White rice
 

White rice

When it comes to dietary choices, not every “brown” version is better than its regular counterpart, and nowhere is this as true as in the case of white vs. brown rice. First of all, brown rice is not more nutrient dense than white rice – in fact, both of them offer pretty much the same package of calories and nutrients, with brown rice being slightly higher on the mineral front. However, the bad news are that brown rice also contains phytates and lectins, compounds which bind to vitamins and minerals and thereby prevent them from being properly absorbed.

Furthermore, phytates interfere with proper digestion by inhibiting the release of pepsin, an enzyme needed to break down protein and amylase, an enzyme needed to break down sugar. Nevertheless, rice is one of the ideal, cost-efficient and high-caloric sources of fast-digesting carbs that have the ability to support optimal performance and growth – you just need to choose the standard, white version.