Spanish rice is a dish made primarily from white rice and tomatoes. This dish actually originates from Mexico rather than Spain and wasn’t called “Spanish rice” until it became popular in the American Southwest. Spanish rice is typically served as a side dish in a Tex-Mex meal.

The rice is sautéed in a skillet until it’s brown. The rice is then added to a stock of chicken broth along with tomatoes and seasonings such as cilantro, cumin, garlic, onions and parsley. Additional vegetables such as carrots, corn and peas may also be added depending on the recipe.

This nutritional information for Spanish rice assumes a serving of one cup. It’s based on a typical American recipe that includes a variety of vegetables. The South American version is known as “arroz” (rice) and generally consists only of rice and just enough tomatoes to turn the rice red.

A serving of Spanish rice contains 214 calories. Carbohydrates contribute 161 calories, fats provide 33 calories and proteins make up the remaining 20 calories. A serving of Spanish rice provides about 11 percent of the daily calorie requirement for a diet of 2,000 calories per day.

A serving of Spanish rice contains 41.7 g of carbohydrates, which consists of 38.7 g of pure carbohydrates and 3 g of soluble fiber. A gram of carbohydrates contain 4 calories, so a serving of Spanish rice has 38.7 x 4 = 154.8 calories from carbohydrates. Each gram of soluble fiber has about 2 calories, so a serving of Spanish rice contains 2 x 3 = 6 calories from digestible fiber.

A serving of Spanish rice contains about 3.6 grams of fat. Each gram of fat has 9 calories, so a serving of Spanish rice contains 3.6 x 9 = 32.4 calories from fat. Unsaturated fats account for about 3 g, and saturated fats make up the remaining 0.6 g.

A serving of Spanish rice contains about 5 g of protein. Each gram of protein contains 4 calories, so a serving of Spanish rice contains 5 x 4 = 20 calories from protein.