New way to cook rice slashes calories, say scientists
Scientists say cooking method using coconut oil and cooling in fridge can reduce calorie intake by about half and help in battle against obesity
Imagine eating that same bowl of warm, fluffy rice you had for lunch, but only absorbing half of its calories. It may sound like a Hong Kong dieter's dream, but scientists are close to making it reality, simply by changing the way rice is cooked.
First, add a teaspoon of coconut oil to boiling water. Then, add half a cup of rice. Simmer for 40 minutes, then refrigerate the cooked rice for 12 hours. Reheat and dig in.
This method, developed by scientists at the Institute of Chemistry's College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka, decreased the 240 calories in a cup of rice by 10 to 15 per cent.
If superior-quality rice is used, the method could reduce calorie intake by 50 to 60 per cent, said lead scientist Sudhair A. James.
James explained that starch can be digestible or indigestible. Rice is loaded with both types, though some varieties contain more indigestible - or "rice-resistant" - starch, which contributes extremely few calories compared to digestible starch.
"Because obesity is a growing health problem, especially in developing countries, we wanted to find food-based solutions," said James. "We discovered that increasing rice-resistant starch concentrations was a novel way to approach the problem."