This Super Easy Trick Reduces The Calories In Your Food By Half

Scientists have discovered a new way to cook rice that reduces its calories by up to 60 percent, according to a presentation at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

All you have to do is boil one teaspoon of coconut oil and one cup of water. Then add half a cup of regular old white rice and let it simmer for up to 40 minutes, or until the rice absorbs all the water. Next, fluff it with a fork and pop it in your fridge for at least 12 hours. Then microwave to reheat the rice whenever you want it.

Here's how it works: Researchers say the combo of cooking and cooling turns the regular starch in rice (carbs!) into something called resistant starch, which stands up to the digestive enzymes that typically help your body absorb calories from food. The result is rice that contains 10 to 15 times more resistant starch and 50 to 60 percent fewer calories than regular rice (about 240 calories per cup) cooked the regular way.

Because your body can't digest resistant starch, and you don't have to count indigestible calories you consume, eating resistant starch can help you feel full without blowing through your daily calorie allotment. But dieters aren't the only ones who stand to benefit. Unlike regular starch, resistant starch ferments in the large intestine, where it creates byproducts that promote digestive health for anyone.

This cooking process doesn't change the taste of regular rice and barely affects the texture. But if you think that's the best part, you're mistaken: The real pearl is that scientists plan use their newfound wisdom to find a way to reduce the digestible calories in other kinds of rice, corn, potatoes, and pasta (!!!) next. Life is good, people.