If you are on a weight loss diet, then the first advice that you get from others is to leave eating rice. But I believe that you should never give up on your preferences. Rather, I myself am a rice lover. But if you are on your weight loss journey then which one should you go for or which one among rice and chapati is better for your weight loss.
So, today in this article we will be discussing the topic Rice vs Chapati and will be giving out 10 points of differences between them which will make it easy for you to choose the best one that can be included in your weight loss diet plan.
Table of Contents
1. Nutritional difference
The nutritional differences between chapati and rice will make it very easy for you to choose the best one among them. The chart is mentioned underneath.
| Nutrients | 1/3rd Cup Rice | Small Chapati |
| Calories | 80 Kcal | 71 Kcal |
| Fat | 0.1 g | 0.4 g |
| Protein | 1 g | 3 g |
| Fiber | low amount | 4 times that of rice |
| Vitamin A | Low | 16 times more than rice |
| Iron | Low | High |
| Calcium | Low | High |
| B-complex vitamins | Low | High |
By clearly looking at the nutritional value of both rice and chapati we get to know the following nutritional differences between them.
- The amount of calories present in rice is more compared to chapati.
- The fat and protein contents are negligible as there are no huge differences in aspects of fat and protein content.
- The fiber content in chapati is 4 times that of rice.
- The amount of Vitamin A present in chapati is 16 times the amount of Vitamin A present in rice.
- The amount of Iron, Calcium, and B-complex vitamins are also present more in chapati than compared to rice.
The carbohydrates present in rice are simple carbohydrates that are not considered good for your health as they play a major role in increasing the blood glucose level of the body almost instantly. On the other hand, chapati consists of complex carbohydrates which are considered good for your health as they raise the blood glucose level slowly.
So considering the nutritional information of both chapati and rice, chapati is the clear winner in this case.
2. Glycemic Index
Glycemic index is nothing but a figure which represents the chances of a carbohydrate food to increase the glucose level. Rice and chapati, both being rich in carbohydrates have separate glycemic indexes.
The glycemic index of rice is 74 and that of chapati is 63. We know that the more the glycemic index the less time it takes to increase the blood sugar level of your body. This means that if you are taking rice, it gets easily absorbed in the body and raises the blood sugar level quickly due to its high glycemic index value. But chapati compared to rice is less harmful as it has a lower glycemic index value.
3. Cooking time
We all know that cooking rice takes less effort and time than cooking chapati. So in this case rice wins the point easily.
4. Easy to digest
Rice contains carbohydrates in simpler forms whereas chapati contains carbohydrates in a very complex form. Moreover, the fiber content in wheat (the main ingredient for making chapati) is also high. So simple carbohydrates are easily digested compared to complex carbohydrates. That is the sole reason we prefer rice during stomach problems.
5. Which is the better pre-workout and post-workout meal?
If you are consuming rice instead of chapati, the rice provides instead energy to your body and prevents your body from getting fatigued. Consumption of rice also helps in quick muscle recovery. So pre-workout or post-workout rice is the better choice compared to chapati.
6. Better for sleeping after consumption
If you are eating rice in your dinner before sleeping, the carbohydrates level in our body goes up alongside the energy in our body. The sudden rise in energy in our body before sleep produces a chemical called serotonin in our body. Serotonin is nothing but a happy hormone that helps in uplifting our mood. This is the psychological reason for getting a good sleep after consuming rice.
On the other hand chapati consist of complex carbohydrate which does not raise your glucose or energy level in your body almost immediately. As a result, you don’t feel sleepy after consuming chapati.
7. Food allergy
Rice does not contain any allergens, as a result, it is the most suggested food for infants. Rice is considered safe for everyone.
On the other hand, chapatis contain a protein named gluten which may act as an allergen to quite a number of people. People who have gluten intolerance should stay away from chapati.
In this case, rice can be considered better than chapati.
8. Which one can increase your weight?
The calorie difference between rice and chapati is not that much (approximately a difference of 30Kcal). The reason we say that rice increases the weight in our body is that it gets easily absorbed in the body which may increase your weight. The calorie in chapati is lower than that of rice and so chapati does not get the blame of increasing your weight.
But there is good news for rice lovers. When you are consuming anything your body identifies its chemical composition. So if you are consuming rice as a whole meal including the right amount of vegetables and salads it will not lead to a quick increase in weight.
But since the amount of carbohydrates is more in rice, it is better to ignore rice and eat chapatis if you are on your weight loss journey.
9. A gluten-free diet helps in weight loss
The gluten-free diet has been famous recently because it helps in weight loss. But there is no scientific evidence supporting this statement. On the other hand, ignoring gluten means ignoring chapati in your diet, which ultimately leads to the consumption of rice instead of chapati. Consuming rice twice a day may lead to high simple carbohydrates in the body which ultimately leads to weight gain.
10. If you are diabetic, avoid rice
Diabetic patients can take rice if their blood glucose level does not fluctuate very often. If your glucose level is stable you can still consume rice 3 to 4 times a week. Further, there are more options available in the markets. Instead of rice, you can go for brown rice, red rice, and many others ( as they have more fiber content and more complex carbohydrates)
For diabetic patients, consumption of chapatis is considered safe compared to the consumption of rice because chapatis do not spike up your blood sugar level almost instantly.
The conclusion
So we can clearly see that in the comparison between rice and chapati, chapati rises up as the winner, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Though the differences are not that much but still the winner here is chapati. But that does not mean that you will totally prohibit yourself from having rice. Both chapati and rice are healthy and maintaining a balance should be your prime choice here.
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