Brown rice vs. white rice is one of the main food debates today. Eating brown foods automatically makes your diet healthier, right?
Not necessarily.
So which brown foods matter the most?
Brown Sugar vs. White Sugar: Not really. Raw sugar, which looks brown, undergoes less processing than white sugar or brown sugar. The major differences between turbinado sugar, otherwise known as “natural” or “raw” sugar, and white sugar are the size of crystals and the presence of molasses, which gives darker sugar its color. Otherwise they have about the same amount of calories and carbohydrates, says Jo-Anne Rizzotto, M.S., R.D., former education specialist at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Your best bet is to reduce the amount of sugar you intake and maybe even substitute with raw honey.
Brown Rice vs. White Rice: Yes. Brown rice is a whole grain. That means it contains all parts of the grain — including the fibrous bran, the nutritious germ and the carb-rich endosperm. White rice, on the other hand, has had the bran and germ removed, which are the most nutritious parts of the grain. This leaves white rice with very few essential nutrients, which is why brown rice is usually considered much healthier than white.
Brown Bread vs. White Bread: Not Necessarily. “Some manufacturers add…
… caramel coloring in place of whole-grain flour to achieve a brown color,” says Brandeis. The first word in the list of ingredients should be whole, signifying that the grain is still intact. But the next doesn’t have to be wheat. Any whole grain — oat, corn or rye — is rich in fiber and antioxidants. Make sure you look for 100% whole grain “wheat” instead.
Brown Eggs: No. The only difference between a white and a brown egg is the color of the shell, and that’s determined by the hen’s breed. Brown eggs often cost more just because they’re larger. Still, not all eggs are created equal. Some farmers fortify chicken feed with nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids or vitamins, which end up in the yolk, making a truly good egg.
Instead, try heading to your farmers’ market (or perhaps even a local farm) and talk to the farmers about their hens, what their diet is. Remember, a healthy egg, it starts with a healthy hen.
So what does all this mean? Remember, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Many manufacturers are trying to change the cover of their “book” but it’s just the same old, cheap story on the inside.
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