In recent years, cauliflower has become the white knight for anyone on a low-carb diet. Its most popular use is as a replacement for white rice. Is cauliflower rice really healthier than regular white rice? Are there any health benefits to choosing one over the other? Rice has a neutral flavor; does cauliflower rice affect the taste of your meal?
Regular, white, long-grain rice is a staple in my house but I am always looking for ways to incorporate more nutritious foods into my family’s meals so I am going to compare cauliflower rice and white rice side-by-side to see if one is indeed more nutritious than the other and if the hype surrounding cauliflower is really justified.
Ingredients Comparison
The most noticeable difference between cauliflower rice and white rice is that one is a vegetable and the other is a grain.
Cauliflower rice is simply raw cauliflower that has been grated or blended into a rice-like consistency. White rice is processed rice that has the bran and germ stripped away.
Removing the bran and germ from rice also removes many nutrients. Because of this, white rice is commonly sold as ‘enriched’ rice because vitamins and minerals have been added back.
Food Type |
Ingredients |
|
Cauliflower Rice |
No added ingredients |
|
White Rice |
Vitamins and Minerals added
|
Cauliflower Rice vs White Rice Nutritional Comparison
Since enriched is the most commonly used white rice, I will compare enriched white rice with cauliflower rice. The comparison will be based on a one-cup serving as well as a more accurate weight-for-weight comparison of 100 grams each.
Best for Calorie Content
Our first category sets these types of rice apart right away. Cauliflower rice is considerably lower in calories than white rice. A 100-gram serving of cauliflower rice only has 25 calories but the same serving of white rice contains 374 calories.
Food Type |
Calorie Content (100g) |
Calorie Content (1 cup) |
|
Cauliflower Rice |
25 kcal |
26.8 kcal |
|
White Rice (enriched) |
374 kcal |
692 kcal |
Best for Carbs & Sugar Content
Vegetables are often classified into two groups- starchy and non-starchy. Cauliflower is considered a non-starchy vegetable, meaning it is lower in carbs. This is why cauliflower is the preferred choice by anyone on a low-carb diet.
One cup of cauliflower rice has 5.32 grams of carbs compared to 150 grams found in one cup of white rice.
Food Type |
Carb Content (100g) |
Carb Content (1 cup) |
|
Cauliflower Rice |
4.97g |
5.32g |
|
White Rice (enriched) |
80.9g |
150g |
Cauliflower rice does have a small amount of naturally occurring sugar but both contain a small amount of fiber. The tie-breaker here will depend on what your dietary needs or concerns are and the serving size you choose.
Food Type |
Sugar Content |
Fiber Content |
|
Cauliflower Rice |
1.91g (100g) / 2.04g (1 cup) |
2g (100g) / 2.14g (1 cup) |
|
White Rice (enriched) |
0.33g (100g) / 0.6g (1 cup) |
1.8g (100g) / 3.33g (1 cup) |
Best for Protein Content
White rice contains a higher amount of protein than cauliflower rice. A 1-cup serving of white rice contains 7.5g of protein.
Food Type |
Protein Content (100g) |
Protein Content (1 cup) |
|
Cauliflower Rice |
1.92g |
2.05g |
|
White Rice (enriched) |
7.51g |
13.9g |
Best for Fat Content
Cauliflower rice and white rice are naturally low-fat foods but white rice does have a higher fat content than cauliflower. A 1-cup serving of cauliflower rice has 0.3 grams of fat compared to white rice which has almost 2 grams.
Food Type |
Fat Content (100g) |
Fat Content (1 cup) |
|
Cauliflower Rice |
0.28g |
0.3g |
|
White Rice (enriched) |
1.03g |
1.91g |
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
It might be surprising to learn that cauliflower is significantly higher in sodium/salt than white rice. Hearing this might scare off anyone who needs to monitor their sodium intake but don’t let this stop you from eating cauliflower altogether.
The sodium in cauliflower is a naturally occurring electrolyte that is super beneficial for everyone. As with any food, consume cauliflower in moderation and if you have any questions or concerns, talk with your medical provider to make sure it is not contraindicated for your specific health needs.
Food Type |
Sodium/Salt Content (100g) |
Sodium/Salt Content (1 cup) |
|
Cauliflower Rice |
30mg |
32.1mg |
|
White Rice (enriched) |
2mg |
3.7mg |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
Cauliflower and white rice both contain high amounts of potassium but the added vitamins and minerals in white rice make it a better choice overall. White rice has high amounts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.
It’s important to keep in mind that cauliflower contains vitamin K which can interfere with some medications such as blood thinners. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before consuming cauliflower rice.
Vitamin/Mineral Type |
Cauliflower Rice (1 cup) |
White Rice (1 cup) |
|
Potassium |
320 mg |
322mg |
|
Calcium |
23.5mg |
131mg |
|
Magnesium |
16mg |
50mg |
|
Iron |
0mg |
6.16mg |
|
Phosphorus |
47.1,g |
282mg |
|
Vitamin C |
51.6mg |
0 |
|
Vitamin K |
16.6µg (mcg) |
0.185µg (mcg) |
|
Zinc |
0 |
1.89mg |
|
Manganese |
0 |
1.92mg |
|
Selenium |
0 |
36.8mg |
|
Niacin |
0 |
9.34mg |
|
Pantothenic Acid |
0 |
1.24mg |
This list is not comprehensive so if there is a specific vitamin or mineral you are interested in, you can go to the USDA website for more information.
Best for Flavor/Texture
This category is always the toughest to judge because flavor and texture preferences are unique to each individual. You will have to be the judge of which one you prefer but here is what I personally found.
I found cauliflower rice to make a much milder taste than I anticipated. The cauliflower taste is not overpowering and when it is cooked into a dish, the cauliflower taste is extremely faint. I made fried rice using cauliflower rice and even my husband approved of the final taste.
Texture Wise, cauliflower rice was softer than white rice, but it still has a bit of firmness so you won’t really miss white rice if you make the switch.
Best for Price
The price for cauliflower rice will vary depending on where you live and whether you make the rice yourself or buy it ‘riced’. It is often more expensive to buy riced cauliflower and you will not get as much as you would if you made it yourself. You can freeze any unused portions of cauliflower rice but fresh always tastes better.
White rice is relatively inexpensive and can be found wherever food items are sold. It is also super easy to store and great to have on hand. I always keep a surplus for emergencies. You can make any meal ‘fuller’ by adding a side of rice.
Overall Winner
After comparing cauliflower rice and white rice it is not hard to see why cauliflower rice has become so popular. Cauliflower rice is low in calories, low in carbs, low in fat, easy to cook with, and is available at any grocery store.
White rice is a household staple that is high in protein, low in sodium, and packed with vitamins and minerals. The winner of this comparison is white rice but you be the judge for you and your family.
Comparison Category |
Winner (Cauliflower Rice or White Rice) |
|
Best in Calorie Content |
Cauliflower Rice
|
|
Best in Carbohydrate Content |
Cauliflower Rice
|
|
Best in Sugar Content |
White Rice
|
|
Best in Protein Content |
White Rice
|
|
Best in Sodium/Salt Content |
White Rice
|
|
Best in Vitamin/Mineral content |
White Rice
|
|
Best for Price |
Both are winners
|
Overall Winner |
White Rice |
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