Can Vegans Eat Rice? (2024)

With my love for rice and trying to stay within the boundaries of veganism, I then asked myself, ”Are there varieties of rice and rice products that are not considered vegan?”

In general, yes, although not a vegetable, rice is a vegan food that belongs to the grains family which includes rye, oats, and barley.

White rice starts as brown rice. During milling, the husk, bran, and germ are removed. By doing this, the shelf-life of white rice is increased. However, it loses much of its nutritional value including fiber, vitamins, and minerals during this process.

That being said, just like the cereal in your pantry, white rice is artificially fortified with nutrients. It is then further refined and polished to appear more palatable. But, don't worry. The further refinement of white rice does not exclude it from being considered vegan.

Many vegans prefer white rice because it cooks quicker, has a softer texture, and takes on the flavors of whatever it's cooked with.

Brown rice is a whole-grain. Overall, brown rice contains a lot more nutrition than its further refined counterpart, white rice.The great part aboutwhole-grains aretheir influence toreduce cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke

Brown rice is simply processed by having the hull removed which leaves the nutrient-packed bran and germ. This purely physical process does not affect brown rice's vegan status.

Jasmine rice comes primarily from Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Southern Vietnam. This popular, fragrant rice can be dehulled to produce brown rice or it can be milled to remove the germ and some or all of the bran to produce white rice.

The process that yields either brown or white jasmine rice does not affect this rice from being considered a vegan food.

Yellow rice is not a type of rice that is harvested from a plant. Rather it is a rice recipe that usually uses turmeric whichcreatesits yellow color. However,some yellow rice recipes call for dairy-containing butterwhich negates it from being vegan. When in doubt, ask your server.

That being said, the majority of yellow rice recipes call for olive oil and vegan-friendly seasonings making yellow rice in these instances a vegan food.

As far as the ever-popular Kellogg's Rice Krispies, it is not a vegan food. This is because the vitamin D that is fortified in this cereal comes from lanolin.

What in the world is lanolin? Come to find out it's an oil that helps waterproof a sheep's wool that is produced from sheep.

Nonetheless, I have great news! There are manufacturers out there such as Nature's Path that do make avegan style of Rice Krispies.

Well, I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but our childhood favorite Rice Krispie treats are not vegan even if you substitute Rice Krispies with a vegan-friendly version.

Rice Krispie treats contain butter and marshmallows both of which are not vegan. Regular butter contains dairy, and most marshmallow producers use gelatin derived from animal protein.

However, all is not lost. Some companies produce vegan marshmallows and with the use of coconut oil or vegan butter to go along with your vegan rice crispies, viola, you have vegan Rice Krispie treats. Learn how to make vegan rice crispy treats here.

Rice flour is produced without disturbing its vegan status. Rice flour is made either from brown or white rice. The husk of the rice is removed and then further ground into flour.

What makes rice flour so popular is that it is also gluten-free. Glutens are found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale products. Those allergic to glutens find solace in rice flour baked goods.

I have some good news, rice noodles are generally vegan food. Rice noodles date back to somewhere around 200 BC and are made from rice flour combined with water to make a dough. In many instances, the vegan-friendly ingredients tapioca starch or cornstarch are added for bounce and texture.

With all that being said, several manufacturers produce rice noodles. Be sure to read the ingredients on the packagingand verify you are receiving vegan rice noodles.

Generally speaking, yes, your basic rice cakes are going to be vegan. However, rice cakes come in a variety of flavors. The seasonings on rice cakes are what can exclude them from being vegan.

An example of this would be cheese-flavored rice cakes in which dairy products are used for the seasoning. Also, beware of ingredients on the nutrition label that say "whey" or “casein” as these are components of milk and therefore contain animal products. Glance over the packagingfor the vegan logo.

So, we established your rice is likely to be vegan. Many times we pair rice with other foods rather than eating it alone.

This leads us to our next question: What about popular dishes where rice is one of the main ingredients?

No, but it can be! Traditional rice pudding would not be considered vegan because the recipe calls for dairy products such as milk and butter.

Here again, our vegan warriors come to the rescue with delicious alternatives to create a vegan rice pudding recipe that contains non-dairy milk and vegan butter.

Absolutely! As mentioned above, rice is part of the grain group and beans are part of the legume group which makes a simple bean and rice dish vegan.

Even better, are the health benefits you receive from this budget-friendly dish. Rice and beans contain essential amino acids and are loaded with protein.

Sadly no. This famous food chain’s website states clearly that this item contains cholesterol which only comes from animal fat.

But, if you're being forced through the drive-thru, you still have some vegan options at Popeye's such as corn on the cob (no butter), baguette bread (no butter), grits made with water (no butter), and applesauce.

Your general Chinese restaurant's fried rice is most likely not vegan due to eggs, meats, and some sauces that are used to produce this dish.

Again,substituting these animal-based ingredients for their plant-based counterparts will yield a savory vegan fried rice.

As we've pointed out in this article, most likely your rice by itself is vegan. Depending on how it was processed or milled will determine the nutritiousness of that particular raw rice variety.

The pitfall can be the different forms of rice products or how rice is used in cooking which can make or break the outcome of the product being either vegan or not. Pay very close attention to the nutrition labels and any vegan designation on the packaging. If dining out, ask your server.

If you’re curious about another savory vegan food, click here to try Bainbridge Vegan Jerky, a smackingly yum vegan jerky.