When people think of Asian food, their first thoughts will immediately jump to rice. 

As Filipinos, we know that rice is a perfect complement to nearly any type of food you can think of. And because of its neutral taste, it can be topped and mixed in a variety of ways — fried, boiled, baked, or steamed, rice's sheer versatility in the kitchen cannot be underestimated.  Let's talk about the benefits of rice and its place in our diet.

What is Rice?

Rice is a type of cereal grain, most commonly found in Asia and Australia. There are over 40,000 kinds of rice in the world, and each of them is unique in taste, texture, and aroma.

Rice comes in a lot of varieties, but for now, we'll be focusing on the type you're probably most familiar with: white rice. White rice and its variants (such as the Japanese grain rice used for sushi) are a perfect base for a lot of meat and vegetables.

Benefits of Rice

Though white rice is more processed, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. To boost its nutritional value, most white rice is fortified with vitamins such as folate. Here are other benefits of white rice:

Culinary Utility

There are so many recipes for rice that it's impossible to list them all here. In a way, that alone showcases just how easy it to include rice in a dish. By adding it as a side dish along with your meat and vegetable viands, it accomplishes your carbohydrate requirements and compliments your main dishes.  As an option, you can season your rice during boiling — with salt and herbs to spice up this side dish.

Ease of Cooking

Rice is very simple to cook. Just boil some water on a stove pot or an instant rice cooker, and presto — you've got yourself a batch of rice. The simplicity of rice is part of what made it such a staple of Asian cuisine. In ancient times, soldiers could even cook rice in their helmets then fry it with herbs in their shields. As such, fried rice was born!

Source of Carbohydrates

Rice is an inexpensive source of carbohydrates, which provide us energy. Unlike sugar (the other common source of carbs), there aren't many downsides to eating rice regularly, so it's still a much better source of energy than sugary foods.

Gluten-Free

Being gluten-free, those suffering from celiac disease can include rice in their diet as a source of energy.

Ease of Digestion

White rice is well-known for its ease of digestion. It's low in fat and fiber, so it's gentle on the stomach. Many athletes actually prefer white rice over brown rice since it isn't linked to any gastrointestinal issues.

Reduces Obesity

It's a myth that rice won't help you lose weight. Keep in mind that the only important thing about weight loss is your daily intake and fat.  Also, carbohydrates can be burned easily. Because rice is low on fat but high on energy, it's great for people who want to lose weight.

Ultimately, rice is a great addition to any diet — whether your goal is losing weight or bulking up. Clearly, it has solidified its place in our everyday meals because of its ease of preparation and the wonderful benefits it brings to our health.