Fried rice is one of the most common yet favorite Chinese foods. According to research, half of the American population goes for Chinese food once a month. Do you know why? Well, the savory, crispy, and veggie fried rice has a great taste. But everything comes at a cost, and fried rice costs your health!
Fried rice is healthy or not. It depends on how you make fried rice and what rice you choose. A bowl full of colorful rice, veggies, and meat might seem healthy, but the reality is the contrary to it. You might be consuming more than the daily intake of sodium and fat with just one bowl of fried rice. So if you’re health-conscious, this article is for you. In the coming discussion, we’ll reveal all the hidden realities about fried rice you are unaware of.
Things That Make Fried Rice UnHealthy
Although the major ingredients of fried rice are undoubtedly full of proteins and nutrients, it loses all its nutritional values when drowned in unhealthy substances. Here are some things that make fried rice harmful to your body. Please have a look
- Extra OilMSG
- Fewer Veggies
- Excessive Fat
- Excessive Salt
- White Rice
● Extra Oil
Have you ever wondered why restaurant foods taste so delicious? Well, because chefs do a little more step after cooking the food. They drown the fried rice deep in extra oil and fats to make it more tasty, colorful, and scrumptious.
Whereas a single tablespoon of soil contains more than 124 calories, and a little more of them will boost the calories to a massive extent. Health experts and dietitians suggest consuming less oil and fats in meals as it can increase cholesterol, leading to several heart diseases.
So this is the first ingredient that makes fried rice unhealthy.
● MSG
Monosodium Glutamate is another essential substance that makes fried rice unhealthy. MSG is the most common ingredient used in restaurants to make food more delicious. However, it has some serious consequences.
According to health experts, a person should not take more than 2300 mg sodium per day, equal to one tablespoon. At the same time, the restaurants violate this suggestion straightforwardly and add a massive quantity of MSG to fried rice.
Many people are allergic to this chemical, and they may have headaches or other side effects. In several Chinese research, higher MSG intake is linked to weight growth and obesity.
● Fewer Veggies
Fried rice sellers often manipulate the customers into believing that it contains veggies. No doubt veggies are an essential ingredient to rice, but you barely see them in a bowl of fried rice. So you’re not taking the number of nutrients as you think.
Veggies are full of nutrients, vitamins, fiber, and minerals that properly maintain the body’s function. However, you don’t find them sufficient enough to support their stance. Therefore, the next time you get in the mood to enjoy fried rice, order the veggies separately along with rice. Mix them up yourself and enjoy the nutrients.
● Excessive Fats
People don’t realize the excessive quantity of fats they consume while eating fried rice. Excessive oils and fats make the rice purely unhealthy to consume. According to USDA, the 1 cup bowl of restaurant fried rice contains 180 calories and 7 grams of fats.
Usually, a bowl contains 4 cups of fried rice, making 28 grams of fats and 720 calories from just one meal. This is seriously high. Even though the information of USDA is considered valuable and the right piece of information, other sources still cite higher fat than it.
So you see how it can contribute to increasing your weight?
● Excessive Salt
Like MSG, restaurants also use salt significantly higher than the daily intake limit. Food and Drug administration strictly prevents the consumption of fats not more than 65 grams daily.
Contrary to this, fried rice served in restaurants contains 1840 mg of sodium, making it quite dangerous for your health. Experts suggest using sodium of less than 1500 mg can lead to serious health problems like high blood pressure and heart attack.
So if you’re already suffering from a health perspective, fried rice is straight away no for you.
● White Rice
Fried rice contains white rice, which is not as healthy as brown rice. Although it may have some benefits still, fried rice is not a healthy option. This is due to the milling process during which white rice loses its all nutritional value.
White rice has a high shelf life but is not healthy to eat regularly. Restaurants use white rice for frying purposes, making it more severe to eat.
Obesity is frequently associated with white rice. Even though white rice is a good energy source, it might make you gain weight if you don’t exercise. Because white rice has less fiber than brown rice, it might induce constipation. White rice contains carbohydrates that, if ingested regularly, might cause stomach problems.
How To Eat Healthy Fried Rice?
Is fried rice healthy? Yes, surely it is, but only if you eat them the right way. You can get all the essential nutrients while not compromising the taste and fun. However, there is nothing wrong with fried rice but only the excessive use of a substance.
If you want to eat them the right way, try the given hacks as follows
● Add Veggies
Veggies are an essential ingredient in fried rice, but unfortunately, you don’t have enough when taken out from the restaurant. However, you can fill up the deficiency by ordering separate veggies with rice. The chef will eat some extra veggies that you can mix in the bowl later on.
Once you do so, the unhealthy proportion of fried rice will be reduced to a certain extent.
● Use Less Oil:
If used to a limited extent, oil is not harmful to your body, but chefs add it excessively. Along with oils, sauces, salt, and MSG is included in large quantities. You can order less fat while taking out of a restaurant, the chef will be obligated to do so, and you’ll be able to get the taste and nutrients equally.
● Cook In Home:
You can always eat homemade fried rice. Fried rice is not a difficult dish to make; add the desired quantity of rice and veggies, meat, salt, oil, eggs accordingly. Stir the rice to avoid getting burned and prepare just according to health standards.
That’ll not only keep it tasty but healthy as well.
● Use Brown Rice
Brown rice has some higher nutritional features than white rice. It is full of iron, vitamins, bran, and energy that properly maintains your body.
Brown rice might taste different than traditional, but still, it’ll be a lot beneficial from a health perspective. While cooking homemade food, use brown rice.
● Use less salt
1 cup of fried rice comprises 460 mg of sodium, which is 14 percent of your daily salt allowance – that’s a lot of salt! Because diners enjoy the smell of salt, restaurant cooks typically add additional soy sauce to the meal.
Because not every restaurant will provide it, whenever possible, order low-sodium fried rice and make the meal at home with low-sodium soy sauce to reduce salt intake.
Why Is White Rice Unhealthy For Us?
Many people don’t realize that white rice is not as healthy as brown rice. It might look like a great source of nutrients, but it loses all its essential components during the milling process.
Rice is usually brown and becomes white due to the milling process. While milling, the rice’s bran, and hull are removed, which is a large portion of nutrients. Similarly, 25% of additional nutrients and vitamin B and iron are removed.
This leads to obesity associated with white rice as fewer fiber remains. This high deficiency of essential nutrients leads to several stomach problems like constipation.
Conclusion:
Here we wrap up our topic, “Is fried rice healthy?” Fried rice has an exquisite taste, due to which it’s a favorite meal across Asia, but people often neglect the health factors while eating this street food.
This article reveals all the hidden factors that most people don’t care about. Fried rice does taste great, but it comes with a price, and the price is your health. One bowl of fried rice will cause you enough problems; therefore, try to make them at home and ensure taste and health. I hope this article has proved helpful.