Trader Joe's Riced Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Risotto

There is a fine line between being health-conscious and being that person that gives out carrot sticks and apple slices to trick-or-treaters. I mean, come on. Candy one night a year won't touch you. But candy over a lifetime? Science is catching up to the common sense notion that processed foods and ultraprocessed foods are probably really bad for you. So I really should curb my processed food snacking, because that's my area of weakness. Yet, I review mostly snacks. Most Trader Joe's products that I review are processed in some way. They might not be as bad as the worst thing out there, but I thought I should just put it out there, as if we didn't already know, even though TJ's has a reputation for being "healthy," not everything with a TJ's label on it actually is healthy. Let's all be better-informed consumers, shall we? 

I picked this up when I wanted something healthy but didn't have time/was too lazy to cook. Ultimately, I think if you are committed to your health, at some point you have to cook. I know that. I just wasn't going to do it that day. Also, I like the deliberate product name here - we have an unspoken rule in my house that the correct terminology is "riced cauliflower" and not "cauliflower rice."

Microwaved food is convenient but never better. Stove top for the win.

The nutrition profile isn't too bad. I don't see anything funky, so as far as prepared food goes, this isn't a bad pick at all. There's cauliflower, butternut squash sauce, cheese, squash, and parsley. Also, the sodium isn't too high - TJ's prepared food normally has a ton of sodium.

"Heat until desired consistency is reached." To which I say..uhhh...it's a vegetable, how is it ever going to reach "risotto consistency?

1) The mixture does thicken eventually. For this reason, I prefer the stove-top preparation so I can see the cooking process.

2) This tastes healthy. Not in a bad way. It just tastes healthy. Texturally, it does have a certain creaminess but there's no mistaking that this is still very much cauliflower. Not a bad cauliflower taste like some other cauliflower products, it's just that you know it's not arborio rice.

3) The butternut squash sauce that is responsible for the thickening has a light cheesy flavor, but it's underseasoned. That's why the sodium count isn't sky high. If you like healthy tasting things, I don't think you will mind but if you're an average salt-loving person, you're probably going to reach for the table salt for this one.

4) I added chickpeas to this dish for some bulk. The squash and carrot go nicely with the risotto - it just isn't a complete meal. So if you're not using this as a side, I suggest adding a few things to make it a bit more substantial.

5) $3.69 for one bag that fed me for two meals. Is it the tastiest thing ever? No but it's decent. If the seasoning really does bother you, you can always season it to your taste. Is it something you could eat on a normal day where you're trying to be healthy? Sure.

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Riced Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Risotto. A little creamy, pretty healthy risotto-inspired vegetable. 7 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? Actually maybe.