Rice
Rice is safe during pregnancy when cooked properly. The one thing worth knowing is that cooked rice should be eaten promptly or cooled and refrigerated quickly, rather than left at room temperature for hours.
Rice — white, brown, basmati, jasmine, or any other variety — is a safe and standard part of a balanced diet during pregnancy, and there is no pregnancy-specific reason to avoid it. The one food safety point worth knowing, which actually applies to everyone and not just pregnant women, concerns how cooked rice is stored. Dry, uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that can survive cooking. If cooked rice is then left standing at room temperature, these spores can germinate and produce toxins that cause food poisoning — the rice can look, smell, and taste completely normal even when affected. This is why the standard advice is to serve rice soon after cooking, or cool it quickly (ideally within an hour) and refrigerate it, using it within 24 hours and reheating only once, until piping hot throughout. This applies to takeaway and restaurant rice too, which is generally safe as long as it has been stored and reheated properly by the establishment. Brown rice is nutritionally similar to white with more fibre; both are fine choices during pregnancy.
What to be aware of
- Cook rice thoroughly and serve promptly, or cool quickly and refrigerate within an hour.
- Refrigerated cooked rice should be used within 24 hours and reheated only once, until piping hot.
- Do not leave cooked rice standing at room temperature for extended periods.
NHS guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/