Whether you are lactose intolerant or have gone vegan, there are several alternatives to whole cow milk today. Not too long ago, there were not many options to consider. However, people have derived multiple plants and nut-derived milk – rice milk being one of them.
Rice milk has two primary ingredients of rice and water. Enriched with nutrients, it is an excellent drink when mixed with sweeteners, flavor booster, and preservatives.
Being one popular option for non-dairy milk, let us have a look at everything you need to know about rice milk. From its health benefits to nutritional value and recipes, we have covered everything you need to know. Let’s get started!
Health Benefits of Rice Milk
Rice Milk provides multiple health benefits: it is a rich source of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D. It is also the least likely of all milk to cause allergy — therefore, we highly recommend its intake to reap its countless health benefits. Below are some significant health benefits of rice milk:
It Helps Boost Immunity with Antioxidants
When it comes to being conscious about health, our selection of food or drinks relies on how much stronger it will make us. Consumption of rice milk assures us the strength we desire.
Rice milk contains a lot of antioxidants. It gives a push to our antibodies and makes us more immune to infections and disease.
It Has Vitamin B: Aids with Energy Levels and More
With vitamin B, rice milk helps strengthen the functioning of the brain and the production of cells. It is also great for maintaining eyesight and the betterment of appetite. Many users drink it to enhance their energy levels.
Great for Cardiovascular Health
Rice milk has the least amount of cholesterol than any other variety of milk. It is a good option for people who are diet conscious or if they suffer from medical conditions related to cholesterol. Along with it being low in cholesterol, it also has unsaturated fat. Because of these properties, it helps maintain cardiovascular health. It controls cholesterol levels in our blood and keeps our blood pressure in check. Rice milk is also a good option for patients with heart attack, as it has low to no amount of cholesterol.
Great for Bones
Rice milk is loaded with calcium. It’s great for people with bone and calcium deficiency. Its high level of calcium strengthens the bones. Vitamin A and Vitamin D present in rice milk also work towards our bones. Vitamin A has bone-strengthening properties, and vitamin D regulates the supply of calcium throughout the body.
Other Benefits of Rice Milk
From being beneficial to health to have a good taste, rice milk has some other benefits. It is one smart alternative for people with lactose intolerance and nut allergies to soy and almond.
Rice milk not only makes your body healthy but your skin too. It moisturizes your skin and tightens it, which will help you get rid of wrinkles and large open pores. It balances out your pH and protects your skin from sun damage.
Many use rice for glowing skin. It has no side effects as it’s a natural product. You can also apply it as a toner or a mask. Many people mix rice milk with other natural ingredients like honey for beauty enhancement.
Containing antioxidants, it also proves to do wonders for hair as well. It conditions and restores dead hair, making your hair shiny and smooth. It also aids in strengthening the hair roots and speeds up the growth rate of your hair.
Rice Milk Nutritional Facts
What is the secret behind the numerous benefits of rice? Let us break it down and look at its nutritional values!
1. Carbohydrates
Rice milk is high in carbohydrates. It has the most carbohydrates than other milk varieties. Hence, it has a naturally sweet taste. It is a good drink for instant energy. However, it may not be the best for those who are suffering from diabetes. It can cause a sudden shoot in the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients.
2. Cholesterol Level and Fat
Rice milk might not be the best for diabetics, but it is for people with cardiovascular concerns. Rice milk has no cholesterol at all, and it doesn’t contain any saturated fat.
3. Protein Content
Rice milk has low proteins. Protein is great for bones, muscles, cells, and much more. Therefore, it shouldn’t be the only milk source, especially for babies and pregnant individuals.
4. Vitamins
Rice milk is rich in a variety of vitamins. It has Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B12. Vitamin A protects your eyesight, strengthens immunity, helps in bone structure, and reduces acne. Vitamin D in it helps with bones and teeth. Vitamin b12 gives us the daily dose of what our body needs when we take rice milk. It increases blood cell formation, helps build muscles, strengthens bones, improves our mental state and energy boost.
5. Minerals
Just like vitamins, rice milk is rich in many minerals. It has significant levels of calcium, potassium, and sodium.
Nutritional Value Per 100 grams:
- Carbohydrates 9.2g
- Proteins 0.3g
- Fats 1.0g
- Fiber 0.3g
- Calcium 118mg
- Energy 195kJ
- Potassium 27 mg
- Sodium 39 mg
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Vitam A 4% of daily need
- Calcium 11% of daily need
- Vitamin D 10% of daily need
- Iron 1% of daily need
- Magnesium 2% of daily need
How to Make Rice Milk?
Now that you know all about rice milk: let’s learn how to make it for yourself at home. You can make it very easily and quickly with few easy steps:
- Get yourself some rice. You can get any type of rice, white or brown, according to your preference.
- Boil your rice according to the amount of milk you want. Rice doubles and triples in cups after being boiled so keep that in your mind. For instance, if you take one cup of rice, it will turn into three to four cups after the boil. It also depends on the grain type.
- Add two cups of water for one of the rice. We want our rice to be soft for easy blending.
- Put the rice on medium heat. Take the boiled rice off of the stove when they become very soft. Run cold tap water over the cooked rice to get rid of excess starch.
- Put a cup of boiled rice into the blender and add two cups of water. The ratio of rice and water depends on you. If you want a thicker consistency of your rice milk, increase the amount of rice. If you desire thinner or runnier consistency, add more water than rice.
- Add one pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. You can add sweeteners according to your likings. Add in some syrup, sugar, or even throw in dates. For extra flavor, you can even add in some vanilla extract/ vanilla bean or cocoa powder.
- Blend the mixture until all the ingredients mix with rice being well-blended. There should be no grainy rice water.
- Pour the rice milk in a container with a milk cloth over it. A milk cloth will catch any rice or the rice that didn’t blend in well. Through this process, your rice milk will come out very smooth and free of any chunks.
There you have it! Now store your rice milk in the refrigerator. Your rice milk can last up to two to five days. You can bake sweets, cook dishes and prepare many drinks with our rice milk.
The Bottomline
With our guide to rice milk, treat your tastebuds and health with this nutritious non-dairy milk. It is delicious and comes with multiple benefits and uses. Make sure you stay tuned for more!