Is Rice Paleo? What Are Rice Substitutes for a Paleo Diet?

Paleo proponents avoid most processed foods and they also steer clear of grains, dairy, added sugar, and highly refined vegetable oils. Cauliflower rice makes a good rice substitute for the paleo diet.

The paleo diet is not a new phenomenon: It began gaining traction in the 1970s and entered the national spotlight in the early 2000s. However, this way of eating remains misunderstood by many. Proponents of this lifestyle focus on eating whole, healthy foods and avoiding specific food groups that might cause inflammation and disease. Is rice paleo, though? 

Learn more about the science, myths, and beliefs surrounding the paleo diet and learn how to use this information to create a healthy eating pattern for yourself.

Like most healthy eating plans, the paleo diet emphasizes eating whole, fresh foods like fruits and vegetables and minimizing processed ingredients like lunch meat and food additives. 

Some people who follow this eating pattern cut out many food groups as they try to mimic the caveman style of eating as closely as possible. Others simply avoid dairy and grains, which weren’t available in the same form in Paleolithic times, as well as processed food.

What exactly is “paleo?” This million-dollar question has prompted health enthusiasts to create many different forms of the paleo diet over the past five decades. Most experts agree that we can’t precisely recreate our ancestors’ eating patterns — but we can mimic their produce-heavy, dairy-and-grain-free way of eating. 

Our Paleolithic ancestors ate meat, fish, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, but archaeological evidence shows us that these foods were not the same as the ones we eat today. For example, these early humans probably ate insects, flowers, and other items that most Western cultures don’t ordinarily consider food. 

The following Paleolithic foods inspired the modern version of the paleo diet:

• Fruits and vegetables: The paleo diet promotes eating as many plant-based foods as possible (with the exception of legumes). You can eat produce that is either cooked or raw. 
• High-quality meat and seafood: “Organic,” “wild-caught,” and “grass-fed” are supermarket buzzwords, but they’re also pillars of health when you follow the paleo diet. Some paleo followers also go for the meats with the highest fat content possible — especially organic, grass-fed beef that contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Animal-based and saturated fats: Perhaps the biggest difference between other healthy eating plans and the paleo diet is the latter’s inclusion of liberal amounts of butter, lard, tallow, and coconut oil. Saturated fat and red meat consumption are encouraged.

Paleo proponents avoid most processed foods (though frozen fruits and vegetables are OK). Overall, they also steer clear of grains, dairy, added sugar, and highly refined vegetable oils.

Whether or not rice is paleo depends on your definition of the paleo diet. Brown rice, for example, is a whole grain. It’s rarely allowed on any version of the paleo diet. 

White rice, though, is in more of a gray area as it’s simply the inside of the brown rice grain. Brown rice’s exterior contains fiber and nutrients, while its interior is mostly starchy carbohydrates.

The case for eating white rice

• Availability: Rice is one of the world’s most commonly eaten grains. In fact, around 20% of the world’s calories come from rice alone.  
• Flexibility: It can be hard to maintain an overly restrictive diet. Adding rice to a strict paleo diet might help you stick with your diet by giving you more variety in your meals.
• Low phytic acid: Phytic acid, a substance in whole grains and legumes, is blamed for many gut symptoms people experience when eating a non-paleo diet. Brown rice, like most whole grains, contains much more phytic acid than white rice. That being said, most dietary experts agree that avoiding all phytic acid, especially in cooked plant-based food, is unnecessary.

The case against eating white rice

• Health: White rice isn’t a true health food, but it might not cause as much damage as experts previously believed. Much of the world’s population, especially in Asian countries, will consume white rice on a daily basis. However, carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables are more nutrient-dense than white rice and are more commonly approved as elements of the paleo diet.
• Blood sugar fluctuations: White rice might be a staple food all over the world, but this doesn’t make it a superfood. According to a study from the American Diabetes Association, eating a lot of white rice every day might increase your chance of getting type 2 diabetes. You should be careful about using white rice as a staple source of carbohydrates — or replacing all of your whole grains with white rice products — while on the paleo diet.

There are both medical and dietary reasons to avoid rice on the paleo diet. Consider whether you fall into the following categories before you add rice to a diet that’s already working well for you:

• You already have blood sugar problems: If you have diabetes, you might have turned to the paleo diet to help manage your blood sugar. White rice probably isn’t the right choice for you, then, as it could spike your blood sugar to unmanageable levels.
• You’re a paleo purist: If you wish to closely mimic the way our ancestors ate, you probably already know that they didn’t eat highly refined grains. They did, however, use barley flour, root vegetables, and other plant-based sources of carbohydrates that are easy to add to any meal.
• You’re trying to follow a low-carb diet: Many people turn to a low-carb diet in order to enter a state of ketosis where the body starts processing fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. No type of rice is low in carbohydrates, so if you’re following a low-carb diet, steer clear of white rice or ask your doctor how much would be appropriate for you to consume.

Cauliflower rice, which is simply shredded cauliflower that's designed to simulate the look and texture of white rice, is a healthy substitution for this starchy grain. Experiment with other vegetables like broccoli, squash, or sweet potato to find your favorite rice alternative.

The paleo diet isn’t a weight loss cure or a one-size-fits-all dietary plan, but some people thrive when eating this way. Make sure that your doctor has given you a clean bill of heart health before starting the diet, though — and while you are on it — as the paleo diet’s high level of saturated fat isn’t good for everyone.

Additionally, you should make sure that you are getting enough critical nutrients that are commonly low in the paleo diet. Depending on which version of the diet you follow, you might need to make up for missing calcium, Vitamin D, or carbohydrates. If you do, moderate amounts of white rice can potentially add a boost of carbs and variety to your meals without compromising your health and your paleo diet plan.