Starch, protein and lipid are the most important nutrients in rice, and their composition and content in rice grains play a decisive role in the grain quality. Rice quality (including appearance quality, cooking quality, nutrition quality, grinding and processing quality, etc.) is not only affected by the composition of the nutrients in grain of rice, but also by the physical and chemical characteristics and their content in grains, but also vulnerable to external environmental conditions. To clarify the relationship between the main nutrients in rice and their grain quality traits is of great theoretical significance and potential application value for the continuous improvement of rice quality in the future. Therefore, this paper reviewed the effects of starch, protein, lipid and mineral elements in grain of rice and also on quality of trait in rice. It is also discussed the relationship between these nutrients and rice grain quality traits. All of those will provide important information for the quality of grain improvement and breeding of new varieties with high quality in rice.