In your hunt for the best sources of protein, you’ve probably bumped into brown rice protein. It’s a versatile plant-based ingredient that’s often a popular choice for people with dietary restrictions. Plus, it’s right at home in our Perfect Bar lineup!
Get to know the ins and outs of brown rice protein, and what it’s known for.
First of All, What Is Brown Rice Protein?
Brown rice protein is a protein supplement that’s essentially a powdered version of brown rice. It’s produced through a process that separates the carbs from the protein to extract all the good stuff — namely, the plant-based protein and other important nutrients.
Technically speaking, the protein concentration of brown rice protein is approximately 36% essential amino acids and 18% branched-chain amino acids by weight. (We’ll talk more about BACCs later.) This places the amount of protein on par with what you’d get from cooked brown rice. But there are a lot more ways to enjoy it beyond a basic rice bowl.
Is There Really Organic Brown Rice Protein in a Perfect Bar?
Now, you might be thinking — how is there rice in a Perfect Bar? After all, it’s a fudgy peanut butter bar, not a crispy rice treat!
As a matter of fact, the protein in our protein bars comes from a variety of whole food sources like organic nut butter, milk, and egg — along with organic brown rice.
Your taste buds might pick up on the Fair Trade dark chocolate chips, creamy organic nut butters, and seasonal spices. But you’re actually consuming a well-rounded package of nutrients in every perfectly balanced bite. We use a hidden blend of 20-plus superfood ingredients in every Perfect Bar flavor.
1. Plays Well With Other Proteins
If you’re just looking at brown rice protein powder on its own, keep in mind that this is an incomplete protein. This means, like other plant proteins, brown rice doesn’t contain all of the nine essential amino acids your body needs to thrive.
If you’re mixing brown rice protein powder into a homemade shake — say, as a post-workout snack or meal replacement — you can combine it with pea protein to get the complete protein package with all nine essential amino acids. This combo can also be good for muscle building: Brown rice protein is relatively low in lysine, an amino acid known for supporting muscle growth, but pea protein has this in higher quantities.
If you just need a quick grab-and-go snack, we’re here to save you the trouble of having to portion out each protein. In every Perfect Bar recipe, we combine organic brown rice protein with other whole food protein ingredients like milk and egg, as well as a blend of superfood greens, seeds, and oils. This way, you can be sure your protein intake includes all the essential amino acids, from a variety of high-quality, whole food sources!
2. Muscle Master
Although brown rice protein may not be a star player for muscle growth, it’ll always have your back for muscle power and recovery. It’s a good source of leucine, which is one of the three branched-chain amino acids, along with isoleucine and valine. This trio makes up about 35% of the amino acids in the human body’s muscle proteins.
BACCs help regulate the body’s glycogen stores so the muscles have a steady source of fuel to draw from. When you’re pushing your muscles to their limits, they can help prevent your system from going into overdrive and using up muscle proteins — instead of glycogen — as an energy source.
Post-workout, leucine can also help promote muscle recovery, especially when it’s consumed with carbohydrates. This is why snacks enriched with brown rice protein can be good to eat after a workout.
3. Whole Grain Goodness
Compared to white rice, organic brown rice protein offers a more complete nutritional package. With brown rice, all three parts of the rice grain are kept intact.
The outermost layer is the bran, which is rich in fiber. In the middle there’s the endosperm, a source of protein and starchy carbohydrates. Finally, there’s the germ — that part that a new rice plant could sprout from. This is a nutritious nugget of healthy fats, B vitamins, and other micronutrients along with protein.
When converted into brown rice protein powder, the carbohydrates are split apart from the rest, but you’re still consuming a whole grain protein source.
4. A Victory for Vegetarians
Since it’s derived from a grain rather than an animal source, brown rice protein is a popular choice for people looking for a vegetarian or vegan protein supplement. It’s easy to mix in with other plant-based ingredients for a protein-rich and meatless meal or snack.
Our Perfect Bar products contain eggs, milk, and honey, so they aren’t vegan — but they do make a great vegetarian snack!
5. Hypoallergenic Hype
As a standalone product, brown rice protein is a hypoallergenic option for people with various food allergies and sensitivities. For lactose intolerant folks, it’s a good dairy-free alternative to milk-based products like casein or whey protein. It’s also a welcome option for people with soy allergies, and it’s a gluten-free choice making it suitable for people with celiac disease.
Here’s where we have to make an allergy disclaimer: If you have sensitivities to milk, eggs, peanuts, or tree nuts, be sure to read our Perfect Snacks food labels closely, since we use those ingredients in our products.
6. Low-Key Flavor
People looking for a mix-in protein supplement sometimes often find other products can come on a bit too strong in terms of flavor. But, much like cooked brown rice, its protein powder counterpart has a pretty neutral flavor.
This makes it a good candidate for mixing into protein shakes or, as we’ve found, blending into protein bars. The best-tasting ingredients, like peanut butter and dark chocolate, can take center stage while you still get all the nutritional goodness of organic brown rice protein.
7. Metabolism Booster
Brown rice protein takes some energy to digest, meaning your body keeps using up calories longer after you’ve finished eating. A study that tested the effects of protein in a high-fat diet revealed that, compared to casein, the peptides in brown rice protein can help reduce weight gain by 76%. In general, brown rice protein can be a suitable protein source for people interested in weight management.
8. Easy to Enjoy
There are so many ways to get all the benefits of brown rice protein in your diet. You can add a scoop to a smoothie or shake, muffin mix, savory soup or any other recipe that could use a boost of plant-based protein.
But consuming organic brown rice protein doesn’t need to be a workout in and of itself! You can pick up a Perfect Bar when you need a quick and satiating snack with a nutty flavor and cookie-dough texture that really hits the spot.
If your snack stash is starting to look a little weak, bulk up with a box of Perfect Bar. Browse our selection of fridge-fresh, grab-and-go snacks online or check out our handy store locator to find a retailer near you.
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