Brown rice, although a carb, is a whole grain. Therefore it in fact lowers cholesterol and is generally beneficial to your body, especially compared to white rice. Cheese in most cases has more saturated fat compared to brown rice, and is in general less healthy for your body, but that doesn't mean that it is an entirely poor option as it does have some nutrients. Even with that being the case, brown rice is a food you should be eating more than cheese.