We received a message last week from Sandra in London, England. She told us
After reading the information given on your website, I’m not just feeding brown rice to my baby, I’m switching the whole family over from white rice!
Funnily enough, my husband has been the only one to object, but he’s learning to like it.
The problem is that it takes so long to cook – 45 minutes instead of the 20 for white.
So I’m wondering if the instant brown rice is as healthy as the non-instant kind?
Instant brown rice is made by partly cooking the grains, then dehydrating them.
This processing of the grains DOES reduce their nutritional value – but not by very much.
Therefore, instant brown rice isn’t as healthy as ‘regular’ brown rice, but is still significantly better for your family than white rice.
But there are other reasons to favour regular brown rice over instant – namely the better taste and texture.
Instant brown rice can be quite ‘mushy’ when it’s prepared, whereas the regular grains are a little chewy when cooked, with a yummy, nutty flavour.
If you’re finding the extended cooking time of brown rice to be a nuisance, you can shave it a little by soaking the grains first.
Not only does this make them cook more quickly, it also makes them easier to digest and increases the bio-availability of their nutrients (meaning the nutrients are easier for the body to absorb).
Still, the many benefits of brown rice for the health of your baby and your whole family really do make it worth the extra cooking time – and do remember that the preparation time is the same as for white rice, it’s just the simmering time that takes longer!
Learn more about using brown rice in your homemade baby food recipes