Rice vs chapatti (wheat roti) is a very common and controversial topic; boththese grains being the staple food in many parts of our country. People blamerice for causing obesity, diabetes and related conditions. Is it really true?Basically, we most commonly use polished / white rice, which lookswhite due to the removal of fibre-rich outer covering (husk and bran).During this process, most of the micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) arewashed away. Thus white rice is devoid of B complex vitamins, iron, calciumetc.Whole wheat flour, the main ingredient in chapattis, is high in fibre(unless sieved) ,protein and minerals like iron, calcium, selenium, potassiumand magnesium. Thus, nutrient content-wise, chapattis are healthier than rice.Brown or unpolished rice could be a good replacement for white one whichretains almost all micro-nutrients.Although they contain same calories. 1 chappati (whole wheatmedium size ) and 1/3rd cup of cooked rice is 100 calories but theircomposition is very different.
Comparison
NUTRIENTS
Rice (Polished)1 Bowl (30 gm) Chapati (Whole wheat roti)1 Medium (30g flour)
Carbohydrates (grams) 23 22
Proteins (grams) 2 3
Fats (grams) 0.1 0.5
Fibers (grams) 0.1 0.7
Iron (mg) 0.2 1.5
Calcium (mg) 3.0 12
Energy (KCal) 100 100
As we can see from thetable chappati has more protein ,fibres and calcium content as compared torice.Some otherimportant considerations are-1. Chapattis are higher in sodium and potassiumcontent. Rice doesn’t contain any sodium (unless salt is added) andcontains very little potassium. Thus for people on sodium & potassiumrestricted diets, rice could be a better choice than chapati. Especially renal patients(kidney problem)2. Rice is easy to digest as it is low in fibers. Thus for peoplewith loose stools / diarrhoea, indigestion etc. rice is a good choice.3. Forpeople who manage theirDiabetes diet plan , eating whole wheat chapati is a better alternative.White rice has a higher glycaemic index than chapatti, which means, itincreases blood sugar more rapidly. Thus chapatti is always a preferred optionfor diabetic individuals.4. For those who are overweight & obese, chapatti is abetter choice as it contains more fibers. Eating rice more often, more in quantityand especially at dinner can lead to weight and fat gain. If your goal is to lose weight or maintain an ideal weight,Rotiis a better option for you.If you are lean and want to put on some weight,youcan enjoy the yummy white rice in moderation.We generally eat rotis and fillour stomach, rice comes as extrafor taste. Which should not be the case. If you need to eat rice reduce thequantity of roti.And if you are a rice lover, and want tocontinue relishing it, and at the same time you are aiming at weight loss, thenhave rice in very less quantity and go for brown rice instead of white rice.For Rest of us, Moderation is the Key.You could enjoy both roti and rice as long as you are havingthem in moderation.Have you ever realised why we eat roti first and rice afterthat. No science involved. It is just that when we eat rice the plate getsmessy so the the roti goes first. This has been passed down from generation togeneration.Choose wisely and stay healthy!
Rekha Gupta
Dietitian and Nutritioniswt