Is cold rice less caloric? Is reheated rice healthier? |

In this article you will learn, among others:

• Is reheated pasta less healthy?

• Is cold rice less caloric?

• Does cooking change the nutritional value?

Recent research brings some interesting news, especially for people counting every calorie. It turns out that the very preparation of meals can have a key impact on caloric content. And it’s not about the differences, for example, between frying and steaming, because here the matter is obvious. Research shows that leaving rice or macrons overnight can help you lose weight.

Is reheated pasta less healthy?

Scientists from the University of Surrey have proven that eating pasta that has come off after preparation causes lower glucose spikes than eating a freshly cooked dish. Moreover, the effect was even more visible when the meal was reheated. Study participants who ate such pasta could reduce blood glucose spikes by up to 50 percent.

Is cold rice less caloric?

Rice is a very popular addition to meals in many countries. It is widely used, relatively cheap and easy to prepare. However, white rice is high in calories and can also raise blood glucose levels quickly. For this reason, scientists have long been wondering how to reduce the caloric content of the popular white rice.

A student of the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka, together with his supervisor, cooked rice with coconut oil (about 3% of the weight of rice), and then cooled it for 12 hours in the refrigerator. It turned out that after that time the calorific value of rice decreased by more than 10%. Scientists explain that the activities carried out reduce the share of the so-called resistant starch, which is difficult to digest and thus reduces the caloric content of rice.

To better understand this mechanism, scientists tested eight different recipes using 38 different types of rice found in Sri Lanka (the site of the study). This confirmed the thesis that adding fat to boiling rice and then cooling the prepared dish significantly reduces its calorific value by 10-12%.

According to the researchers, the addition of oil induces starch conversion, which is further supported by long cooling.

Does cooking change the nutritional value?

The above reports are not the only ones regarding the change in the calorific value of the product after storage. An earlier study from 2009 found that it was freshly cooked vegetables, grains, and tubers have significantly higher levels of post-resistant starch multiple heating and cooling cycles. Resistant starch in the pea that showed the greatest change increased by 115 percent. 

Resistant starch improves bowel function, insulin sensitivity, increases satiety and even reduces fat storage.

The prospect of lower calorie products in the era of the growing epidemic of overweight and obesity may prove to be a great salvation. Even a seemingly small 10 percent of calories from rice or pasta can be less have a huge impact on future generations. Of course, more research is needed, scientists still need to among others check other varieties of rice and experiment with oils other than coconut oil.

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