I grind up brown rice and make a cream of wheat breakfast cereal every morning. I am thinking of switching to raw food and wondering if it is possible to eat brown rice raw?

I buy already sprouted brown rice and mostly use it to make rice milk! Once it sprouts it is softer. I think I will experiment with making a raw curried rice dish soon... I actually like eating it plain out of the package! lol

Rice is a complex carbohydrate, an important part of the human diet, used to fuel the body. Complex carbohydrates are stored in muscles and released as energy when needed. Nutritionists recommend that over half the calories we consume should come from complex carbohydrates.

Rice protein, when compared to that of other grains is considered as one of the highest quality proteins. It has all eight of the essential amino acids, necessary building blocks for strong muscles.

Rice is also a good source of other essential nutrients- thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, iron, and potassium.

Rice has only a trace of fat, no cholesterol and no sodium. This along with being non-allergenic and gluten free, makes rice especially well suited for persons with special dietary needs.

Japanese scientists have found that soaking brown rice for a day before it is cooked may be an inexpensive and easy way to turbo-charge the nutritional value of this staple food. Dr. Hiroshi Kayahara a professor of bio-science and biotechnology at Shinshuu University in Nagano said in a statement that soaking the rice stimulates the early stages of germination, when a tiny sprout, less than a millimetre tall, grows from the grain.

"The birth of a sprout activates dormant enzymes in the brown rice all at once to supply the best nutrition to the growing sprout,"

Kayahara presented his group's research Study at the 2000 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies in Hawaii that sprouted rice contains more fibre, vitamins and minerals than non-germinated rice. The germinated rice also contains triple the amount of lysine, an amino acid needed for the growth and repair of tissues, and 10 times more gamma-aminobutyric acid, which can benefit the kidneys. Within the sprouts, the research team also identified a chemical that blocks the action of prolylendopeptidase. This enzyme regulates activity in the central nervous system. The researchers soaked the brown rice in warm water for 22 hours to make it sprout. The sprouted rice is not only enriched, it is also easier to cook because the hard outer husk has been softened and it tastes sweeter. White rice will not sprout when soaked.

I have never heard of sprouted brown rice, but I have been soaking some in water overnight just in case. : ) I am assuming you actually cook it to make the rice milk? Do you sprout beans and eat them raw as well? Maybe I should get that book.

I don't cook anything. As a matter of fact the burners on my stove are covered up & I use the oven for storage. My microwave is used as storage also, right now it's full of natural dog treats! lol

I've sprouted brown rice to use in salads. It comes out good.

RawVeganMom, your rawness is inspiring!
I have dabbled in raw eating. Being up to 80% raw for a couple of months. But it's the winters that get me. I just want cooked food when it's cold. I am about 30% raw now and with summer coming I am hoping to go back to at least 60%. I sprout grains and seeds and beans regularly still. Any pointers or tips would be happily accepted.

I'm thinking that you may enjoy warming some foods durring the colder months. Not cooking them, just heating them up a bit! Do you have a dehydrator? When you first take foods out of the dehydrator they are nice & warm! You may try heating some raw soups up as well as using "warming" foods like hot peppers, garlic, onions & ginger root. This may seem strange, but more heat is produced through digesting raw foods then eating cooked foods!

I have a dehydrater but I rarely use it. Thanks for the tips I'll give them a try. :up:

I am all raw and I eat brown rice raw occasionally. I just soak it for a day or so and then eat it like that with homemade almond milk or put it in the food processor and make it into a hot cereal type consistency. I also use it to make raw crackers in my dehydrator. It tastes great raw. Also try raw quinoa and millet.

ooooh! great idea! thanks!