Product Review: Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous Mix

If you are looking for an alternative to the usual rice and potatoes accompaniment to your meals, may I recommend Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous as a healthy alternative? It is easy to prepare and has a mild Parmesan cheese flavor which goes well with many foods without overpowering the meal's main dish.

What is Couscous?
Couscous is a Moroccan food that very closely resembles white rice in appearance. In fact after it is cooked, you plump up the couscous with a fork just as you would when cooking rice. At first glance it appears to be a smaller grain of rice.

I recently purchased Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous Mix from Aldi's ( my favorite basic food staples store) for a price of $1.49 for a 5.9 ounce box. The contents are attractively packaged in an orange, tan and brown box with a luscious, tantalizing picture of a suggested serving of couscous served with what appears to be sauteed or lightly pan fried mushrooms, zucchini and squash. There is a smaller inset label that declares that Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous Mix is trans fat and MSG free and cooks in five minutes, all favorable attributes to today's health conscious consumer.

Ingredients in Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous Mix
A partial list of the ingredients included in Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous are described as pre-cooked durum wheat semolina, maltodextrose, Parmesan cheese, pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, parsley, refined soybean oil and artificial flavors. In bold lettering you read the product contains wheat and milk which is helpful information for anyone concerned about food allergies.

Nutrition Facts
The box states the serving size to be about 1/3 cup and makes one cup prepared couscous with about three servings per container. I happily discovered the quantity to exceed 1 cup prepared as stated in the product labeling. In fact, the yield equaled about three cups. I am not sure how the company calculated its quantity but I am pleased the yield exceeds the stated amount on the product label.

There are 230 calories in this product when Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous Mix is prepared with a low twenty calories per serving. Cholesterol is listed at 2% and sodium content which is a concern of many health conscious individuals is 18%. Vitamin A content stands at 2% with iron listed at 4%. Depending upon whether you use olive oil or butter, the nutrition values change slightly. The Percent Daily values are based upon a 2000 calorie diet.

Preparation
Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous Mix can be prepared on the stove top or in the microwave. I used the stove top method with excellent results. The directions for both are simple and easily understood. In 3-4 steps the couscous mix is prepared. Just before serving it is suggested that you plump the couscous with a fork much like you do before serving rice.

Serving Suggestions
My imagination goes wild as I think of serving ideas for the Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored couscous. I like rice and vegetable combinations so I can foresee a couscous with green peas side dish, or a couscous and grilled red and yellow peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes medley. Although I eat steak sparingly, I do enjoy a grilled steak every so often; the Rice Bowl Parmesan Chesse Flavored Couscous would awaken my tastebuds as a side dish with steak and a vegetables. Homemade soups can have couscous instead of rice as one of its ingredients. Ideas are endless.

Where to Purchase
Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous is distributed by Aldi's and is a product of the United States and can be purchased nationwide at Aldi stores. There is a 100% satisfaction guaranteed seal printed on the box. If dissatisfied you can contact the company at www.Aldi.us.

I recommend Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous as a new and tasty accompaniment to meals as a tasteful
replacement for more familiar use of rice or potatoes. After purchasing a box of Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous, I plan to add this item to my grocery list. I give a "thumbs up" and a salute of the fork to Rice Bowl Parmesan Flavored Couscous.