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Carb counting and rice

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AliBal

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Type 1
Hi any tips helpfully received. I am still struggling to be able to consistently measure a portion of Brown rice for carb counting when cooking within a family portion. The packet states 75g raw rice cooks to 180g cooked rice . But this never seems to consistently weigh out no matter how accurate we try to be with water measurements. I know I am making this far more complicated than it needs to be but when under dietician after diagnosis she said accuracy came from measuring raw rice as opposed to cooked . Help please . Just want simple resolution !
 
In my experience rice is best cooked by volume, long grain types, basmati for example 1/2 cup rice 1 cup water then weigh the cooked rice for your meal, typically 35g of carbs per 100g of rice is a good rule of thumb, for brown rice about 30g carbs per 100g of rice
 
It sounds like you are weighing the rice both raw and cooked? I would just measure it raw. So if you are cooking for two and you want 75g each, weigh out 150g raw. When it is cooked put half on your plate, whatever that weighs
 
Thanks for suggestion but more complex when cooking for multiple family members who want more than that 75g portion . So trying to make sure I extract my correct portion . Think may go back to weighing a cooked portion again and see if this balances ok .
 
I’ve always used tablespoons to measure cooked rice. Two slightly rounded tablespoons equals 10g carbs, so if I want 30g carbs, I have 6 tablespoons. Once you get used to how rounded the tablespoon needs to be, I find this works well.

Other things like pasta, I weigh but I find the ‘spoon’ method best for rice personally.
 
I’m sure you have one but a small digital weighing scale is in valuable at home, once your carb counting for a while you will be able to judge the portion size of most of the basic foods if your out.
I don’t understand the confusion you are making for yourself trying to work with pre cooked carb values, I always work with the cooked values and most carb count books and apps will do the same
 
I must confess, it would be really helpful to have the carb content for the uncooked product for things like lentils because I am not able to weigh out my portion once it is cooked in a stew or soup along with all the other ingredients. I want to know how many carbs I am putting into the pot and then divide the resulting panful into equal-ish parts and have a reasonable idea how many carbs I am getting.... things like bacon and lentil soup etc.
Surely the amount of water a dried product will absorb will depend upon how much it is cooked... ie overcooked and the rice will be claggy and have more water content so it will be heavier but still have the same carb content as less well cooked rice.... or similarly for pasta... particularly for those who eat it al dente. Probably doesn't make a big difference unless you are eating huge portions but I still think that being able to weigh the dry product and calculate the carbs would be more helpful. I don't want to mess around weighing my food when it is cooked and hot and I am trying to dish everything out and keep it hot.
 
rebrascora said:
I must confess, it would be really helpful to have the carb content for the uncooked product for things like lentils because I am not able to weigh out my portion once it is cooked in a stew or soup along with all the other ingredients. I want to know how many carbs I am putting into the pot and then divide the resulting panful into equal-ish parts and have a reasonable idea how many carbs I am getting.... things like bacon and lentil soup etc.
Surely the amount of water a dried product will absorb will depend upon how much it is cooked... ie overcooked and the rice will be claggy and have more water content so it will be heavier but still have the same carb content as less well cooked rice.... or similarly for pasta... particularly for those who eat it al dente. Probably doesn't make a big difference unless you are eating huge portions but I still think that being able to weigh the dry product and calculate the carbs would be more helpful. I don't want to mess around weighing my food when it is cooked and hot and I am trying to dish everything out and keep it hot.
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Some good points that I hadn’t thought of, your a far more adventurous cook than me, I make some rice to go with an Indian dish and I don’t eat it or many other pulses or beans etc, too many mathematical formulas for my simple male brain lol
 
I would not say that I am adventurous by any means but I have tried to find alternatives for the very carb rich foods that I try to avoid. Lentils and beans were part of that experiment and I found it very frustrating not having that dry ingredient info. especially when just cooking for one to try things out.
 
We haven’t eaten rice for ages but when we did, we used to just weigh the cooked portion, whatever looked like a sensible size, and divide it by 3. Easy enough just to have daughter's plate sitting on the scales whilst dishing them all out (just don’t forget to make a note of the number before you put anything else on the plate!). The same method works pretty well for pasta too.
 
rebrascora said:
I would not say that I am adventurous by any means but I have tried to find alternatives for the very carb rich foods that I try to avoid. Lentils and beans were part of that experiment and I found it very frustrating not having that dry ingredient info. especially when just cooking for one to try things out.
Click to expand...
I’m Irish so I have an unbreakable bond with potatoes unfortunately, they are my weakness but thank god they don’t do crazy things to my BG levels, I’ll have 150 grams of potatoes which I bolus for 33g of carbs and it all seems to work out. When I was much younger I did do a lot of experiments with food but technology and labels wasn’t what they are now so it was a lot of trial and error, mostly error if truth be told. Now I think I’m set in my ways lol
 
Always weigh rice cooked, same with pasta potato's, weigh morning oats before cooking. Bread just go by carb info per slice on packet.

Carbs Cals has photo & carb count for takeaway rices from Chinese Indian, handy as visable guide.
 
AliBal said:
Thanks for suggestion but more complex when cooking for multiple family members who want more than that 75g portion . So trying to make sure I extract my correct portion . Think may go back to weighing a cooked portion again and see if this balances ok .
Click to expand...
It’s the same process. If you want 50g and then two people want 100g each then measure 250g raw. When it’s cooked just give yourself a fifth, or whatever the fraction is. Easily done by using a spoon, so if they want twice as much as you then for every one spoon you give yourself, give them two spoon fulls.
 
rebrascora said:
I would not say that I am adventurous by any means but I have tried to find alternatives for the very carb rich foods that I try to avoid. Lentils and beans were part of that experiment and I found it very frustrating not having that dry ingredient info. especially when just cooking for one to try things out.
Click to expand...

Lentils are around 60-65g carbs per 100g raw weight @rebrascora if that helps.
 
I’m another in the 'weigh it raw' camp. Most of the time, my rice is going into a risotto or kedgeree, and my lentils into a stew or soup. Not possible to weigh the finished product with any meaningful result. OH eats a larger portion than I do (not that I eat less than he does, but I save room for my dark chocolate) so I serve out the food in proportion to the raw calculation I did earlier.
 
We have always weighed the uncooked rice and divided the total by eye too

I’ve a note in my phone which suggests

White basmati 100g dry weight becomes 93g CHO
Brown basmati 100g dry weight becomes 80g CHO
 
I have pan dividers, so I can put different things into a single pan. They are very old, but perhaps they can still be obtained - though you could always make your own if you could find some tall metal beakers. Just put the various weights of rice in, add water and place in a pan of boiling water to cook or you could drill holes around the edges for letting water in or out.
 
Drummer said:
I have pan dividers, so I can put different things into a single pan. They are very old, but perhaps they can still be obtained - though you could always make your own if you could find some tall metal beakers. Just put the various weights of rice in, add water and place in a pan of boiling water to cook or you could drill holes around the edges for letting water in or out.
Click to expand...
Thanks yes I have pan dividers I use for pasta but we cook rice in steamer but I have plenty of tips to move on with
 
Ah - I did wonder about suggesting a steamer - sieves with the handles cut short so they fit into the device.
 
I only eat brown rice. I boil a batch for about 80% of the recommended time and cool immediately. I then split it into 120 gms. portions, freeze and use are required. Boil the frozen portion for about five minutes in boiling water. This works well for me and the freezing process seems to lessen the carbs. content. Depending on how ‘al dente’ you like your rice, you can adjust the cooking times. I use similar methods for brown pasta and mashed potato....... portions are 120 gms. cooked weight for pasta and 150 gms. cooked weight for mash. The defrosted rice, allowed to dry for an hour or two is excellent for fried rice. We’re all different but this method and portion size works well for me.
 
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