Extrusion cooking impacts positively on the nutritional status of a food when compared to their raw form. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of ingredient variables: Feed Rate, Water Addition Rate, and Mixture Composition on the extent of nutritional changes to rice flour enriched with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and bamboo (Yushania alpina) shoots on extrusion processing. A 5 × 3 × 2 factorial experimental set up for feed blending, water addition rate, and feed rate in single screw dry type extruder with a constant set barrel temperature of 250°C and screw speed of 1,480 rpm was used. All ingredient variables showed a varying effect on the extent of loss in proteins, condensed tannins, and dietary fiber while increasing carbohydrates, protein digestibility, and total phenolic content. These alterations are due to magnitude of mixing and shear impact, mass moisture, and specific mechanical energy that influence the degree of bio‐reactions. Practical applications The current emphasis in addressing food insecurity especially in low economic countries is on enriching staple foods with locally available underutilized food crops. Rice is a staple food across the globe while sorghum, though nutritious, has remained to be one of the most underutilized cereal crops. Consumption of bamboo shoots is gaining global popularity due to being high in nutrients as well as possessing functional properties. Inasmuch as incorporating sorghum and bamboo shoots to rice will result in enrichment but also any further could cause changes to nutritional components. Hence, understanding the relationship between effect of ingredient variables and nutritional changes during extrusion will inform on novel product(s) development. These findings demonstrate possible applicability of extruded rice flour enriched with sorghum and bamboo shoots in addressing global food security.