White rice has a high glycemic index, typically cited around 73. That number varies widely by variety, from the 50s for basmati and parboiled rice up past 90 for jasmine and short-grain rice, and portion size changes the real-world impact as much as the GI itself does. White rice isn't off-limits, and swaps like farro, pearl barley, and quinoa offer a steadier alternative with a similar texture.
The numbers
Harvard Health cites plain white rice at a glycemic index of about 73, well into the "high" range (70 or above). But "white rice" covers a wide range of products, and variety changes the number more than most people expect:
| Rice type | Typical GI | Why it lands there |
|---|---|---|
| Jasmine or short-grain white rice | High (up to 90+) | Low-amylose, soft starch that digests fast |
| Regular long-grain white rice | High (about 73) | The figure most GI tables and Harvard Health cite as the average |
| Basmati rice | Medium (about 50 to 58, varies by brand) | Higher amylose content slows digestion |
| Parboiled or converted rice | Medium, lower than the same rice cooked plain | Steaming before milling changes the starch structure |
Glycemic load adds portion size into the picture, using the same formula published in our glycemic load calculator: GI times grams of available carbohydrate, divided by 100. A modest half-cup serving of cooked white rice has about 22 grams of available carbohydrate: 73 × 22 ÷ 100 ≈ 16, a medium glycemic load. A restaurant-size cup-and-a-half serving carries about 67 grams: 73 × 67 ÷ 100 ≈ 49, deep into the high range. Same rice, same GI. The serving size is what moved the number.
Rice variety and cooking method change the number
Two things move the number for a specific bowl of rice, beyond the type on the package. First, variety: jasmine and short-grain white rice sit at the high end because they're lower in amylose, the slower-digesting type of starch, while basmati and parboiled rice run meaningfully lower because more of that starch survives cooking intact. Second, how you handle it afterward. Chilling cooked rice turns some of its starch into resistant starch, which digests more slowly. The same idea applies to cooked and cooled potatoes, like potato salad. The evidence for this cooling effect is genuinely mixed: one study found that cooling cooked white rice lowered the blood-sugar response (Sonia et al., Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2015), while a more recent, carefully controlled crossover trial found no meaningful change in glycemic index or starch digestibility (Wolever et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022). Treat it as a low-cost thing to try, not a guaranteed fix.
Farro (GI 63, medium) is a chewy whole grain with more fiber and protein than white rice, and a similar bite. Some secondary sources cite figures as low as 40, though the only lab-measured value in the international GI tables, per the University of Sydney's GI database, is 63. Pearl barley (GI about 30, low) is one of the lowest-GI grains tested. Quinoa (GI about 53, low to medium) is a complete protein with a texture close enough to rice to use in the same dishes; see our full quinoa breakdown for the direct swap comparison. For bread and pasta swaps too, see the full swap breakdown on our low-GI grocery guide.
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These figures are solid averages for "white rice" as a category, but the bag in your pantry is a specific product with a specific label. For the GI and glycemic load of what you're actually eating, rather than a category average, Glycemic Genius reads the nutrition facts panel and returns an AI estimate on the spot. See our comparison of glycemic index apps for how it stacks up against the alternatives.