# Arsenic in Brown Rice?



## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

This has been in the news recently about the amount of arsenic in rice..it seems brown rice has more than white rice..:blink:But, white rice doesn't have as much food value, does it?..My girls eat brown rice..I am especially worried about Eva as I home cook for her..she has MVD and half her diet is brown rice...should I cook a different grain for her? I need something comparable to brown rice to balance out her recipe... I really could use some recommendations...thanks.


----------



## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

Hi April! We cook rice here almost daily (brown, white, sweet white, sweet brown, purple, you name it!) as it is a staple in our Asian household. What is recommended is to thoroughly wash the rice in water prior to cooking-- and I mean thoroughly! I put the rice in a deep bowl and rinse with water as I massage the rice, squeezing it in my hand. I dump the water carefully and repeat this process until the water is completely clear. Once it's clear, rinse 2 more times the same way.

I also use organic quinoa thrown into the rice for myself and my homecooking. Organic quinoa may be an option to look into for Eva. 

Give your girls a hug from me! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

April,

Here seems to be some common sense suggestions. Buy California rice over Texan. Cook in extra water and pour off remaining water. I steam mine, which is probably the worst thing to do.


Five Things You Need To Know About Arsenic In Rice (Before Dinner Time) | CommonHealth

Notice tne date, this has been an issue for some time.


----------



## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

wkomorow said:


> April,
> 
> Here seems to be some common sense suggestions. Buy California rice over Texan. Cook in extra water and pour off remaining water. I steam mine, which is probably the worst thing to do.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the link, Walter. I was happy to learn that Basmati rice imported from India has very little arsenic. That is my favorite and what I eat most of the time.


----------



## maltese manica (Nov 6, 2012)

Thanks for sharing this!


----------



## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

hoaloha said:


> Hi April! We cook rice here almost daily (brown, white, sweet white, sweet brown, purple, you name it!) as it is a staple in our Asian household. What is recommended is to thoroughly wash the rice in water prior to cooking-- and I mean thoroughly! I put the rice in a deep bowl and rinse with water as I massage the rice, squeezing it in my hand. I dump the water carefully and repeat this process until the water is completely clear. Once it's clear, rinse 2 more times the same way.
> 
> I also use organic quinoa thrown into the rice for myself and my homecooking. Organic quinoa may be an option to look into for Eva.
> 
> ...



Yep... just wash it. We let it soak for a bit (maybe 20 mins) then rinse it and usually rinses clear after the soak.

This is how they do it in just about every country where rice is the staple.... Americans don't seem to do it :blink:

Being a gluten free house, rice is the #1 grain.... Always have a big batch of cooked rice in the fridge....

I also wash my other grains... millet, quinoa, buckwheat, even oats.... Gus and Grace's favorite grain mix is millet with red quinoa 

Think you'll find clean rice cooks better


----------



## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

Grace'sMom said:


> Yep... just wash it. We let it soak for a bit (maybe 20 mins) then rinse it and usually rinses clear after the soak.
> 
> This is how they do it in just about every country where rice is the staple.... Americans don't seem to do it :blink:
> 
> ...



:goodpost: thanks for mentioning the soaking part! The longer it soaks, the better it cooks and tastes too . We will often soak rice even for a few hours (can be put in fridge) and then rinse and put fresh water prior to cooking. We love red quinoa here too! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

If I am using rice I use white, but I don't feed it to my girls, no grains for them. I prefer to use some sweet potato for starch. I also use parsnips and turnips, less starch and they love them


----------



## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Thanks for all the great tips!


----------



## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

hoaloha said:


> Hi April! We cook rice here almost daily (brown, white, sweet white, sweet brown, purple, you name it!) as it is a staple in our Asian household. What is recommended is to thoroughly wash the rice in water prior to cooking-- and I mean thoroughly! I put the rice in a deep bowl and rinse with water as I massage the rice, squeezing it in my hand. I dump the water carefully and repeat this process until the water is completely clear. Once it's clear, rinse 2 more times the same way.
> 
> I also use organic quinoa thrown into the rice for myself and my homecooking. Organic quinoa may be an option to look into for Eva.
> 
> ...


Thanks Marisa...I have not been rinsing..I have been using parboiled...and not rinsing..:embarrassed:



wkomorow said:


> April,
> 
> Here seems to be some common sense suggestions. Buy California rice over Texan. Cook in extra water and pour off remaining water. I steam mine, which is probably the worst thing to do.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Walter...I have not been rinsing..thanks for the link, too..I wonder if I can find something at the health food store? I live in the South, with the highest level of arsenic in rice..:blink:


Sylie said:


> Thanks for the link, Walter. I was happy to learn that Basmati rice imported from India has very little arsenic. That is my favorite and what I eat most of the time.


Amen, Sylvia..maybe I'll try that, too!​


maltese manica said:


> Thanks for sharing this!


:wub:



Grace'sMom said:


> Yep... just wash it. We let it soak for a bit (maybe 20 mins) then rinse it and usually rinses clear after the soak.
> 
> This is how they do it in just about every country where rice is the staple.... Americans don't seem to do it :blink:
> 
> ...


Thank you, Tori...will do!



silverhaven said:


> If I am using rice I use white, but I don't feed it to my girls, no grains for them. I prefer to use some sweet potato for starch. I also use parsnips and turnips, less starch and they love them


Thanks, Maureen...


----------



## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

I think you should really think about what Maureen said. No grains. Using sweet potato and even quinoa would be some great alternatives.


----------



## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

In the last 3 months I have switched to quinoa & lentils as the staple for K & L---and in the AM they get steel cut oats---I do occasionally give them rice---usually white basamati. I also switch between chicken, fish & cottage cheese. 
Nothing is safe but a variety is safer. Since Lisi probably has MVD I have to watch her protein intake, so can't do grain free. 
My 2 love the mixtures, but they would eat anything!


----------



## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

edelweiss said:


> In the last 3 months I have switched to quinoa & lentils as the staple for K & L---and in the AM they get steel cut oats---I do occasionally give them rice---usually white basamati. I also switch between chicken, fish & cottage cheese.
> Nothing is safe but a variety is safer. Since Lisi probably has MVD I have to watch her protein intake, so can't do grain free.
> My 2 love the mixtures, but they would eat anything!


You can do grain free. Using sweet potatoes, even the occasional white potato, pumpkin, squash, quinoa, cabbage, spinach, bananas, apples, green beans, lima beans, etc... are all grain free alternatives. You are almost doing grain free already so I'm really surprised you said you can't do grain free. I've just recently switched Zoe and Jett to frozen raw. I'll be switching Callie on Monday after her blood work. Her AST was on the high end of the normal range at her dental and I want to make sure it's back in the middle before switching her. And I will most likely use The Honest Kitchen Preference to bring the protein level down for her. But I want to talk to my vet about it first. We may try it on it's own first and recheck her in a few months. But mine have had no grains at all for over 4 years now and unless something drastic changes in current findings, will never have grains in their food. The occasional treat, yes. But food, no.


----------



## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Crystal&Zoe said:


> You can do grain free. Using sweet potatoes, even the occasional white potato, pumpkin, squash, quinoa, cabbage, spinach, bananas, apples, green beans, lima beans, etc... are all grain free alternatives. You are almost doing grain free already so I'm really surprised you said you can't do grain free. I've just recently switched Zoe and Jett to frozen raw. I'll be switching Callie on Monday after her blood work. Her AST was on the high end of the normal range at her dental and I want to make sure it's back in the middle before switching her. And I will most likely use The Honest Kitchen Preference to bring the protein level down for her. But I want to talk to my vet about it first. We may try it on it's own first and recheck her in a few months. But mine have had no grains at all for over 4 years now and unless something drastic changes in current findings, will never have grains in their food. The occasional treat, yes. But food, no.


Crystal, I don't have the variety you speak of as it is very seasonal here--sweet potatoes for example & pumpkin or lima beans. My 2 won't eat bananas either (although they eat almost anything). Sweet potatoes even in season are quite expensive. I know I am almost grain free, but I do include some in order to make complete proteins w/out the meat and to keep the protein count lower. 
Because my daughter & her DH & son are vegetarians I have adopted some alternatives in cooking for the pups---so far it seems very positive, but we will see what their pre-dental chem panel & CBCs show in early Nov. I will try to post if I can remember to do so.


----------



## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

edelweiss said:


> Crystal, I don't have the variety you speak of as it is very seasonal here--sweet potatoes for example & pumpkin or lima beans. My 2 won't eat bananas either (although they eat almost anything). Sweet potatoes even in season are quite expensive. I know I am almost grain free, but I do include some in order to make complete proteins w/out the meat and to keep the protein count lower.
> Because my daughter & her DH & son are vegetarians I have adopted some alternatives in cooking for the pups---so far it seems very positive, but we will see what their pre-dental chem panel & CBCs show in early Nov. I will try to post if I can remember to do so.



Basically any fruit or vegetable can be added to the protein to bring the level down. So whatever is available to you in any season. Cabbage, carrots, really anything. But if you're saying you don't have access to any fruits and veggies certain times of the year, well then.... darn. But great place to grow up if you're a kid that doesn't care for fruits and veggies. :HistericalSmiley:


----------



## Malt Shoppe (Jul 20, 2011)

I boil boneless/skinless chicken breasts, add a couple handfuls of Orzo and baby raw carrots. Mix when serving with a little gluten, corn, wheat free kibble. He loves it. Been doing that a long time.
It's very little orzo but enough to make it interesting.

I didn't know about arsenic in rice. I absolutely love Texmati rice from Alvin TX; I lived close to Alvin and have full confidence in their rice growing. Texmati is a long grain American Basmati rice and is delicious with even nothing on it.


----------



## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

Texas is actually one of the states listed as having the highest arsenic in the rice...

So make sure to soak it


----------



## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Malt Shoppe said:


> I boil boneless/skinless chicken breasts, add a couple handfuls of Orzo and baby raw carrots. Mix when serving with a little gluten, corn, wheat free kibble. He loves it. Been doing that a long time.
> It's very little orzo but enough to make it interesting.
> 
> I didn't know about arsenic in rice. I absolutely love Texmati rice from Alvin TX; I lived close to Alvin and have full confidence in their rice growing. Texmati is a long grain American Basmati rice and is delicious with even nothing on it.


Texmati? How did I not know about this? I love that!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Just wanted to add that my 2 eat fresh carrot sticks & lots of green beans. I don't give them cabbage or much broccoli due to the "wind factor." I have recently added peas---which I mash slightly or they are not well digested. A new fruit for them which is very high in Vit. C & helps them absorb iron is red currants---who would have thought? It is quite tart but they snap them up!


----------



## Malt Shoppe (Jul 20, 2011)

edelweiss said:


> Just wanted to add that my 2 eat fresh carrot sticks & lots of green beans. I don't give them cabbage or much broccoli due to the "wind factor." I have recently added peas---which I mash slightly or they are not well digested. A new fruit for them which is very high in Vit. C & helps them absorb iron is red currants---who would have thought? It is quite tart but they snap them up!


Red currants!!...boy does that bring back childhood memories. We had about 12 currant bushes; every summer, guess who had to pick them, grumbling the whole time!! Mother would make currant jelly which I never really cared for but was the one who had to pick those little devils and that isn't easy! You hardly ever hear of currants anymore; however, not missing them!


----------



## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

They are called "Riebsel" here & we love them. I also made jelly last week so that we can use it to make lebkuchen at Christmas w/dark chocolate---ummmmm. My dogs like strange things for sure---but they won't get any of the lebkuchen w/chocolate!


----------



## Malt Shoppe (Jul 20, 2011)

Sandi, now the chocolate with the tartness of current jelly just might be the answer and win me over; that does sound good. Haven't had currents since childhood, so I might feel differently about them now. The foods I disliked as a child are now my favorites!


----------



## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Ohh chocolate and redcurrants.....yum.

You have just made me think of the Jelly again. I have some chicken stock I made from a whole chicken, and I have some gelatin powder, so I think I will make the girls chicken jelly jigglers. Bet they will love them.  and so good for them.


----------



## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

Arsenic in Your Food | Consumer Reports Investigation

This is a great article for those who are interested. What I learned is that rice is 3rd on the list for containing inorganic arsenic, fruits and fruit juices rank 2nd (especially apple and grape,) and number 1 are vegetables...the problem is that pesticides are being used that contain this inorganic arsenic (which can cause cancer) so along with the naturally occurring organic arsenic, plant-based foods contain BOTH kinds of arsenic...eating a grain-free diet is good for some dogs..but I think some of our babies do quite well with grain such as rice..I would wash all fruits and vegetables, grains, and buy organic non GMO grains and produce whenever possible..I am trying an organic rice now(Lundberg of California) which contains very little arsenic, but I will still wash before cooking...hope this helps..it sure opened my eyes..
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm


----------



## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

April,

I think that is a great choice, one of the problems with rice is that it grows in water and water absorbs the arsenic. Some of the problems are the result of the conversion of cotton fields to food production with arsenic being used as a pesticide for boil weevils. So it makes sense that food from former cotton fields in the south contain more arsenic.


----------

