Most of the inhabitants of the earth consume rice as a staple food or as food in maintaining its continuity on earth. Countries like Asia, Europe, South America always use rice as food and in many dishes. It can be said, in most of the food they use rice as an ingredient.
While in many other places, especially in Africa, they consider rice as a source of food security. Rice for them is a symbol of blessing and life. The rice is available in large quantities and the price is also very affordable when compared to fruits and vegetables.
Rice is a food ingredient in the form of grains and derived from plants. Because this rice comes from plants, most of those who do not take rice as a staple food ask about this. They ask, is rice a vegetable or not?
If you are one of those who ask “is rice classified as vegetable?”. So, this article is the right place for you to get the answer. Let’s read on to the end!
Is Rice A Vegetable Or Grain?
Looking at the definition, vegetables are herbaceous plants that are grown for consumption purposes as food served with rice. But in some places, vegetables are consumed separately as a special meal and not served with rice.
If you refer to this definition, rice can be said as a vegetable because it comes from plants that are grown for consumption purposes. As long as the plant is grown to be produced as food, then we can call it a vegetable. Rice belongs to this group.
Also read; Benefits of Rice and Similar Plants for Humans
When referring to this definition, the meaning of vegetables is very broad. Reeds, fruits, mangoes, grapes, dates, and others can also be categorized as vegetables. Very ambiguous!
In reality on the ground, we don’t find anyone mentioning fruit, reeds, mangoes, coconuts as vegetables. This means that the definition that says anything that is grown to be eaten can be said to be a vegetable is not entirely true.
According to the American Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are 5 subgroups that can be considered as vegetables. Dark green vegetables, starchy vegetables, beans and peas, red and orange vegetables and other vegetables.
These vegetables are in a food group that includes lettuce, spinach, broccoli, yams, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, onions, navy, green beans, and includes pinto beans.
If we pay attention, there are still many types of plant foods that are not included in this group. While those classified in other groups are fruits, grains, proteins and cereals.
While foods that are classified as starchy foods include rice, rye, barley, oats, millets, these are all categorized as grains. Grains are a healthy food to include in your daily diet. Grains are divided into two types: refined grains and whole grains.
See also; Is Rice Good for Weight Loss?
Besides ordinary rice, there is brown rice. Brown rice is classified as a whole grain. Among the many types of rice, brown rice is one of the less delicious, but richer in nutrients and even contains antioxidants. Eating brown rice can keep you fuller longer, can help you lose weight and manage type 2 diabetes.
Ok, up to here, have you been able to classify rice? Where should this food be categorized? According to the explanation above, the answer to “is rice a vegetable?”, is “no”. Rice is not a vegetable, but it is a food that is classified as a grain. It is an important part of a person’s diet every day.
According to the National Institute of Aging, a healthy diet is a diet that is accompanied by whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. In addition, rice is also a food that must be consumed in medium quantities. However, if you want, then choose brown rice as your daily food. The health benefits of brown rice are amazing, thanks to its high fiber content.
See also: 10 Reasons Why You should Consider Brown Rice as a Weight Loss Food
Fiber-rich foods such as brown rice are the types of foods that can lose weight, manage diabetes, and are good for health.
