331: The Truth About Rice Concentrate: A Must-Know for Plant-Based & Vegan Diets

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Hey, Sunshine! Are you curious about the ingredients in your favorite plant-based products? You’re not alone! In this episode of Power on Plants, we’re diving into a question that’s been buzzing in our community: What is rice concentrate, and is it safe for your whole food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle?

We’re Jarrod and Anita Roussel—healthcare professionals, homeschooling parents of four, and your go-to guides for simple, delicious plant-based living that fuels natural healing the exciting, enjoyable way.

We know how overwhelming it can feel to navigate food labels and make the best choices for your health. That’s why we’re here to break it all down for you.

In this episode, we’ll explain exactly what rice concentrate is, how it’s made, and why it’s used in some food products. We’ll also share why choosing organic products is so important for avoiding harmful pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, and even arsenic exposure. But most importantly, we’ll help you see how this ingredient can fit into a healthy eating plan that’s focused on life-giving, whole, unprocessed plant foods.

Whether you’re just starting your journey toward healthy food and a sustainable meal plan or you’ve been living the WFPB lifestyle for years, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you feel confident and informed. Thankfully, the key to lasting health isn’t about stressing over every little ingredient—it’s about focusing on the bigger picture: a life filled with energy, joy, and delicious, nourishing meals you actually love! 💕

We’re here to encourage you, inspire you, and remind you that you’re not alone on this journey. You can absolutely take control of your health, even if you’ve been told your struggles are “just part of aging” or “bad genes.” And if you’re ready to make plant-based eating simple and fun, we’ve got you covered with easy, family-approved recipes that will have everyone coming back for seconds.

So grab your favorite plant-based cup of happy, pop in your earbuds, and let’s have some fun together!

💃🏻 Ready to learn how to actually enjoy eating whole plant foods so you can finally feel great and fully experience life? Inside Accelerator, we'll take you by the hand & walk you step-by-step through our proven 5-Step WFPB Framework so you can heal naturally & actively live your God-given dreams. Join the Waitlist Here... the Doors are Opening Soon!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey sister, welcome to the Power on Plants podcast.
Are you tired of staring intothe fridge wondering what to eat
so you can just feel better?
Do you want to avoid spendinghours in the kitchen making
complicated meals in the name ofhealth?
Would you love to leave fatiguebehind and finally have the
energy to do all the things youwant to do?
Hi, we're Jared and AnitaRoussel, christ followers,

(00:23):
healthcare professionals,parents of four and big fans of
great tasting food.
We, too, tried exercising more,eating natural and clean foods,
but we still found ourselvesstruggling with what we thought
were changes that come with ageor bad genes, and we weren't
finding answers the traditionalroute.
So we dug into the research andcreated our secret nutritional

(00:44):
weapon sustainable plant-basedliving.
The truth is, you can eat morewhole plant foods, and it's not
hard.
You just need the way.
That's realistic and delicious,so you never feel deprived.
If you're ready to enjoy yourmeals, no longer be held back by
your health struggles andactively live your life, then
you're in the right place.

(01:04):
So grab your favoriteplant-based cup of happy.
Then you're in the right place.
So grab your favoriteplant-based cup of happy, pop in
those earbuds and let's getstarted.
Well, hello, friend, welcomeback to the Power on Plants
podcast, the place where weexplore all things whole food,
plant-based the delicious, rapidand simple way for lasting
health.
We're your hosts, jared andAnita Roussel, and today we're

(01:26):
diving into one ingredientthat's been popping up on labels
and sparking some curiosityinside our community rice
concentrate.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
We've received several questions from those of
you who have spotted riceconcentrate quote unquote in the
ingredients list of some oftheir favorite whole food plant
based products.
It's understandable to be alittle curious or even cautious
when you see an unfamiliaringredient, especially one that
sounds a bit processed.
We previously had the samequestions ourselves, so, as
always, we're here to share whatwe've learned with you.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
So what exactly is rice concentrate?
Simply put, it is derived fromyou guessed it rice, usually the
rice hulls.
Now, the rice hull is the outerlayer of the rice grain, which
is typically removed during theprocessing of white rice.
Now, that sounds great.
So far, right, a discarded partof the rice that we actually

(02:19):
should be eating.
But why is it used in certainpre-prepared products?
Eating?
But why is it used in certainpre-prepared products?
Well, primarily, the function ofrice concentrate in food
products is as a flow agent oran anti-caking agent.
What exactly does that mean?
Well, think about powderproducts like spice blends or
even some dry baking mixes.

(02:40):
These products have a tendencyto clump together, especially
when exposed to moisture.
Rice concentrate helps toprevent this clumping, keeping
the product free-flowing andeasy for you to use.
It absorbs moisture and keepsthe individual particles
separate.
It can also be used in capsulesor tablets to help the

(03:00):
ingredients flow smoothly duringmanufacturing.
And we all know what the realquestion is here, right?
Is rice concentrate safe?
This is probably the biggestquestion on your mind.
The good news is that,generally speaking, rice
concentrate is considered safefor consumption.
It's a natural product derivedfrom a common food source.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
However and this is yes, this is where we want to
emphasize the importance ofchoosing organic products,
especially when rice concentrateis involved.
That's because non-organic ricemay be exposed to pesticides
and herbicides duringcultivation.

(03:43):
By choosing organic productsthat contain rice concentrate,
you're ensuring that the riceused was grown without synthetic
pesticides, herbicides andgenetically modified organisms,
aka GMO.
Studies also show organicfarming practices tend to yield
lower levels of arsenic in thesoil, further reducing the
potential for that exposure.

(04:04):
So we recommend looking for acertified organic label on
products containing riceconcentrate.
So how does rice concentratefit into a whole food,
plant-based lifestyle?
Great question.
While it's not a whole foodproduct itself, it's a minimally
processed ingredient derivedfrom a whole food and, in
particular, a part of the ricethat is beneficial and typically

(04:25):
discarded from white rice Insmall amounts.
As it's typically used in foodproducts, it's unlikely to have
any significant impact on theoverall nutritional profile of
your diet.
The key, as always, is to focuson the bigger picture a diet
that's rich in colorful, whole,unprocessed plant foods.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
And if you still feel concerned, you can always
choose products that do notcontain rice concentrate.
There are plenty of whole foodplant-based options available
that simply don't use anyanti-caking agents at all, but
if you enjoy a product thathappens to contain organic rice
concentrate, there's generallyno need to worry.

(05:06):
So, to sum it up, riceconcentrate is a functional
ingredient used to preventclumping in various food
products.
It's generally considered safe,but choosing organic products
is recommended to minimizepotential exposure to arsenic
and pesticides and GMOs.
As with any non-whole plantfood, ingredient moderation and

(05:29):
awareness are key.
We've loved having you join usfor another exciting episode of
the Power on Plants podcast.
It's exciting talking wholefood plant-based eating with you
, friend, and sharing all thethings that we wish someone
would have told us years agowhen we were trying to find out
exactly how to make whole foodplant-based eating exciting,

(05:49):
enjoyable and lasting.
If you're wondering, what inthe world do I eat?
That's whole food, plant-based,simple and will have me and my
family going back for seconds.
You'll want to go right now andcheck out our cookbooks at
poweronplantscom forward slashcookbook.
That's poweronplantscom forwardslash cookbook Also, jared, and

(06:09):
I absolutely love hearing fromyou.
Recently, lacey Lane left apodcast review and said I have
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Such realistic and practicalepisodes and so fun.

(06:30):
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(06:50):
you again on the next episode ofPower on Plants.
Thank you.