8 Healthiest Seasoned Rices on Grocery Shelves—and 3 to Avoid

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If time for dinner has you reaching for a protein, a vegetable, and a starch, seasoned rice possible has a spot in your pantry. Whether or not it’s 90-second rice from a pouch, long-cooking, or 10-minute rice, having a pre-seasoned starch out there could make getting a flavorful dinner on the desk fast and straightforward.

Whereas it might be more healthy and extra cost-efficient to make rice on the range and season it your self, the comfort of pre-seasoned rice actually can’t be overwhelmed. As a dietitian and busy mother, I’m a fan of often utilizing packaged meals like this to make selfmade dinners simpler and faster. Whether or not it’s cilantro lime rice for selfmade burrito bowls, Mediterranean rice to serve with roasted salmon, or yellow rice alongside curry, seasoned rice, particularly fast cooking ones, can take quite a lot of stress out of weeknight cooking.

However not all seasoned rice is created equal. Some manufacturers have half a day’s price of sodium and are low in vitamins like fiber and protein. We’ve discovered the eight healthiest seasoned rice you should buy, in addition to three you might wish to restrict or skip.

How we selected the healthiest seasoned rice

• Lower than 20% DV Sodium. Seasoned rice will be notoriously excessive in sodium, with some manufacturers having over 50% of the every day worth (DV). In America, coronary heart illness and stroke, collectively, is the primary killer, and a diet high in sodium is a significant threat issue. The really useful dietary allowance (RDA) for sodium is 2,300 milligrams per day. Select a rice that has  470 milligrams (20%) or much less per serving.
• 3 grams or extra of fiber. Grains and starches will be a wonderful option to improve your fiber consumption, so long as you’re selecting high-fiber ones. I prefer to search for rice that has no less than 3 grams of fiber per serving, which is about 10% of the really useful DV.
• 4 grams or extra of protein. Whereas rice will not be an incredible supply of protein, it does present some. For those who comply with a plant-based weight-reduction plan, selecting grains with as a lot protein as potential will help you meet your protein objectives.

8 Healthiest Seasoned Rice Manufacturers

Greatest: Rikita’s World Grains Natural Cilantro Lime Rice

Vitamin (Per cup):
Energy: 230
Fats: 3 g (Saturated fats: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 390 mg
Carbs: 46 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 4 g

Rikita’s Global Grains Organic Cilantro Lime Rice is available in simple 90-second microwave pouches and is vegan, USDA natural, and free from synthetic colours, flavors, and preservatives. Every cup serving has solely 17% DV of sodium and also you’ll get three grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.

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Greatest: Lundberg Natural Entire Grain Yellow Rice

Vitamin (Per cup):
Energy: 230
Fats: 2 g (Saturated fats: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 470 mg
Carbs: 45 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 4 g

This complete grain pilaf is natural, vegan, and contains 100% complete grains. Lundberg Organic Whole Grain Yellow Rice is solely seasoned and contains parboiled brown rice, olive oil, and seasonings like bell peppers, onion, garlic, and sea salt. You’ll additionally get three grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein, which is available in at precisely 20% DV of sodium in each cup.

Greatest: RightRice Mediterranean Rice

Vitamin (Per ¾ cup cooked rice):
Energy: 165
Fats: 2 g (Saturated fats: <1 g)
Sodium: 320 mg
Carbs: 30 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 11 g

RightRice Mediterranean rice makes use of a combination of lentils, chickpeas, peas, and rice flour to create rice that’s excessive in protein and fiber. It’s seasoned with lemon, onion, parsley, and dill for a scrumptious Mediterranean taste. “Whereas the sodium depend is a bit excessive (14% DV), the rice presents 11 grams of protein, 12% of the Day by day Worth for iron, and 6 grams of dietary fiber,” says Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD. 

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Greatest: Royal Basmati Cilantro Lime Rice

Vitamin (Per cup):
Energy: 250
Fats: 3.5 g (Saturated fats: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 460 mg
Carbs: 50 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 5 g

Royal Basmati Cilantro Lime Rice pouches take 90 seconds to make and are made with long-grain basmati rice seasoned with cilantro, lime, onion, garlic, and salt. This one falls somewhat brief within the fiber class with solely two grams of fiber per serving, however served with black, pinto, or refried beans, as a part of a burrito bowl will help make it part of a high-fiber meal.

Greatest: Banza Garlic Olive Oil Rice

Vitamin (Per 1.8 ounce serving):
Energy: 170
Fats: 3 g (Saturated fats: 0 g)
Sodium: 310 mg
Carbs: 29 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 11 g

“Banza Garlic Olive Oil Rice is a more healthy possibility on the subject of a seasoned ‘rice’ facet dish,” says Michelle Rauch, MSc RDN. Banza rice is made out of chickpeas, making it a lower-carb, higher-fiber substitute that appears and tastes lots like the true deal. “Along with the 11 grams of protein per ¼ cup (dry) serving, Banza rice has 5 grams of fiber,” says Rauch.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Greatest: SOMOS Poblano Brown Rice

Vitamin (Per cup):
Energy: 220
Fats: 5 g (Saturated fats: 1 g)
Sodium: 460 mg
Carbs: 39 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 4 g

SOMOS Poblano Brown Rice is available in a microwavable pouch and makes use of easy substances like parboiled brown rice, poblano peppers, safflower oil, and seasonings to make flavorful and scrumptious rice. Every cup has three grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein whereas additionally offering 20% DV of vitamin D.

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Greatest: Tasty Chew Natural Brown Rice and Garlic

Vitamin (Per cup):
Energy: 240
Fats: 6 g (Saturated fats: 1 g)
Sodium: 470 mg
Carbs: 42 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 5 g

We love packaged comfort meals that use complete meals, and Tasty Bite Organic Brown Rice and Garlic doesn’t disappoint. This seasoned rice is flavored with carrots, spinach, corn, garlic, cumin, and chili peppers. Every serving has 5 grams of protein and three grams of fiber from the entire grain brown rice.

Greatest: Seeds of Change Natural Quinoa and Brown Rice with Garlic

Vitamin (Per one cup):
Energy: 280
Fats: 4.5 g (Saturated fats: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 360 mg
Carbs: 53 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 5 g

“I like the Seeds of Change Organic Quinoa and Brown Rice with Garlic as a wholesome seasoned rice alternative as a result of it comprises a mixture of brown rice and quinoa, which provides extra fiber, nutritional vitamins, minerals, and protein,” says Wan Na Chun, MPH, RD, CPT, proprietor of One Pot Wellness primarily based in Indianapolis, IN.  You’ll get 5 grams of protein and fiber every, with solely 16% DV sodium.

3 Seasoned Rices To Restrict or Keep away from

Worst: Zatarain’s Caribbean Rice Combine

Vitamin (Per ⅓ cup dry combine):
Energy: 250
Fats: 2 g (Saturated fats: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 1,430 mg
Carbs: 53 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 5 g

One of many worst seasoned rice to make and eat at house is Zatarain’s Caribbean Rice Mix. Only one serving has 1,430 milligrams of sodium, or 62% DV. Plus, it has eight grams of sugar, 4 of that are added sugars.

Worst: Rice-A-Roni Hen Flavored Rice

Vitamin (Per ⅓ cup dry + 1/3 tablespoon seasoning, ready with butter):
Energy: 250
Fats: 7 g (Saturated fats: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 800mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 5 g

“Rice-A-Roni Chicken flavor is a seasoned rice product that must be prevented,” says Rauch. When ready, this rice has 35% DV of sodium and in addition contains one gram of trans fat. Diets excessive in trans fats improve the chance of dying from any trigger by 34% and the chance of dying from coronary coronary heart illness by 28%, per the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO recommends limiting trans fat to lower than 1% of whole energy to reduce this threat.

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Worst: Minute Hen and Herb Seasoned Rice

Vitamin (Per 1 cup portion):
Energy: 220
Fats: 2.5 g (Saturated fats: 0 g)
Sodium: 860 mg
Carbs: 43 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 5 g

Present in a handy microwavable one-serving cup, Minute Chicken and Herb Seasoned Rice makes our listing of the worst seasoned rice. Whereas it does have 4 grams of fiber, which we like to see, one cup provides 37% DV of sodium to your day, making it robust to stay to your sodium restrict of two,300.