Calories in Fried Rice

"Fried rice and beans
Wrapped around frustrated dreams.
I sit and eat.
My woes disappear around my waist." Kenny D. Tolman.

I agree with the writer here absolutely. I can recall millions of instances when just a plateful of fried rice and a good movie fixed my most dismal and depressive mood. I do not know how or why but fried rice has that magic about it. At the same time, given today's weight control fad, the thought of fried rice calories is bound to have sprung up in every fried rice lover's head. So, through this article, I shall give all the possible fried rice nutrition facts along with the number of fried rice calories in the variant fried rice preparations.

Fried Rice Calorie Count

Fried Rice Variety	Serving Size	No. of Calories	Calories from Fat	Carbohydrates (g)	Starch from Carbs (g)	Proteins (g)
Fried rice with chicken	1 cup	329	108.5	41.82	39.03	12.45
Fried rice with pork	1 cup	335	117	41.94	39.13	12
Fried rice with beef	1 cup	347	126	42	39.13	12.2
Fried rice with shrimp	1 cup	321	104	42	39	11
Fried rice with eggs	125 g	200	70	27.7	Unknown	3.6
Vegetable fried rice	1 cup	251	82	34.81	31.25	7
Homemade Chinese fried rice	1 cup	120	2.7	26	24	2

The table clearly indicates that the calorie conscious and the carb vigilant should ideally opt for homemade Chinese fried rice. The second best option for those on a calorie cut down spree can easily eat fried rice cooked with lean meat as it has a calorie count of only 260. However, it is not a good pick for a low carb diet menu for those who are slashing their carb intake as the starch content is 35 g even in this variety.

Fried Rice Nutrition Facts

Before going on to discuss calories, let us see the other nutrients present in fried rice. The following estimates are in accordance with one cup of fried rice, the ingredients of which are white long-grained rice, chicken breast, whole pork loin, eggs, leeks, soy sauce, corn oil, frozen green peas, sprouted mung and necessary spices.

• Fats: Let us deal with the much-feared fat content first. A cup of simple fried rice has 12.34 g of fat. No no. Do not start with your impromptu jogging routine yet, as only 2.25 g out of this comprise fattening saturated fat. The rest is 3.77 g of monounsaturated and 5.34 g of polyunsaturated fat. These fats are the good types which are required by the body for various purposes to keep a person hale and hearty. So, chill!
• Proteins: Only as much as a cup full of fried rice has up to12.47 g of proteins, which is the basic requirement of even the minutest cell of the body. So, a cup of fried rice can cater to 25% of the Daily Value (D.V.) of proteins which tend to all damages suffered by the body and works for their quickest possible recovery. Think for yourself.
• Carbohydrates: 41.7 g is the total amount of carbohydrates present in one cup of fried rice. But here comes in your reason to worry. Out of this 41.7 g, only 1.4 g is dietary fibers, forming roughage and 1.5 g is sugar, providing energy to the body. The rest is only starch which adds to the tiers around the belly as some parts of it are very, very difficult for the body to break down. So, this factor is actually alarming for people who are already obese and those in the process of dieting. However, starch also has vital functions to play in the body and dietary recommendations state that rd of what we eat in a day should be starch. So, from that angle it shouldn't worry people who are extremely active and in shape.

So, how many calories in simple fried rice? 333 in a cupful. 113 comes from fats, 170 from carbohydrates and 50 from proteins. As is noticeable, 51% of the calories are donated by carbohydrates and that has to be paid heed to by those on a low-carb diet. The following table will give you the calorie break up of the other varieties fried rice which are quite popular.

Health Benefits of Fried Rice
In spite of the high starch content in fried rice owing to the fact that rice is composed of starch, having fried rice does actually have a few health benefits. Here it goes.

• A serving of a cupful of simple fried rice has about 822 mg of sodium which provides about 34.25% of the total sodium DV stipulation of 2400 mg. Sodium helps the body by regulating blood pressure, stimulating the adrenal glands, relieving the body from cramps, diarrhea and dehydration and most importantly maintains fluid balance in the body.
• A fried rice helping of the same amount also has approximately 202 mg of potassium. Potassium is a natural analgesic which plays a vital role in the excretion of wastes from the body and also plays a pivotal role in maintenance of blood pressure along with sodium.
• 103 mg of cholesterol is found in one cup of fried rice. I know that it is the general tendency to link cholesterol and 'bad for health' immediately. But, how many of us know that the body actually requires the steroid metabolite called cholesterol for several biochemical processes in the body. Given that the DV of cholesterol is 300 mg/day, you will get rd of it in just a cup of fried rice.
• From a similar amount of fried rice, you get about 6% of the DV stipulated for vitamin C, which produces collagen, protects the body from free radicals, ensures good cardiovascular and gum condition and supports the immune system. Your body also gets 15% of the DV of iron, which transports oxygen from the lungs to the muscles all over the body, and 4% worth of calcium, which strengthens the skeletal system.
• Using canola oil will allow you to reap the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids and many other benefits of it which does make it the best cooking oil for maximum purposes.

Thus, it is rather evident that consumption of fried rice in moderation has its own set of health benefits. Also, one should keep in mind that one should not have it everyday as nothing over indulged in can be good for health. Keep a check on what you are eating and include healthy food items in your daily diet. You shall then notice that fried rice calories will only add to your health quotient and not add to your belly region. However, I also do strongly believe that once in a while, we should send all calorie-worries up in the air and binge a little bit for some fun. Food is, after all, an integral part of any form of merry-making. So, here is a nice fried rice recipe for you which is full of veggies and can be made without much ado.

*Click on the images for a better look.

Homemade Chinese Fried Rice

To serve 5 people with this delectable dish, you must gather,

• Brown rice, 6 cups (cooked, cool)
• Pork, pound (i.e., 8 oz., diced to bite-sized bits, cooked)
• Bean sprouts, 1 cup (crudely hacked)
• Soy sauce, cup
• Baby corn, 1 can (small, drained, cut into 1" pieces)
• Sesame oil, 2 tbsp. (dark)
• Canola oil, 1 tablespoon (peanut oil can also be used)
• Garlic cloves, 2 (minced)
• Ginger, 1 tsp. (minced)
• Spring onions, 2
• Celery ribs, 2 (finely sliced)
• Red bell pepper, 1 (small, cubed into " pieces)

Procedure
Begin with heating the canola oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once the oil is sufficiently hot, add the chopped celery ribs, minced ginger and the bell pepper to this and saut until slightly softened. Next, throw in the baby corn, garlic and spring onions. Stir for about half a minute. To this, add the cooked brown rice, the pork (or some tofu, if you are a vegetarian). Stir and mix very well. Mizzle the sesame oil and soy sauce from top and mix again. You will be required to toss-up the rice well enough for another 2 minutes and then serve it with love! You can use some green peas (boiled in salt-water) for garnishing. Remember, you can store this preparation in the fridge, but do consume it entirely within 48 hours flat.
So, do try out this fried rice recipe and keep enjoying it once in a while to pamper those taste buds!