As it turns out, day-old grains aren’t just for egg fried rice
As we’ve all learned by now from Uncle Roger, day-old grains are key for the perfect serving of egg fried rice. Why? Because it’s dryer compared with freshly cooked rice, which is moist and can make your dish soggy. However, as it turns out, leaving these in the freezer won’t just make for the perfect plate of fried rice, but it’s also the solution to reducing carbs.
Take note: You don’t need to cut down on the amount of cups you consume. This also applies to other sources of carbs like pasta.
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How does it work?
Towards the end of last year, dozens of videos across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube featured this emergent dietary trend. The process? Cook your rice as you normally would, freeze or refrigerate overnight, reheat, and enjoy less carbs. That sounds simple enough, but why is it so-called healthier?
Starch is a kind of carbohydrate found in grains, pasta, oats, and certain vegetables and fruits. Once digested, these turn into glucose, which the body uses for energy. However, resistant starch, which can also be found in these sources, doesn’t go to the small intestine and isn’t absorbed by the body. Rather, it provides the gut with good bacteria without increasing the amount of glucose and carbohydrates taken in.
Resistant starch is affected by heat. When cooked rice is cooled, the starch inside it is converted into its non-digestible form. Reheating it, however, doesn’t reverse the process.
According to researchers Steffi Sonia MD, Fiastuti Witjaksono PhD, and Rahmawati Ridwan PhD, “Cooked white rice cooled at 4°C for 24 hours then reheated had higher RS content than cooked white rice cooled at room temperature for 10 hours.”
@nutritionbykylie dw I’m Asian I know what I’m talking about #nutrition #rice #foodpoisoning #leftoverrice ♬ original sound – Kylie Sakaida MS, RD
They added, “Ingestion of cooked white rice cooled at 4°C for 24 hours then reheated produced lower glycemic response compared with ingestion of freshly cooked white rice at the same portion.”
However, the presence of resistant starch isn’t only limited to rice. It is also found in fruits such as plantains and green bananas, vegetables like beans and peas, pasta, and oats.
Is it safe?
According to a study reviewing the effects of resistant starch on the body, the carbohydrate is linked to several health benefits, including the prevention of cancer and weight loss.
Resistant starch is also said to increase bowel movement and reduce the incidence of bowel cancer. Since typical carbohydrates contain glucose, substituting these substantially lessens blood glucose levels—and with a good diet and a healthy lifestyle, can result in weight loss. Not to mention, food containing resistant starch also takes longer to digest, stimulating the feeling of being “full,” lessening one’s appetite.