The best brown rice brand of 2020! Brown rice is not only super healthy, it can be incredibly affordable! I did a deep dive into the pros and cons of some of the top brown rice brands to help you narrow your options down.
Best Brown Rice Brands of 2020
I am a brown rice expert.
Why, you ask? Because, brown rice was a STAPLE in our house growing up. My parents were hard core Macrobiotic from the time I was age 5-17. We went to Macrobiotic conferences and everything. Don’t know what Macrobiotics is? Let me sum it up for you…
Rice and beans, and beans and rice. Kale, rice and miso.
(Before you go any further, I recommend doing yourself a favor and just getting this book.! Seriously, the best rice cook book ever if you want to cook lots of rice and not hear your family complain about eating the same thing every night. You know, cause I totally don’t do that 😉
My kids and husband eat a lot of rice as well. It’s a staple around our place! We get pretty creative with it, and have lots of fun ways to season our brown rice to make it yummy and fun for the kids to eat. I wrote a post about our 15 Favorite Ways to Season Brown Rice, so be sure to go check that out when you’re done reading here!
So, now you have my brown rice credentials. I literally grew up on the stuff, therefore, I feel entitled to claim my expertise in all things brown rice related.
PIN THIS FOR LATER
(This post contains referral links and Amazon affiliate links. I only recommend products I use and love! Read my full disclosure here)
TOP 5 BROWN RICE BRANDS
Lundberg Family Farms Japonica Field Blend Rice
Brown Rice by Gerbs
Planet Rice Sprouted Brown Gaba Rice
Nishiki Premium Brown Rice
Dynasty Jasmine Brown Rice
Want to Learn More?
Now that you have seen my top recommendations, I’ll go into a little more detail on each brand, and why I like it! Click the button after each brand to check the price on Amazon!
Lundberg Family Farms Japonica Field Blend Rice
This brand offers great products that are high quality and reasonably priced. We ate Lundberg Rice growing up…I remember my Mom buying it in 50 lb bags!
Lundberg Family farms is a brand that has been around for a long time, and really stand out from the competition. They have been around so long that when they first started, most rice crops were grown organically by default.
Organic Certification
This brand has stuck with their roots, continuing to produce high quality, organic rice to this day. This brand produces rice that is not only superior in taste, but superior in nutrition.
Along with their organic certification, Lundberg brand uses System of Rice Intensification Practices, which is a method used in crop growing that limits carbon footprint and reduces the amount of water resources used. It is also certified non-GMO.
This particular variety of rice is of the sticky rice variety, which creates a soft and sticky rice when cooked. This might be something you prefer if you need the rice to hold a certain form-such as when making sushi or rice balls.
An added bonus of this product is it’s attractive packaging, which creates a feeling of authenticity and quality that you sense immediately!
Brown Rice by Gerbs
Gerbs is a high quality, very affordable rice. They provide an extremely high quality product while keeping their costs one of the lowest on the market.
This brand comes in two pound packages, and has a long list of pros for those with food allergies or sensitivities. It is in the Top 11 Allergen Free category, is non-GMO and is also a US organically grown product.
Gerbs really prioritizes quality and have an “All-Natural Pledge” that they adhere to . This brand avoids all artificial ingredients, chemicals, preservatives, GMO’s, and trans fat. They have earned a lot of respect from consumers.
Naturally Gluten-Free Brown Rice is long grain whole grain brown rice. It has a rich, nutty flavor. The consistency is a medium to firm, chewy texture.
Summary
- Organically Grown
- Packaged & Shipped on dedicated Allergen Free equipment
- Country of Origin: USA
- Certified free from: Gluten, Wheat, Peanut, Tree-Nut, Soy, Egg, Milk/Dairy, Sesame, Mustard, Shellfish & Crustacean.
- High in Fiber, Antioxidants and Omega Fats.
Summary
- A healthy, gourmet rice perfect for a variety of dishes
- Lundberg Family Farms is Certified Organic and Eco-Farmed. They grow their products with careful concern for the environment.
- This rice has a nutty, mushroom-like flavor with a bit of an exotic sweet spiciness.
- This is an attractive blend that contains both short grain black rice and medium grain mahogany rice.
All in all, I highly recommend all of Lundberg’s products, and they are usually my go-to for rice of all kinds! I would consider it one of the best brown rice brand.
Planet Rice Sprouted Brown Gaba Rice
Nootropics are a hot topic these days. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is one of the more notable ones.
GABA is a highly beneficial amino acid found in everyday foods (and produced by our brain). It can help reduce stress and anxiety, boost sleep quality and encourage a calming state for the brain. Whole grain brown rice that has been sprouted has over four times the GABA content as regular brown rice, and more than ten times the amount of white rice!
Kids love this rice, as the taste and texture is superior. Moms love it because leftovers keep well!
The downside of sprouted rice is that it tends to be a little pricier. However, I think the health benefits of sprouted rice are worth the additional cost.
It comes in a convenient zip lock style bag, so storage is easy and it has a long shelf life.
Summary
- Planet Rice uses a natural, proprietary process for sprouting their rice that results in a higher than average germination rate. This is important because it produces a product that is richer in nutrition.
- This is a whole grain, gluten free, non-GMO rice
- It tastes great! This brown rice brand tastes great several days after cooking, making it easy to batch cook and meal prep for the week!
- A great option for vegans and kids needing to optimize nutrition
Nishiki Premium Brown Rice
Nishiki’s brand is a good quality rice, however, they don’t offer an organic option so this isn’t one I use on a regular basis.That said, it is very affordable, and is a well known brand with distinctive authenticity and outstanding quality.You can get it in 15 lb bags, which can be very convenient.
This brand makes a great sticky rice which is perfect for sushi. So if you’re needing a good consistency for sushi-rolls or other Japanese recipes, this could be a good option!
Summary
-
- 15 Pound Package
- Not organicThe perfect brown rice for sushi
- California medium grain rice
- A great choice for affordability
- All natural
- Raised in California
Dynasty Jasmine Brown Rice
Jasmine rice is a popular style of rice that has recently gained a lot of popularity. Dynasty brand has a great combo of jasmine and brown rice which gives it a unique texture and flavor. It is a highly versatile product, and can be used for a lot of different recipes and dishes.
The cool thing about this rice is that you can adjust the water to rice ratio to get the texture you want for your particular recipe. Reduce the water to make it grainier and drier, and increase the water for a stickier variety. It works great either way!
The packaging on this brand leaves a little to be desired; it’s rather boring. But beyond that, it is a good quality, Jasmine rice blend that can be used for a wide variety of recipes.
Summary
- Versatile blend can be used in a lot of products
- Not organic
- You can adjust the water ratio to easily make a grainier or stickier rice for different recipes.
- Good flavor
Now that I’ve shown you the top 5 brands of brown rice, let’s talk a little about the pros and cons of different rice varieties, and the health benefits that rice offers!
The Difference Between Short Grain and Long Grain Rice
The two main rice varieties are:
- Short grain rice: fluffier and starchier, short grain rice has a stickier texture and will hold it’s shape well. It is more suitable for paella, risotto and sushi rolls or sushi balls. It also makes a good breakfast porridge.
- Long grain rice: drier and less starchy than short grain rice, long grain rice is good for dishes like pilaf or dishes with sauces.
Health Benefits of Brown Rice
A big benefit of whole grain brown rice is its large amount of dietary fiber. It also has high amounts of important vitamins and minerals, such as manganese and phosphorous.
Whole grain brown rice is:
- Rich in fiber supports healthy cholesterol levels
- Helps stabilize blood sugar levels
- Contains lots of phytochemicals and minerals
- High in Folic acid for pregnant women
- High in Iron for better blood health
Brown Rice vs. White Rice
The difference between white and brown rice is profound. It’s similar to the differences between white flour and whole wheat flour.
Brown Rice is a whole food
Basically, brown rice is the whole, raw version of the grain that only the inedible husk is removed from. White rice goes through a refining process that removes many of it’s natural components, including the mill and germ. This drastically reduces it’s nutrient value and removes many valuable minerals and vitamins.
Wild Rice vs. Brown Rice
There are a few major differences between wild and brown rice.
Wild rice is not actually a rice, but rather a species of grass. Wild rice is gluten free and is slightly lower in calories than brown rice, so can be a good alternative for those on restricted diets or lower calorie diets.
Brown rice is high in protein and fiber, manganese, zinc and potassium. It’s higher in calories compared to wild rice and has a lot of antioxidants.
Specialty Brown Rice Types:
The two main varieties of specialty brown rice are Jasmine and Basmati.
- Jasmine rice is a traditional species from Thailand. It has very unique and sweet flavor when cooked. It is great for many Asian meals, and is fairly sticky in texture.
- Basmati rice is a long grain brown rice that grown longer when cooked. It has a mildly spicy aroma, and is used widely in the middle east. It is commonly used in curry dishes and other middle eastern recipes.
Quinoa vs. Brown Rice
The major difference when comparing brown rice and quinoa are:
Quinoa is a higher source of of iron and magnesium. Iron and magnesium used to help with bone tissue, improved blood health and cell membranes.
Both quinoa and brown rice have a similar amount of calories. They are both great sources of carbohydrates (around 20-22 grams per serving) and high in protein and nutrients.
How to Cook Brown Rice
General instructions for cooking brown rice:
- Combine a ratio of 1 part rice to 2 parts water in a pot (example: 1 C rice, 2 cups water) in a pot.
- Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, uncovered.
- Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the pot sit 10 minutes with the lid on.
- Be sure not to stir rice while it’s cooking.
- Let it sit longer if until desired tenderness is reached
How to Season Brown Rice
Check out my families favorite 15 ways to season brown rice in this post!
In Conclusion
Brown rice is awesome, and is a healthy food to add to your daily diet. There are a lot of brands, but in general it’s hard to go wrong when choosing the best brown rice brand.
I’m collecting recipes using brown rice for a future post, so be sure to leave your best brown rice recipe in the comments and I might include it!
