At the mention of the healthiest rice, our minds narrow down to the brown (unpolished) rice or white rice. Well, sadly, here I am referring to the method by which the rice is being prepared, its ingredients and the best quantity to be consumed all coining down to its nutritional benefits.
Which is the healthiest cooked rice to eat? Jollof rice or Fried Rice?
For me, I would go for the Nigerian Jollof any day, any time and anywhere, not because I know much about their nutritional benefits when compared, but because I haven’t yet found where fried rice is best prepared.
Here, I would be sharing the nutritional benefits of fried rice in comparison with jollof rice.
Comparision of Nutritional Benefits:
Jollof Rice
When the health benefits of jollof rice are being searched for on Google, (maybe because you feel a little guilty about the copious amount of Jollof rice you’ve been consuming) all that comes up are recipes. I have taken it upon myself to do a deep research and come up with a documented benefits of Jollof rice. This list is in no way, exhaustive. Feel free to add your own health benefits.
Jollof rice is one of the special meals served in West Africa at Christmas, New Year day, Wedding receptions, Funerals, Anniversaries, family meals and whenever there is something to celebrate.
Nutrients in Jollof rice
- Rice – 90% Carbohydrate. Also rich in magnesium, phosphorus, iron and folic acid
- Tomato – Vitamin C, K, A and calcium
- Red Bell Pepper – Vitamin C, B6, and Folate
- Scotch bonnet pepper – Vitamin C, A, B and iron
- Onion – Vitamin C, B6, and Potassium
- Chicken gravy – Potassium
- Beef gravy — Sodium
- Oil – Fat and Vitamin E, K
Here are the benefits of Jollof rice (not just any Jollof, but the Nigerian Jollof rice):
- Jollof Rice makes you happy. It may be related to the release of oxytocin in the brain as our eyes register the pleasure that is in a steaming heap of sinfully orange rice.
- Jollof Rice is prepared with tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Tomatoes are good for you. They help prevent cancer. Peppers are good for you. They contain lots of vitamins. Onions are good for you. They reduce inflammation and heal infections.
- Jollof Rice contains rice. Rice is a well-known source of energy and fiber. Enough said.
- Jollof Rice strengthens family and friendship bonds. See number 1 above.
- Jollof Rice strengthens national bonds. lol. You see how we, Nigerians unite in solidarity against the Ghanaians over who makes superior Jollof Rice (P.S: Nigerians do).
- Jollof Rice brings back good memories, very key to good mental health. Think about it. Do you have any bad memories associated with jollof rice? Now think about eba. Or beans. Ehen.
- Jollof Rice goes well with red wine, which is good for your heart.
- Jollof Rice (when done properly) burns your pots. Scrubbing those pots is a workout for getting toned arms.
It wouldn’t be right to leave you without a banging Jollof rice recipe as part of my Christmas gift. So here’s one with many recipes.
Fried Rice
Not many people are interested in knowing the benefits of fried rice as much as Jollof Rice. Maybe because most of the people who consume fried rice more believe that the Jollof Rice is overhyped.
For some others, their notion of fried rice is a greasy, empty-calorie-laden, eat-this-now-regret-it-later dish.
A plate of fried rice possesses several nutrients needed by the body, such as:
- Energy
- Carbohydrate
- Fat
- Calcium
- Phosphor
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
Health Benefits of Fried Rice:
- Maintain healthy skin
Maintaining a healthy skin has never been this easy. Because you can maintain healthy skin just by eating fried rice. This is because fried rice helps the healing process of vitiligo, a disease that causes the skin to lose normal pigmentation.
- As a powerful antioxidant
Due to the herbs and spices used in preparing fried rice, it contains powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are known as anti-bacterial and anti-viral that can make your body healthier.
- Muscle formation
If you are doing a program for muscle formation, one of the foods that you are recommended to consume is fried rice. Because these foods have high protein compounds that can help muscle development in health benefits of desiccated beef liver
- Energy sources
The compound of calories and carbohydrates in fried rice is an irreplaceable source of energy. Therefore, once you eat fried rice, you will feel full and your energy increases.
- Treating dysentery
This food is also proven to treat dysentery. You no longer need chemical drugs because you can treat dysentery in a delicious way.
6. Blood Pressure on check
A fried rice helping of the same amount also has approximately 202 mg of potassium. Potassium is a natural analgesic which plays a vital role in the excretion of wastes from the body and also plays a pivotal role in maintenance of blood pressure along with sodium.
For those of you who are running a diet program, it is not advisable to consume fried rice too often and excessive. Because the health benefits of fried rice contain substances that can actually add to your weight.
