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Rice vs. Rice noodles — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan by Ani Harutyunyan | Last updated on June 20, 2023
Medically reviewed by Jack Yacoubian Article author photo Jack  Yacoubian
Rice
vs
Rice noodles

 

Summary

Rice noodles are one of the processed versions of rice, having a lower density of nutrients. Rice is higher in carbs and proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Rice is 58 times higher in folate. Rice provides 16% more of the DV of manganese. 


 

Introduction

In this article, we will compare white rice(1) and rice noodles(2) in terms of nutrient content and health impact. Go through all the sections of the article to find out which of these foods is a healthier choice for you. 

Actual differences 

Rice is an edible starchy cereal grain produced by a grass plant called Oryza sativa. It has a unique nutty but also buttery taste, which leaves a sweet aftertaste. Rice has a lot of varieties: basmati, jasmine, wildbrown, black rice, etc. Rice is usually cooked using one of these preparation methods: boiling, steaming, and making risotto or pilaf

Rice noodles are made of rice flour and water primarily. They have a slightly sweet and nutty taste and are used for making soups, stir-fries dishes, pad Thai, sometimes pasta, and even sweet puddings

Because rice noodles are one of the processed versions of rice, they may contain lower amounts of nutrients.

 Go through the nutrition section of the article to find out more about the differences between these foods. 

Nutrition

Protein

Rice protein is one of the essential plant-based proteins. Rice is higher in protein than rice noodles. It provides 2.7g of protein per 100g, compared to 1.8g of rice noodles

Fats

Both foods have less than one gram of fat per 100g. So, the fat amount of rice and rice noodles can be neglected

Carbs

Rice contains more carbohydrates per 100g than rice noodles. 

Rice provides 28.2g of carbs, while the same amount of rice noodles has 24g. Rice provides slightly more sugar. Hence it can seem sweeter. Rice noodles are lower in net carbs.

Fiber

Fiber type in rice-based products is usually soluble. Rice noodles are higher in terms of fiber content. They provide 1g of dietary fiber per 100g compared to 0.4g in rice. 

Minerals

Rice is the winner in this section. 

Rice is higher in all essential minerals compared to rice noodles. It contains more than six times more iron than rice noodles. 

Their sodium content is insignificant. 

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Rice
10
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 8.6% 3% 3.1% 45% 23% 13% 18% 0.13% 62% 41%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 2.1% 1.2% 0.35% 5.3% 13% 6.8% 8.6% 2.5% 15% 25%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +300%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +150%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +775%
Contains more IronIron +757.1%
Contains more CopperCopper +81.6%
Contains more ZincZinc +96%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +115%
Contains less SodiumSodium -94.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +314%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +66.7%
 

Vitamins

If we look at the vitamin comparison chart shown below, we will see that rice is higher in all types of vitamins. Rice is significantly higher in B-complex vitamins.

Rice noodles are 58 times lower in folate

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Rice
8
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0.8% 0% 41% 3% 28% 23% 21% 0% 0% 44% 1.1%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0.6% 0% 4.5% 0.92% 1.4% 0.66% 1.4% 0% 0% 0.75% 0.87%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +33.3%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +805.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +225%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +1950%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +3445.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +1450%
Contains more FolateFolate +5700%
Contains more CholineCholine +31.3%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin A ~0IU
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~0µg
 

Calories

Rice and rice noodles are classified as medium-calorie foods. Rice is 22 calories higher per 100g

Glycemic index

The glycemic index is significant for managing diabetes. Rice’s GI equals 60, and rice noodles’ GI is 61. Both are classified as foods having medium GI. For more information, check our glycemic index chart

Acidity

Based on PRAL values, rice (1.7) and rice noodles(1.4) are acidic

Health impact

As mentioned above, rice is higher in nutrients than rice noodles. Hence, rice consumption can be a healthier choice. However, some studies show that you should be careful while using high amounts of rice. 

The American Health Association recommends the usage of whole grains, such as brown rice, over refined ones, like white rice (4). According to a study (3), a high intake of white rice increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. There is also an article about rice consumption's correlation with a higher risk of type two diabetes (5). 

Although we can often find rice that is fortified with vitamin A, this research indicates rich noodles fortified with vitamin A has higher benefits in vitamin A absorption (6).

Rice noodles might contain very small amounts of gluten because of the manufacturing process. Rice is gluten-free.

Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan
Education: General Medicine at YSMU
Last updated: June 20, 2023
Medically reviewed by Jack Yacoubian

Infographic

Rice vs Rice noodles infographic
Infographic link

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Rice
4
3% 28% 68%
Protein: 2.69 g
Fats: 0.28 g
Carbs: 28.17 g
Water: 68.44 g
Other: 0.42 g
2% 24% 74%
Protein: 1.79 g
Fats: 0.2 g
Carbs: 24.01 g
Water: 73.82 g
Other: 0.18 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +50.3%
Contains more FatsFats +40%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +17.3%
Contains more OtherOther +133.3%
~equal in Water ~73.82g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Rice
2
32% 37% 32%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.077 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.088 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.076 g
32% 36% 32%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.023 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.026 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.023 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +238.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +230.4%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -70.1%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Rice Rice noodles
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Rice Rice noodles Opinion
Calories 130kcal 108kcal Rice
Protein 2.69g 1.79g Rice
Fats 0.28g 0.2g Rice
Net carbs 27.77g 23.01g Rice
Carbs 28.17g 24.01g Rice
Magnesium 12mg 3mg Rice
Calcium 10mg 4mg Rice
Potassium 35mg 4mg Rice
Iron 1.2mg 0.14mg Rice
Sugar 0.05g 0.03g Rice noodles
Fiber 0.4g 1g Rice noodles
Copper 0.069mg 0.038mg Rice
Zinc 0.49mg 0.25mg Rice
Phosphorus 43mg 20mg Rice
Sodium 1mg 19mg Rice
Vitamin E 0.04mg 0.03mg Rice
Manganese 0.472mg 0.114mg Rice
Selenium 7.5µg 4.5µg Rice
Vitamin B1 0.163mg 0.018mg Rice
Vitamin B2 0.013mg 0.004mg Rice
Vitamin B3 1.476mg 0.072mg Rice
Vitamin B5 0.39mg 0.011mg Rice
Vitamin B6 0.093mg 0.006mg Rice
Folate 58µg 1µg Rice
Choline 2.1mg 1.6mg Rice
Saturated Fat 0.077g 0.023g Rice noodles
Monounsaturated Fat 0.088g 0.026g Rice
Polyunsaturated fat 0.076g 0.023g Rice
Tryptophan 0.031mg 0.022mg Rice
Threonine 0.096mg 0.063mg Rice
Isoleucine 0.116mg 0.073mg Rice
Leucine 0.222mg 0.147mg Rice
Lysine 0.097mg 0.062mg Rice
Methionine 0.063mg 0.043mg Rice
Phenylalanine 0.144mg 0.095mg Rice
Valine 0.164mg 0.104mg Rice
Histidine 0.063mg 0.045mg Rice

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Rice Rice noodles
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
12%
Rice
1%
Rice noodles
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Rice
8%
Rice noodles

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Rice noodles
Rice noodles is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.02g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Rice noodles
Rice noodles is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.054g)
Which food is cheaper?
Rice noodles
Rice noodles is cheaper (difference - $1)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Rice
Rice contains less Sodium (difference - 18mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Rice
Rice is lower in glycemic index (difference - 1)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Rice
Rice is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Rice
Rice is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168878/nutrients
  2. Rice noodles - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168914/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.