Bread and Rice, by Sumika

There are many differences between cultures, a major one being food. These days, American and Japanese people eat both bread and rice. However, in the past, bread was primarily eaten by Americans and rice by Japanese. Still, there are many more differences between bread and rice than what countries they are eaten in. After comparing the nutritional value, calories, and fiber of bread and rice, I decided that rice is healthier.

First of all, both bread and rice are a good source of carbohydrates with many nutrients. Your average serving of generic white bread contains a good deal of carbohydrates and B vitamins. However, rice is richer than bread in carbohydrates, the main source of energy, and contains some protein and plenty of B vitamins. Rice also contains starch which can provide energy for a long period of time. Fifty grams of rice provides about 11% protein, which is the necessary daily value for humans. Therefore, rice is a tremendously healthy food for many reasons, plus, it is a low calorie food.

Secondly, talking about calories, neither bread nor rice is a high calorie food. Still in order to make bread, one usually uses flour, milk, butter, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients. Bread is also often eaten with butter, with jelly, or with other high-calorie foods. On the other hand, to cook rice, one only needs to add water. Moreover, it is a good option to reduce fat and cholesterol because it contains only about 0.5 g per serving and no cholesterol. Rice is also gluten free and is easily digested. Consequently, it is a wonderful food for young people and the elderly.

Finally, another health benefit of both bread and rice is that they contain fiber and help relieve constipation. It is important to drink lots of fluid, at least 480 ml, along with fiber. Which do you think contains more water, bread or rice? You might know when you eat them. Usually, people like to eat bread with oily foods. For an example, people dab butter on bread, make a sandwich with some oily foods, and they might feel thirsty, because it does not contain much water. Rice contains more water than bread, so rice itself can help relieve constipation and lower cholesterol.

As you can see, you could get healthier from eating rice more than from eating bread. I prefer rice to bread. Rice contains more carbohydrates and has more nutrients. Also, rice contains only a little fat and no cholesterol, and could help you to get more fiber and not to ingest cholesterol from other foods. I am glad to know how healthy rice is!