Product Review: Knorr Lipton Asian Sides and Cajun Sides

As a wife who works a full time job and part time freelancing, I'm always trying to find quick, convenient, healthy food choices to feed myself and my husband. Since some attempts in the past have failed, I've begun giving these products a trial run before making them a family meal.

I've had generally good luck with the Knorr Lipton line of pasta sides, so I was thrilled to see what I thought was a new flavor line in their rice side dishes. I purchased a Cajun Sides Garlic Butter Rice, and an Asian Sides Chicken Fried Rice. At a little over $1 each, I thought it was reasonable.

First, I tried the Garlic Butter Rice flavor. I followed the directions, but the rice still seemed a little firm to me, so I boiled it a little longer before letting it rest. It did seem to set well, remaining moist enough for good texture, but not moist enough to leave "broth" at the end.

It smelled wonderful. The scent of garlic was very strong, as was another seasoning that I couldn't quite place. The taste was good, the smell of garlic was stronger than the taste of it was, and there was a definite butter flavor in it. That's not always true of "butter" flavored items. While it did taste quite salty, I don't mind that. The only real drawback is that I had missed something on the label- it's a rice and pasta mixture. Not just rice. The texture of the pasta actually caused me to lose my appetite, and I threw the leftovers out.

The Chicken Fried Rice was a little better. I added 2 minutes to the cooking time, and the texture came out perfectly. The flavors over all were not as strong, and the texture of the noodles didn't bother me this time.

While I did prefer this flavor, I didn't think it tasted at all like chicken fried rice. This one might actually make it to the table eventually. It would probably be a good side dish for chicken and green beans or asparagus, but it should definitely remain as a side dish.

As for using this as a health food, it's your call. The rice is white rice, and the pasta only brings up the carb count. The sodium levels are approximately 30% of daily recommended allowance, though the fat content is relatively low. It does offer 7 grams of protein to its 16 grams of carbohydrates, which is not bad compared to similar products. And it has some great supplements like iron, folic acid, and niacin. All of this is per serving, which is approximately 1 cup cooked.

I don't know if I would buy this again. The Chicken Fried Rice is the only one that might pass muster with the picky one in the house, but I really think there are healthier products available that also taste better.