IO Genix Rice Cream - Rice cream for bodybuilding and sports

What is IO Genix Cream of Rice?

IO Genix Crème de Riz is a pre-cooked rice flour, ground to a fine powder and designed to be reconstituted with hot water. It belongs to the family of instant carbohydrate sources, alongside oat flour and sweet potato flour.

The composition of the unflavoured version comes down to three words: pre-cooked rice flour. The flavoured versions add flavourings and three sweeteners — sucralose, acesulfame potassium and steviol glycosides. The chocolate flavours contain cocoa powder, and the Caramel Salé version contains sodium chloride. It is a short list, and on this type of product that is exactly what you want.

The flavours listed — Chokokrac, Black Cookies, Caramel Salé, Marie Cookies, Chocolat Peanut Butter, Rochello, Stracciatella, Praliné, Nutchoc, Crema Rica Cookies, Chocolat Amazonico, White Choco Rings, Dubai Chocolate — plus an unflavoured version, with no flavouring or sweetener, to cook with as you see fit. The product joins our cream of rice and IO Genix aisles.

What does a serving of cream of rice contain?

* Columns calculated from the values declared per 100 g, as the manufacturer does not publish a per-serving column. The energy value is given in kilocalories only, with no kilojoule equivalent, and fibre is not declared. The manufacturer also mentions the presence of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and iron without publishing the amounts: without figures, no nutrition or health claim can be made for these nutrients, and so we will not make one.

The figure that defines the product is the ratio of 77 g of carbohydrate to just 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g. In other words, almost all of the carbohydrate content is starch. That is what sets a cream of rice apart from a maltodextrin or a sugary gainer: you get the energy without the simple-sugar load, in a preparation you can drink.

A second useful point: 8.4 g of protein per 100 g. It is not a protein source and should not be treated as one — but it beats pure maltodextrin, which provides none at all. Finally, 2.7 g of fat and 0.4 g of salt per 100 g: two low values, consistent with a cereal flour.

How do you prepare cream of rice?

Serving: 30 to 50 g depending on the occasion. Liquid: 200 ml of hot water per 50 g, adjusted to the consistency you want. Timing: 45 to 60 minutes before training, or immediately after, or at breakfast. Frequency: 1 to 3 servings a day depending on your goal. Duration: none, it is a food.

Preparation is the product's real selling point: tip in 50 g, or one and a half scoops, into 200 ml of hot water, stir, and the cream is ready in thirty seconds. No pan, no cooking, no washing-up. Add water if you want it runnier, or cut it back for a thick, spoonable texture.

The guidelines by situation, as the manufacturer gives them: 30 to 40 g 45 to 60 minutes before training; 40 to 50 g immediately after; 30 g at breakfast, with fruit; 30 g as a snack between meals. For mass gain, count on 50 g per serving across two to three servings a day; when cutting, 30 g around training only.

Two combinations that work. With a protein, in a ratio of 40 g of cream to 25 g of powder: it is the easiest post-training shake to put together. And in cooking, in pancakes, crêpes or bowl cakes, where the unflavoured version gives you the most freedom. A plant-based milk in place of water changes the texture completely.

Who is cream of rice for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed first at those who struggle to eat enough carbohydrate: limited appetite, short days, sessions close to mealtimes. Drinking 183 kcal of carbohydrate is far easier than getting through the equivalent in cooked rice. It also suits those who digest a solid meal poorly before training: a liquid texture goes down better than a plate an hour before a session.

The manufacturer states that the product is not suitable for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children or people on medical treatment, and advises consulting a doctor before use. It may contain traces of EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA. Store it in a dry place away from light. If you experience any adverse effect, stop and seek advice.

Here is what not to expect from it. It is not a protein source: 4.2 g in a 50 g serving does not count towards a protein total. Nor is it a weight-loss product — 183 kcal a serving is energy, and energy that is easy to swallow, which is precisely the opposite of what you want in a strict deficit. And there is nothing magical about rice flour: it is ground, pre-cooked rice. Its value lies in convenience, not in any nutritional superiority over a bowl of rice.

Cream of rice or maltodextrin?

Both are powdered carbohydrate sources, and we are often asked which to choose. The answer depends on the time of day.

Maltodextrin is the better choice during and immediately after exercise, particularly in endurance sports. It dissolves in cold water, can be drunk from a bottle, and its rapid absorption is precisely what is asked of it. On that ground, cream of rice cannot replace it: it is thick, it is prepared with hot water, and you cannot drink it while pedalling.

Cream of rice wins everywhere else. Its profile is that of a food rather than a sugar: 77 g of carbohydrate of which only 0.3 g is sugars, against a maltodextrin made up of rapidly absorbed carbohydrate. It fills you up, it has flavour, it can be cooked with, and it provides 8.4 g of protein per 100 g. For breakfast, a snack, or the pre-training meal, this is the one to reach for. The other options in the aisle — waxy maize, cyclic dextrin — sit on the maltodextrin side, not the food side.

Frequently asked questions

Hot water or cold?

Hot water, 200 ml per 50 g. The flour is pre-cooked, which lets it thicken as soon as it meets heat — allow thirty seconds of stirring. With cold water, the texture stays grainy and far less pleasant.

How many servings are there in a bag?

The net weight of the packaging does not appear in the data supplied by the manufacturer, so we cannot work it out. Divide the weight stated on the packaging by 50 g, or by 30 g depending on your usual serving.

Does the unflavoured version have any taste?

Very little: it is pre-cooked rice flour, with no flavouring or sweetener. That is a drawback if you drink it on its own, and an advantage if you cook with it — it imposes no flavour on your preparations, and you control the sweetness.

Can you mix it with whey?

Yes, and it is in fact the most common use. The manufacturer suggests 40 g of cream to 25 g of protein. Make the cream up with hot water first, let it cool for a minute, then add the protein: poured into a scalding liquid, a whey can curdle.

How much should you take before training?

30 to 40 g, 45 to 60 minutes before the session, according to the manufacturer's guidelines. That works out at 110 to 146 kcal and 23 to 31 g of carbohydrate. Beyond that, and especially less than an hour before exercise, the volume can become uncomfortable.

Does it contain gluten?

Rice flour does not contain any naturally. The manufacturer does not, however, claim a "gluten-free" designation in the data available to us, and flags possible traces of eggs, milk, fish and soya. If you have coeliac disease, check the label on the bag.

Is it suitable when cutting?

Yes, provided you keep the dose in check. The manufacturer recommends 30 g around training only, or 110 kcal. In its favour: 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g and a filling texture. Against it: this is liquid energy, easy to consume without noticing.

Where to buy IO Genix Crème de Riz?

All the available flavours can be ordered from this page, including the unflavoured version. We ship throughout France and Europe.

This is a product that is better chosen in store than online, because the difference in taste between a Stracciatella and a Chocolat Amazonico cannot be guessed from a photo. Our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, stocks them all, and it is the moment to leave with two different bags rather than two of the same.