“Is rice gluten free?” This was one of the first questions that came to my mind when my wife realized that she was gluten intolerant about 13 years ago. We both knew at that point that her diet was going to change greatly. Also, I wanted to support her by adjusting my diet to make the transition easier. However, the one food that I was really worried about was rice because to give that up would be pretty rough!
Is Rice Gluten Free – I Love Rice!
There isn’t any food in the world I love more than rice. Maybe chicken but that’s debatable. I have loved rice as long as I can remember! For example, when I was a young boy, my mother would make curry chicken and rice. As much as I love curry chicken (with a passion!) it was mixing the curry sauce into the rice that really made my mouth water. My mouth is actually watering right now just thinking out it!
As I got older, my love of rice grew as I tried different kinds and pretty much loved them all! My personal favorites came to be brown Basmati and Jasmine rice. Both are so good! One of my favorite things to make is my father’s stew chicken recipe from the Caribbean. The recipe makes a nice sauce that is spicy and boy, it sure tastes great with Basmati and Jasmine rice! As you can see, I love rice and I needed to have this question answered!
Rice is Gluten Free!!
To my relief, we found out that rice is indeed gluten free. Phew! We dodged a bullet there as my wife also loves rice and now the adjustment to eating gluten free has gotten a lot easier. Actually, as I was doing research, I found out that there were more grain and starch alternatives than I realized that are, indeed, gluten free. For example, the Mayo Clinic has a list of grains and starches that are gluten free. Here it is below:
- Amaranth
- Arrowroot
- Buckwheat
- Corn — cornmeal, grits and polenta labeled gluten-free
- Flax
- Gluten-free flours — rice, soy, corn, potato and bean flours
- Hominy (corn)
- Millet
- Quinoa
- Rice, including wild rice
- Sorghum
- Soy
- Tapioca (cassava root)
- Teff
One warning about gluten in rice
There is just one warning to tell you about when it comes to rice. Generally, as long as it is pure rice you are cooking (whatever variety – such as brown, white rice, long grain, short grain arborio rice, basmati rice, jasmine, etc.) it will be gluten free. BUT…if you buy flavored packages of rice, please double check that it is still gluten free. As with many foods, it can be the seasoning that has hidden gluten in it. Always check the package!
Conclusion
Is rice gluten free? Yes it is! And I am so happy about it. This is good news for my wife and great news for me! All this talk of food has me thinking about what to have for supper tonight. I am not sure what we will have but there is a good chance there will rice involved and that’s just fine by me. Happy gluten free eating, everyone.
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