Rice paper is a Vietnamese type of food wrapping that is used in meals the world over. It is not exclusive to Vietnam, and can also be found in other Asian cultures like China and Japan.
Also known as rice wrappers, rice paper is an almost see-through sheet of processed rice flour. As it is made from simple ingredients, it doesn’t have much nutritional value. It still has a certain amount of calories, however low that value may be.
Before use in food, rice paper is dipped in water. This makes it stick to itself and to the food, allowing it to be molded and formed into a wrap. This prevents the contents of the rice paper from leaking out.
Although rice paper is edible on its own, it is recommended to fill it with ingredients. Vegetables, meat, and sugary sauces are all great fits with the otherwise bland rice paper.
As it is a poor source of nutrients, these ingredients will also help make up for the places in which rice paper lacks. Depending on the brand and size of the rice paper, there will be more or less of each nutrient, but the ratios should always be about the same.
Ingredients And Use
The main ingredient in rice paper is, of course, rice. However, it must first go through a process to make it into the form you use in your food.
First, the rice is ground down into white rice flour. This is mixed with tapioca flour, salt, and water.
After the dough is made, it is flattened and baked to produce thin, translucent sheets of delicious rice paper.
Nutritional Information
Although it is certain that the nutrients contained in rice paper aren’t the main purpose for its consumption, it can still be important to keep them in mind when considering your diet.
This is especially important if you are strictly following a diet such as ketosis, or are already consuming a large amount of carbohydrates.
The nutrients contained in one medium-sized sheet of rice paper are as follows:
- 47 calories
- 0.17 grams of fat
- 0.04 grams of sodium
- 10.3 grams of carbohydrates
- 0.03 grams of sugar
- 0.3 grams of fiber
- 0.72 grams of protein
As shown, there aren’t that many grams of just about anything besides carbohydrates in rice paper. However, each of these components do have their own individual consequences.
Carbohydrates
The majority of rice paper is carbohydrates, with 10.3 grams of them in a single sheet. This is a result of the ingredients, which are very few. Rice is also high in carbs, so its products will be as well.
While this amount of carbohydrates only makes up four percent of the recommended daily intake, it could add up if eaten alongside other foods high in carbs.
Additionally, the high carbohydrate content could make it unwise to eat rice paper for someone following a keto diet.
Sugars
Although a large portion of the rice paper is carbohydrates, not much of that comes in the form of fiber or sugar.
However, a lack of sugar can often be a good thing, meaning that more sugary foods and sauces can be consumed without any guilt.
Fat
As it is made primarily from rice, there is not a lot of fat in rice paper. This can be seen as a good thing, but it is important to get enough fat in a balanced diet.
As such, it is important to make sure your diet is filled with other, fattier foods. Filling the rice paper with fatty meats like pork can be a good way to do this.
Protein
Much as with the fat content, protein is also lacking in rice paper. However, it is great to eat with high protein foods such as duck and nuts, so the filling can more than make up for the protein of the paper itself.
Calories
The amount of calories contained in rice paper is perhaps the most important and most intriguing aspect of this ‘food’.
With 47 calories per sheet, varying depending on the brand and size, there aren’t that many per individual serving.
However, 47 calories is still comparable to snack foods that often contain up to 100 calories per serving. This includes things like chips and candy bars.
Compared to what might be served in the rice paper, 47 calories may not be a lot. However, if you were to choose to eat a lot of rice paper for whatever reason, you would find that it could soon add up.
To burn off the calories in rice paper, an average person could do a number of things. Swimming or jogging for four or five minutes would burn off the 47 calories in rice paper, as would cycling for seven minutes or walking for twelve.
Health Benefits
Although it isn’t a particularly healthy food, rice paper isn’t exactly unhealthy either. With only 47 calories in a sheet of rice paper, there isn’t much you can do wrong with it.
However, this makes it unsuitable as a substitute for actual food. With nothing but carbohydrates to show for nutrients, it is important to combine it with other things to produce a good meal.
While it won’t be consumed in large quantities, the calories of rice paper are still nothing to really worry about. Its contents will always be the greater concern.
As for losing weight, filling the rice paper with healthy foods like vegetables and less fatty meats will result in greater benefits.
It is possible to go in the other direction, as sugary sauces and fatty foods are great when in combination with the blandness of rice paper, so caution is advised when consuming large amounts of it.
Final Thoughts
Rice paper is a great way to have lots of interesting foods in a low-calorie parcel. Although there aren’t many calories in rice paper, coming in at a count of 47 per medium sheet, there are still enough for them not to be negligible.
Aside from carbs and calories, rice paper has very little nutritional value at all.
One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.
Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.
We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
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