Most individuals believe that consuming too much rice contributes to weight gain. Join Mytour Blog to explore how many calories are in 1 bowl of rice and if eating more rice leads to weight gain!
How many calories in 1 bowl of rice?
Wondering about the caloric content of 1 bowl of rice? The quantity may vary regionally. On average, 100g of rice in a bowl contains around 130 calories, along with various nutrients.
- Fat: 0.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1mg
- Carbohydrate: 28.2g
- Protein: 2.7g
- Calcium: 10mg
- Potassium: 35mg.
These nutritional values are calculated for 100g of white rice. However, estimated figures for other rice types are as follows:
- Jasmine rice cooked contains 627 calories/100g.
- Brown rice has 110 calories/100g.
- Fried rice contains 357 calories/100g.
From the above information, a bowl of rice is rich in nutrients, beneficial for health. However, calorie and nutrient levels can vary based on the fats you add to your diet, such as pork, beef, green vegetables, and more.

Rice provides essential nutrients for the body, including crucial components like protein, sodium, starch, calcium, potassium, etc. Different rice varieties contain varying calories and nutrients. Continue reading to find out whether to choose brown rice or white rice.
Does eating a lot of rice cause weight gain?
Nutritionists advise that an average adult body needs between 2,000 to 2,300 calories per day for normal functioning. Therefore, the body requires around 667–767 calories per meal if you eat three times a day.
According to the information mentioned above, an average of 100 grams of white rice contains about 130 calories, significantly lower than the daily calorie intake needs. Some people can consume up to 3 bowls of white rice without gaining weight (unless you consume a lot of protein and other fatty foods).
Consuming a reasonable amount of rice is a crucial factor in the weight loss process. You should only eat around 1-2 bowls of rice per meal. Additionally, regular physical activity is essential to burn energy and effectively reduce fat!
One thing to note is that white rice has a very high glycemic index (GI), meaning that if consumed in large quantities, the sugar levels in the body will increase after eating. This will affect the blood sugar levels of those with diabetes and lead to increased insulin levels. As a result, individuals prone to obesity may gain weight quickly. Therefore, if you happen to consume a large amount of rice in each meal, don't forget to exercise to release excess energy in the body!

Choosing Brown Rice or White Rice?
Most people on a weight loss journey nowadays prefer replacing white rice with brown rice in their diet. Brown rice offers several benefits, including:
- On average, a cup of brown rice contains fewer calories (110 calories) than white rice (130 calories). Additionally, brown rice has a moderate glycemic index (ranging from 56 to 69), lower than the GI of white rice (73).
- Brown rice also contains many vitamins, fiber, and beneficial minerals due to the outer layer, which retains more bran than white rice. White rice undergoes milling during production, causing the loss of some nutrients.
Therefore, you can incorporate brown rice into your daily diet sensibly if you are aiming for weight loss or maintaining a suitable weight while minimizing an increase in blood sugar levels after meals. Don't overlook rice in your meals as it is a staple food containing essential nutrients that your body needs daily!

How to Eat Rice Without Gaining Weight
When you consume excessive carbohydrates, they get converted into excess fat, leading to weight gain. Here are 6 ways to make your rice meals more delicious without causing weight gain that you can consider:
Cook Fluffy Rice
You can combine cooking rice with various root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, or legumes like red beans and black beans. This way, you can replace the complex starches and fibers in the roots and beans for the simple starches found in rice.
In this manner, you'll consume rice more slowly, feel satiated for a longer time, and limit the accumulation of excess fat due to excessive calories. Moreover, root vegetables and legumes also contain various vitamins and beneficial minerals for the body, enhancing metabolism and supporting effective weight loss.

Chew Rice Thoroughly
Ancient people had a saying, 'Chew well, stay full longer,' and this is scientifically grounded. When you chew rice thoroughly, the grains are crushed into small pieces and evenly mixed with the amylase enzyme in saliva.
As a result, the digestion process becomes more efficient, allowing you to absorb all the calories from rice. You won't need to eat much, yet you'll still receive the necessary energy and prevent excess calories from causing obesity. According to experts' recommendations, you should chew 30 to 40 times for optimal digestion.

Cook Rice with Coconut Oil
A scientist from Sri Lanka made a discovery through research that cooking white rice with coconut oil can reduce the rice's calorie content by up to 60%. Therefore, you can mix a teaspoon of coconut oil into the rice and cook it. After the rice is cooked, refrigerate it for about 12 hours. This method will significantly reduce the calorie content in the rice, eliminating concerns about gaining weight from consuming rice.

Include More Vegetables and Meat in Your Meals
In Vietnamese eating habits, rice is the main dish, and vegetables and meat are side dishes in every meal. To limit the absorption of fat, you can reverse the roles of these dishes.
We'll increase the amount of meat and vegetables while reducing the rice intake to a moderate level as recommended. Since the body takes longer to digest meat than rice, this will help you feel full for a longer time without significantly increasing the calorie intake that leads to weight gain.

Eat Vegetables Before Rice
According to scientists, vegetables are rich in fiber and almost calorie-free. Therefore, eating vegetables before rice will help create a base layer in the stomach. As a result, when you eat rice, you'll feel full faster and less prone to returning hunger, reducing the risk of weight gain from excess calories.

Drink Water Before Eating Rice
This method is also a stomach lining trick before meals to avoid consuming too much rice. Drinking water makes you feel full, reducing the desire to eat and limiting the intake of excess starch from rice. To support successful weight loss, you should drink about 2 glasses of water before eating rice. However, it's important to note that it's better to drink water about 30 minutes before eating, avoiding simultaneous eating and drinking or eating immediately after drinking.

Frequently Asked Questions
Many wonder about the specific recommended quantity of rice for men and women. According to experts, men need 2500 calories per day, and women need 2000 calories. Therefore, men can consume 2-3 bowls per meal, and women should have 1-2 bowls per meal.
Office workers often sit for long periods with limited physical activity, leading to restricted calorie consumption. If you work in an office environment, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising during leisure time is essential to prevent excess fat accumulation in the abdominal area.
There is no scientific evidence proving that eating cold rice increases the risk of poisoning or cancer. However, cold rice should only be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours as it can potentially harbor harmful bacteria if stored for an extended period.
Through the insights shared by Mytour, we hope your questions about how many calories in a bowl of rice and effective weight loss eating habits have been answered. Wishing you achieve your desired weight and maintain good health with a wholesome diet!