Ben's Original Ready Rice Long Grain White: Nutrition & Labelgrade B+ (80/100)
B+ 80 / 100 — Very low saturated fat, effectively zero sugar, and very low sodium.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Ben’s Original Ready Rice Long Grain White delivers 4g of protein and 200 calories per 140GRM (USDA FDC 2597133). Per 100g that’s 2.9g of protein; per oz, 0.8g. The Labelgrade is B+ (80 / 100): Very low saturated fat, effectively zero sugar, and very low sodium.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | D | 54 / 100 | 2.9g per 100g — below the high-protein bar; not the right product for protein hunting |
| Ingredient quality | B | 78 / 100 | 9 ingredients, recognizable, no significant additive flags |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g saturated fat — perfect |
| Sodium load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0mg sodium — perfect |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g of sugar — perfect |
| Fiber | F | 35 / 100 | 0.98g per serving — modest fiber contribution |
| Overall | B+ | 80 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 23% · ingredients 21% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 15% · fiber 8% |
It grades well by what it leaves out
Most processed pantry foods lose points for what’s been added to them — sugar to make them palatable, sodium to make them keep, a stack of stabilizers to hold texture. Ready Rice is the rare case that scores well by subtraction. The panel is water, parboiled rice, a sub-2% splash of canola oil, and the routine enrichment vitamins (calcium, niacin, iron, thiamin, folic acid). That’s it. No added sugar, 0mg of sodium, no preservatives, no colors, no gums. Three of the six dimensions land a perfect A+ — sugar, sodium, and saturated fat — because there’s simply nothing there to penalize.
That’s worth being clear-eyed about: the B+ doesn’t mean this is a nutritional powerhouse. It means the product is clean. The microwave pouch and the parboiling are processing in the mechanical sense, but they don’t change what you’re eating — this is still just white rice. When a convenience food’s ingredient list is this short and this boring, that’s exactly what you want to see.
The honest catch: it’s a refined carb, so it’s low on fiber
The one place Ready Rice genuinely falls short is the same place all white rice does. Milling off the bran and germ is what makes the grain cook fast and stay fluffy, but it strips out most of the fiber and a chunk of the micronutrients along with it — which is why fiber scores an F here (under 1g per serving) and protein density is low (about 2.9g per 100g). Enrichment adds back some B-vitamins and iron, but not the fiber. So this is energy that digests quickly and cleanly, not a food that fills you up or feeds your gut on its own.
The fix isn’t to avoid it — it’s to build the plate around it. Treat the rice as the neutral carb and let everything else carry the nutrition: a palm-sized portion of protein (chicken, beans, eggs, fish, tofu) and a generous pile of vegetables turns a low-fiber side into a balanced meal. If fiber is a priority and you don’t mind the chewier texture and longer cook, brown rice is the more nutrient-dense swap. But as a fast, clean, blank-canvas carbohydrate, white Ready Rice does its one job without baggage.
How it compares
We’re still building out this category. As a benchmark, plain cooked chicken breast contains 31g of protein per 100g (8.8g per oz). Ben’s Original Ready Rice Long Grain White delivers 2.9g of protein per 100g (0.8g per oz).
Scope
This page covers Ben’s Original Ready Rice Long Grain White (8.8 oz), UPC 0054800423330, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 2597133. Ben’s Original sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
WATER, PARBOILED LONG GRAIN RICE, LESS THAN 2% OF: CANOLA OIL, VITAMINS AND MINERALS [CALCIUM (CALCIUM CARBONATE), VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), IRON (IRON PHOSPHATE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE MONONITRATE), FOLIC ACID], ADDS A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF SATURATED FAT
Where to buy
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Labelgrade score is independent of affiliate relationships. More.
🔬 Compare this product side-by-side with any other →
Quick Facts
Per serving · 140GRM
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (140GRM) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 200 |
| Protein | 4g |
| Total Fat | 3g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 39g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.98g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Added Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 0mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 40.6mg |
| Iron | 2.1mg |
| Potassium | 79.8mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Ready Rice Long Grain White (8.8 oz) · UPC 0054800423330. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
What's actually in Ben's Original Ready Rice Long Grain White?
Almost nothing beyond rice. The USDA panel reads water, parboiled long-grain rice, and less than 2% canola oil plus added vitamins and minerals (calcium, niacin, iron, thiamin, folic acid). There's no added sugar, no salt, and no preservatives — it's enriched white rice that's been pre-cooked and sealed in a microwave pouch. That short, clean list is the whole reason it grades a B+.
Is microwave Ready Rice as healthy as rice you cook yourself?
Nutritionally it's essentially the same as long-grain white rice cooked at home — same refined grain, plus a trace of canola oil and the standard enrichment vitamins. You're paying for 90-second convenience, not buying a worse food. The only thing to note is the per-pouch sodium can vary by flavor; this plain Original variant is a true 0mg, which is rare and genuinely good.
Is white rice unhealthy, or is it fine?
It's fine — just understand what it is. White rice is a refined carbohydrate: the bran and germ are milled off, which is why it cooks fast and stays soft but carries almost no fiber (under 1g per serving) and a higher glycemic response than brown rice. As a clean, neutral energy source alongside protein and vegetables, it's a perfectly reasonable staple. It's simply not doing nutritional heavy lifting beyond calories.
White rice vs brown rice — which should I buy?
Brown rice keeps the bran and germ, so it brings roughly 3-4x the fiber plus more magnesium and B-vitamins, and digests more slowly. White rice (this product) is lower-fiber but milder, faster-cooking, and easier to digest — which some people actually prefer, especially around workouts or with sensitive stomachs. Neither is 'bad'; brown is the more nutrient-dense pick, white is the cleaner-tasting blank canvas.
Does Ben's Original Ready Rice have much protein?
Not really — 4g per pouch (about 2.9g per 100g). Rice contributes a little protein but it's an incomplete one and not why you'd eat it. Treat this as your carb, and get your protein from what you serve alongside it: chicken, beans, eggs, fish, or tofu.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2597133. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.