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Mexican red rice

Per 100 g (3.5 oz), mexican red rice provides 3.3 g of protein, 1.2 g of fiber, and 185 kcal, a moderate energy density.

USDA description: Mexican red rice, restaurant

Estimated satietyHow it is calculated

Starting point+1
Moderate energy density: 185 kcal/100 g0
Protein: 1.8 g/100 kcal0
Fiber: 0.6 g/100 kcal0
Solid food with 58.5 g of water, under 700

Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): this food was not measured.

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Last updated
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Sources
7 primary and 1 supporting
Data
USDA FDC 167665

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Nutrition facts

Calories
278 kcal per serving
185 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Protein
4.9 g per serving
3.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Carbohydrates
46.8 g per serving
31.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which sugars
2 g per serving
1.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fiber
1.8 g per serving
1.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fat
7.9 g per serving
5.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which saturated
1.5 g per serving
1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Water
87.8 g per serving
58.5 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Source: USDA FoodData Central: Restaurant, Mexican, spanish rice (FDC ID 167665), accessed September 23, 2026.

A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving provides about 278 kcal, 4.9 g of protein, and 1.8 g of fiber.

The typical serving (150 g (5.5 oz)) is a common amount used for the math, not a recommendation. Ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents; the values come from the database entry cited in the sources.

What it is and how to eat it

Mexican chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, in his recipe for Larousse Cocina, calls red rice (arroz rojo) also Mexican-style rice (arroz a la mexicana) and makes it by browning the rice in oil and cooking it with tomato blended with garlic and onion, water, carrot, peas and serrano chilies. This page uses the Mexican restaurant rice USDA analyzes under the name Spanish rice, with 185 kcal, 3.28 g of protein and 5.29 g of fat per 100 g, against 130 kcal and 0.28 g of fat for cooked white rice; USDA does not give the recipe, and the amount of oil varies from one kitchen to another.

A 150 g (5.3 oz) serving provides 278 kcal but only 4.9 g of protein, so it works as a side to beans, chicken or eggs, the protein-rich foods the 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests eating first. When appetite is low half a serving, 75 g (2.6 oz), may be enough, and in the first few days of treatment, when the same advisory suggests avoiding fatty foods, plain cooked white rice, with almost no fat, is the lighter option.

What the evidence says

According to USDA it has 528 mg of sodium per 100 g, about 790 mg per serving, almost 40% of the 2,000 mg a day the WHO recommends not exceeding. With the 3.28 g of protein and 1.2 g of fiber per 100 g that USDA gives, it qualifies neither as a "source of protein", which requires protein to supply 12% of the energy (here it is 7%), nor as a "source of fibre", which requires 3 g per 100 g (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). If there are leftovers, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service advises dividing them into shallow containers so they cool quickly, refrigerating them within 2 hours, eating them within 3 to 4 days and reheating them to 74 °C (165 °F). The Singapore Food Agency links the vomiting type of Bacillus cereus with starch-rich foods, such as rice, kept for a long time between 5 and 60 °C (41 and 140 °F), and explains that cooking does not kill its spores or deactivate toxins that have already formed.

The sources for this section are listed under "Sources" at the end of the page.

Satiety

The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.

Frequently asked questions about mexican red rice

How much protein is in a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of mexican red rice?

100 g (3.5 oz) of mexican red rice has 3.3 g of protein. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 4.9 g of protein. That is 1.8 g of protein per 100 kcal.

How many calories does a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of mexican red rice have?

100 g (3.5 oz) of mexican red rice has 185 kcal. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 278 kcal. That is a moderate energy density.

Does mexican red rice have fiber?

100 g (3.5 oz) of mexican red rice has 1.2 g of fiber. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 1.8 g of fiber.

Is mexican red rice filling?

Barely filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 1 out of 5. Calculation: 1 (base) + 0 (moderate energy density: 185 kcal/100 g) + 0 (protein: 1.8 g/100 kcal) + 0 (fiber: 0.6 g/100 kcal) + 0 (solid food with 58.5 g of water, under 70) = 1. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.

What counts as a normal serving of mexican red rice?

We use 150 g (5.5 oz) as a typical serving. That amount provides about 278 kcal, 4.9 g of protein, and 1.8 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.

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Sources

Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.

  1. Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Restaurant, Mexican, spanish rice (FDC ID 167665).accessed .
  2. Other sourceLarousse Cocina (Mexico).Muñoz Zurita R. Arroz rojo (red rice recipe from the book Verde, blanco y rojo en la cocina mexicana; in Spanish).accessed .
  3. Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked (FDC ID 168878).accessed .
  4. Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
  5. InstitutionWorld Health Organization.Sodium reduction.accessed .
  6. RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods (Annex).accessed .
  7. RegulatorU.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS).Leftovers and Food Safety.accessed .
  8. RegulatorSingapore Food Agency.B. cereus in Rice-based Food, 15 July 2021.accessed .