice ('whole' grains with the outer layer still intact) has these to any extent. White rice, like white bread, is a rapid source of calories, but the low fibre content can cause constipation. However, brown rice takes longer to chew (white needs almost no chewing at all) and, being bulkier, is filling without supplying many calories; thus a calorie-rich food needs serving at the same time.
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