The macros are nearly identical — the bran is where brown rice earns its reputation
Compared per 100g of raw, unenriched long-grain rice, the two are close on macros: 7.0g vs 7.3g protein and 80.3g vs 76.7g carbohydrate. The gap lives in the bran and germ that milling strips away. Brown rice has 3.0g of fiber against white rice's 0.15g — a 20-fold difference — plus about 4x the magnesium (115mg vs 26.5mg), 5x the thiamin (0.33mg vs 0.065mg), over 4x the niacin (6.3mg vs 1.4mg), and nearly 9x the iron (1.24mg vs 0.14mg).
| Nutrient | White Rice | Brown Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Protein (g) | 7.04 | 7.25 |
| Total Fat (g) | 1.03 | 3.31 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 80.31 | 76.69 |
| Fiber (g) | 0.15 | 3.02 |
| Sodium (mg) | 0.46 | 0 |
Source: Rice, white, long grain, unenriched, raw (FDC ID 2512381), Rice, brown, long grain, unenriched, raw (FDC ID 2512380)
For fiber and blood sugar
Brown rice
3.0g of fiber per 100g dry versus a mere 0.15g in white rice. The intact bran slows digestion and adds bulk.
For minerals (Mg, P, K)
Brown rice
Magnesium 115mg vs 26.5mg, phosphorus 303mg vs 108mg, potassium 250mg vs 82mg — the bran is a mineral layer.
For easy digestion
White rice
Almost no fiber (0.15g) makes it gentle on sensitive stomachs and useful in low-residue or post-workout meals.
For calories and macros
Roughly a tie
Protein differs by 0.3g and carbs by about 4g per 100g dry — portion size matters far more than which rice you pick.
Swapping white rice for brown barely changes your carbohydrate intake — 80.3g vs 76.7g per 100g dry. What changes is everything attached to those carbs: fiber (0.15g to 3.0g), thiamin (0.065mg to 0.33mg), niacin (1.4mg to 6.3mg), vitamin B6 (0.058mg to 0.16mg), and a mineral package led by magnesium and phosphorus. Since B vitamins are exactly what your body uses to metabolize carbohydrate, brown rice effectively ships with its own toolkit.
These figures are for unenriched rice. Most white rice sold in the US is enriched, meaning iron, thiamin, niacin and folic acid are added back after milling — which narrows those specific gaps considerably. What enrichment never restores is the fiber, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, so brown rice's advantage in fiber and minerals holds regardless of the bag you buy.
Protein
7.04
vs
7.25
g
Total Fat
1.03
vs
3.31
g
Total Carbohydrate
80.31
vs
76.69
g
Dietary Fiber
0.15
vs
3.02
g
| A Rice, white, long grain, unenriched, raw | Nutrient | Rice, brown, long grain, unenriched, raw B |
|---|---|---|
| 11.19g | Water | 11.47g+0.3 |
| 7.04g | Protein | 7.25g+0.2 |
| 1.03g | Total Fat | 3.31g |
| 80.31g | Total Carbohydrate | 76.69g |
| 0.15g | Dietary Fiber | 3.02g+2.9 |
| 0.46mg | Sodium | 0mg |
| 82.26mg | Potassium | 250.10mg+167.8 |
| 4.46mg | Calcium | 8.06mg+3.6 |
| 26.53mg | Magnesium | 115mg+88.5 |
| 108.20mg | Phosphorus | 302.80mg+194.6 |
| 0.14mg | Iron | 1.24mg+1.1 |
| 1.35mg | Zinc | 1.85mg+0.5 |
| 0.21mg | Copper | 0.27mg+0.1 |
| 0.98mg | Manganese | 2.70mg+1.7 |
| 6.60μg | Selenium | 14.80μg+8.2 |
| 0.07mg | Thiamin | 0.33mg+0.3 |
| 0.08mg | Riboflavin | 0.10mg+0.0 |
| 1.43mg | Niacin | 6.27mg+4.8 |
| 0.06mg | Vitamin B6 | 0.16mg+0.1 |
Q. Does brown rice have fewer carbs than white rice?
A. Barely. Per 100g of raw rice it's 76.7g vs 80.3g — about a 4g difference. Brown rice's benefits come from fiber, B vitamins and minerals, not from a lower carb count.
Q. What is the single biggest nutritional difference?
A. Fiber: brown rice has 3.0g per 100g dry versus 0.15g for unenriched white rice — a 20-fold gap. Magnesium (4x) and thiamin (5x) are next.
Q. Is the protein different?
A. Effectively no — 7.3g for brown vs 7.0g for white per 100g dry. Neither rice is a meaningful protein source on its own.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central (Public Domain). All values per 100g, edible portion. Some USDA Foundation Foods records do not report an Energy (kcal) value.