Cream of Rice

What is rice cream?

Rice cream is simply rice ground into a very fine flour, then pre-cooked. This pre-cooking changes everything: the powder reconstitutes in a few minutes in a hot liquid, without the twenty minutes of cooking required for classic rice. In bodybuilding, it serves as a carbohydrate source when you need to eat a lot without spending your day at the table.

What it actually provides

Count on approximately 360 to 380 kcal per 100g, including 80 to 85g of carbohydrates, 6 to 8g of protein, and less than 2g of fat, depending on the brand. It is a carbohydrate food, not a supplement: it replaces a portion of rice, pasta, or bread in your day; it does not add to it.

Rice does not contain gluten. Flavored versions, however, may be produced on shared lines — if you are celiac, the label should be checked on a case-by-case basis.

Why it's better tolerated than other carbohydrates

Rice starch is finely ground and already cooked: the stomach has less work to do. This is why many practitioners prefer it to oats before a workout—fewer fibers, less heaviness. On this point, customer feedback is very consistent.

Why athletes use it

For bulking

This is its preferred domain. Adding 60g of rice cream to a shaker means about 230 additional kcal without chewing effort. When appetite wanes, it's the simplest way to maintain a caloric surplus. See also our selection for bulking.

For cutting

More discreet, but useful: a weighed portion of rice cream is easier to count than a plate of cooked rice, whose weight varies enormously depending on the cooking. During a deficit period, this precision matters. Pair it with a whey isolate for a complete and light meal. See the weight loss section.

Around training

• 60 to 90 minutes before: 40 to 60g, with a little protein. Early enough not to train on a full stomach.
• After the session: 50 to 80g to replenish glycogen. The window is wider than generally believed—the total daily intake is what matters most.
• For breakfast: as porridge, especially if oats are not well tolerated by some.

For energy during exercise, this is not the right product: opt for maltodextrin, waxy maize, or cyclic dextrin, which are consumed as liquids.

Preparing it without lumps

This is the main difficulty with this product. The method that works every time:

1. Mix the powder into a small amount of cold liquid until a smooth paste is formed.
2. Add the rest of the hot liquid gradually, stirring continuously.
3. Allow to thicken for one to two minutes off the heat.

The classic mistake is to pour the powder all at once into boiling milk: the starch gels on the surface and traps dry powder inside. Count 250 to 300 ml of liquid for 50g of powder, adjusting according to the desired texture.

Three preparations that work

• Morning porridge — 50g rice cream, 300ml milk, a spoonful of peanut butter, cinnamon. Add protein off the heat, otherwise it will coagulate.
• Pancakes — 40g rice cream, one egg or 60ml liquid egg white, 30g whey, a little milk. See also protein pancake mixes.
• Post-workout rice pudding — 60g powder, 350ml milk, a mashed banana. Some brands already offer this ready-to-flavor version.

Our article rice cream: benefits and recipes details other preparations.

Rice cream, oats, or maltodextrin: which to choose?

• Rice cream — easy digestion, neutral to sweet taste, low in fiber. The default choice before training and for sensitive stomachs.
• Oat flour — more fiber, longer satiety, slower digestion. Better for breakfast if you tolerate it well.
• Maltodextrin — liquid, no texture, for intra-workout. This is not a meal food.
• Sweet potato flour — alternative with a stronger taste, lower glycemic index.

In practice, many alternate: rice cream around workouts, oats the rest of the time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is rice cream?

Very finely ground and pre-cooked rice, sold as a powder. Pre-cooking is the key point: it allows the powder to thicken in one to two minutes in a hot liquid, whereas ordinary rice flour requires actual cooking. It is neither a food supplement, nor a protein, nor a "sport" product in the strict sense: it is a starch, just like rice or pasta, simply quicker to prepare and easier to consume in quantity. Not to be confused with cosmetic rice cream or culinary vegetable creams, which are completely different.

What are the benefits of rice cream?

Let's be precise: these are practical advantages, not virtues. It is easily digestible because it is low in fiber and its starch is already cooked – which makes it useful before a workout, when oats feel heavy in the stomach. It allows for a large intake of carbohydrates in a small volume, solving the problem of appetites that struggle to meet caloric needs. It is weighed dry, so it can be precisely measured, unlike a plate of cooked rice. And it contains no gluten. However, it provides no remarkable micronutrients or particular health benefits: it is a convenient starch, nothing more.

When to take rice cream?

Three moments make sense. 60 to 90 minutes before the session, 40 to 60g with a little protein: early enough not to train on a full stomach. After the session, 50 to 80g to replenish glycogen reserves – without particular urgency, the window is much wider than the thirty minutes often mentioned. At breakfast finally, as porridge, especially if oats are too heavy for you. During exercise, it is not the right product: its thick texture is not drinkable, prefer maltodextrin or cyclic dextrin.

How to prepare rice cream without lumps?

In three steps, and the order matters. First, mix the powder in a small amount of cold liquid until a smooth paste is formed. Then, gradually add the hot liquid, stirring continuously. Finally, let it thicken for one to two minutes off the heat. The classic mistake is to pour the powder all at once into boiling milk: the starch immediately gels on the surface and traps dry powder inside, resulting in intractable lumps. Count 250 to 300 ml of liquid for 50 g of powder. If you add protein, incorporate it off the heat: when heated, it coagulates.

Does rice cream make you gain weight?

No more than any other carbohydrate. It is the total caloric intake for the day that determines weight gain or loss. Rice cream is simply easy to consume in large quantities — which is an advantage during bulking and a pitfall during cutting if you don't weigh your portions.

How many calories are in rice cream?

Approximately 360 to 380 kcal per 100g, or 180 to 190 kcal for a 50g serving. Flavored versions vary slightly depending on the sweeteners and flavorings used.

What is the difference between rice cream and rice flour?

Rice flour is simply raw rice that has been ground: it must be cooked like any flour and remains granular if mixed without cooking. Rice cream is rice flour that has been more finely ground and pre-cooked, allowing it to thicken in one to two minutes in a hot liquid. The nutritional composition of both is very similar; it's the process that changes, and with it, the preparation time and texture. Do not confuse it with glutinous rice flour, which comes from a different variety of rice and is used in Asian cuisine: it behaves completely differently.

Why is so much rice consumed in bodybuilding?

For three very practical reasons. It is inexpensive per gram of carbohydrate, which matters when consuming 400g of carbohydrates per day. It is low in fiber compared to whole grains and legumes, thus less bloating with large volumes. And it is neutral in taste, allowing for daily consumption without monotony. There's no magic property involved: any well-tolerated starch would do the same job; rice is simply the most convenient. Rice cream takes this logic a step further by eliminating cooking and chewing.

How to make homemade rice cream?

Blend raw rice in a blender until you get a powder as fine as possible: you'll have rice flour. Sieve it through a fine mesh, then cook it for about ten minutes in milk or water, stirring constantly, to get closer to a rice cream. This is significantly cheaper, but the texture remains grainier than an industrial pre-cooked powder, and you lose the convenience of a two-minute preparation.

What can replace rice cream?

Finely ground oat flour, fine semolina, or classic rice flour – but the latter is not pre-cooked, so it requires actual cooking. Cornstarch, often mentioned, thickens very well but does not have the same use: it is pure starch, without the proteins of rice, and it gives a jelly-like texture rather than a porridge. For strictly energetic use around exercise, maltodextrin does the same job in liquid form.

How to store rice cream?

Like flour: in a dry place, away from light and heat, in its resealed bag or transferred to an airtight container. Humidity damages it, forming compact blocks and promoting mold; therefore, avoid storing it above a hob or near a sink, and never dip a wet spoon into the bag. Unopened, it keeps for several months until the indicated date; once opened, count two to three months for optimal taste. The cooked preparation, on the other hand, can be stored for two to three days in the refrigerator and thickens as it cools: a little added milk will restore its texture.

Is it suitable for gluten-intolerant people?

Rice does not naturally contain gluten. However, check the mention regarding traces on the packaging: some flavored ranges are manufactured on lines shared with gluten-containing cereals.

Does rice cream pose a health risk?

At usual quantities, no: it is an ordinary starch. However, one point deserves to be frankly stated, because it is rarely mentioned on sales pages: rice naturally accumulates more inorganic arsenic from soil and water than other cereals. For this reason, European regulations set maximum limits for rice-based products, and EFSA monitors the subject. This does not make rice cream dangerous, but it justifies a common-sense recommendation: do not base all your carbohydrates on a single food, and alternate with oats, potatoes, pasta, or sweet potatoes. This caution is particularly true for young children, for whom intake relative to weight is higher.

Is organic rice cream available?

Yes, several manufacturers offer a version from organic farming. The certification covers the rice cultivation method and the absence of synthetic inputs; it does not change the nutritional value, the fineness of the milling, or the quality of the pre-cooking, which are the three criteria that make the difference in use. These versions are most often plain, without flavor or sweetener: if you are aiming for large volumes during bulking, plan to flavor them yourself.

Is rice cream available in supermarkets?

Rarely under this name in the grocery aisle. What supermarkets most often sell is infant rice cream, in the baby section: the same pre-cooked raw material, but in 200 to 400g boxes, frequently enriched with vitamins, and at a price per kilo unrelated to sports use. You can also find classic, non-pre-cooked rice flour, which requires actual cooking. For sports nutrition, the 1 to 2 kg formats from specialized brands remain much more economical.

Where to buy rice cream?

In specialized sports nutrition stores and online, where 1 to 2 kg packaging is the norm. Look for three things on the packaging: the mention "pre-cooked" or "instant," which determines preparation time; the ingredient list, a plain product should only contain rice; and the net weight, a large bag is not always the most cost-effective per kilo. Our references are available on shelves in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, with pickup within two hours, and shipped throughout France and Europe.

In store in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier

Our rice creams are on the shelves at 285 Rue Des Portes Domitiennes in Vendargues. This is the only place where you can compare textures and flavors before committing to the price of a two-kilo bag — and with this product, taste makes all the difference between a finished pack and a pack forgotten at the back of the cupboard.

You can also order online: we ship everywhere in France and Europe.

We notably stock the IO Genix, Sinob, ESN, LifePro, and TrainedByJP ranges.

Sources

• ANSES — Opinion on the update of recommended nutrient intakes for carbohydrates
• ANSES — Ciqual table of nutritional composition of foods

To be integrated into a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.