What's the reason behind stale rice being healthier? According to studies conducted over time, cooling the cooked starch begins a process called starch retrogradation that converts the digestible starch into a resistant one. It is easier for our body to digest and break down, raising blood sugar levels.
Once cooked, if the rice is held for more than four hours in the temperature danger zone (between 40°F and 140°F), the bacteria can multiply and then the leftover rice is tainted and could make you ill if you eat it (think mild vomiting or diarrhea for about 24 hours).
Freshly cooked rice is higher in nutrients than leftover rice. The cooking process can cause some nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, to break down or leach out. Therefore, consuming freshly cooked rice can provide more essential nutrients than non-fresh rice.
Reheating turns starch into resistant starch which is not just good for reducing the impact on blood glucose levels (risk of type-2 Diabetes) but the resistant starch also becomes a form of fibre which means it is a prebiotic which feeds the good bacteria in your large intestine helping to support your immunity.
Freshly prepared rice is low in resistant starch and has a GI of 78, allowing it to quickly digest and increase post prandial spike. When rice is cooled in the refrigerator for 16-20 hours and mildly reheated before consumption, it retains resistant starch and also dips in GI to 54 allowing a lesser postprandial spike.
Another 2021 study came to a different conclusion. After giving freshly cooked rice and rice cooled overnight, they concluded no evidence cooling affected the glycemic index or carbohydrate digestibility.
What's the reason behind stale rice being healthier? According to studies conducted over time, cooling the cooked starch begins a process called starch retrogradation that converts the digestible starch into a resistant one. It is easier for our body to digest and break down, raising blood sugar levels.
Fans of leftovers, listen up: refrigerating rice cooked with just a teaspoon of coconut oil could cut the amount of calories we absorb from it by up to 60 percent, according to a team of scientists from Sri Lanka.
Makhija says that when one eats high starch foods such as cooked rice or potato after refrigerating it for 24 hours, the digestible starch is converted into resistant starch. "Digestible starch is the one that our body breaks down and our blood sugar levels rises.
Leftover rice is ideal because it's drier and therefore, cooks great right in your skillet along with the other ingredients. Any moisture you need at all comes from the bit of oil and the veggies.
It is safe to eat the rice cold as long as it has been cooled and stored correctly. Do not leave reheated rice sitting on the counter. Following these steps will reduce the risk of food poisoning. Do not reheat the rice more than once as this further increase the risk of food poisoning.
Cooked and cooled white rice: The rice can be reheated—doing so won't destroy the resistant starch.
In case of aged rice, the moisture content is less and it always stays separated and looks good after cooking while new rice tends to become sticky. Aged rice need more water while being cooked in comparison to new rice and ends up fluffy in texture.
If the above steps are not followed, it is best not to reheat the rice. Incorrect storage after cooking can allow Bacillus cereus and other bacterial spores to grow and produce toxins (poisons) that eventually cause food poisoning.
"Eating refined carbs like bread, rice, pasta and cookies [in excess] will increase our belly fat. If we want to lose it, we should focus on eating nutrient- and fiber-rich carbs such as vegetables and low-glycemic fruits," says Djordjevic.
Leftover rice will dry out more each day it sits in the fridge. But once the grains have become super hard, dry, or even crunchy, chances are that it's been in the fridge well over a few days. Rice is best when eaten a few days from when it's cooked. Any more than that and it's safest to just toss it.
But there's an easy, natural way to make rice less caloric: add a little fat, then let it cool. According to research presented at the American Chemical Society's national meeting, using coconut oil and a refrigerator can slash calories by as much as 60%.
THE RIGHT TIME: As per studies, lunch time is the best time to have rice. This is due to two factors. Firstly, during daytime, our metabolism is faster and our body will digest all heavy healthy foods.
The study reported a lower area under the glycemic curve after eating refrigerated rice (125 ± 50 mmol/L * min) than freshly prepared rice (152 ± 48.3 mmol/L * min).
Indonesia and New Zealand have published studies comparing participants' blood sugar levels between freshly cooked white rice versus cooled rice for 24 hours, then reheated. Studies showed the reheated rice had a significantly lower glycemic response compared to freshly cooked rice.
According to FoodSafety.gov FoodKeeper App, leftover rice can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, and it can be stored in the freezer for one to two months. If you stored your rice in the freezer, then it's important to thaw it properly.
The bottom line. Cooling white rice before reheating makes it healthier by decreasing its ability to spike blood sugar. Cooled rice, even when its reheated, is harder to digest because of resistant starch which blunts the blood sugar response.
Just rinse your white rice and mix it with water as usual, and add virgin coconut oil about 3% of the total weight of your rice. Cook it and keep it in the fridge for 10-12 hours before being consumed. Don't heat the rice.