There’s a new way to cook rice that cuts the calories.
Researchers in Sri Lanka have discovered a way to slash the calories of a bowl of rice in half (or more) by converting some of its starch to a non-digestible form.
This involves using coconut oil and a refrigerator, according to research presented at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting.
Here’s how it works: apparently, rice is comprised of both digestible and resistant starch. Since we don’t have the enzymes to digest the latter, it isn’t transformed into sugar and absorbed into the body like the digestible starch.
Meaning, the more a food contains resistant starch, the fewer calories from that starch our bodies will absorb.
With that in mind, researchers went to work with a mission to make rice less caloric by converting some of its digestible starch into resistant starch. After testing out 38 varieties of rice, they discovered the healthiest way to cook rice.
The secret comes in the form of coconut oil.
Because, really, what can’t you do with coconut oil?
If you’re in the mood for rice – but trying to watch your weight for bathing suit season – drop a teaspoon of coconut oil into boiling water before adding half a cup of non-fortified white rice. Cook it for about 40 minutes, and then stick it in the fridge to cool for 12 hours.
The result is rice that has up to 10 times the amount of starch as regular rice.
The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its composition. Chilling the rice afterwards helps foster the conversion of starches. The process is finalized in the cooling, so you don’t have to worry about undoing the calorie cut in re-heating.
We have a feeling we know what you’ll be cooking for dinner tomorrow night.
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