Welcome to this week’s Try Me Tuesday. As a reminder…each week I will grab a new set of products and test them out. I’ll put the Publix brand up against a national brand product and report back.
I know many times I struggle with what brand to choose. Often a sale or a coupon/sale combination make that an easier decision…but what about those times when you need an item and there is not a sale? Do you grab the house brand or pay more and get the national brand? More importantly, is there really a difference in taste?
This week we tried Publix White Rice Pouch.
Publix White Rice Pouch, 8.8 oz, $1.79
Serving Size – 1 cup
Calories – 230
Total Fat – 2g
Sodium – 0mg
Total Carb – 48g
Dietary Fiber – 1g
Sugars – 0g
Protein – 5g
Ingredients: Water, Parboiled Long Grain White Rice, Sunflower Oil, Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier).
Uncle Ben’s White Rice Pouch, 8.8 oz, $2.19
Serving Size – 1 cup
Calories – 200
Total Fat – 2.5g
Sodium – 10mg
Total Carb – 40g
Dietary Fiber – 1g
Sugars – 0g
Protein – 4g
Ingredients: Water, Parboiled Long Grain Rice, Canola Oil And/Or Sunflower Oil (Adds A Trivial Amount Of Saturated Fat), Iron (Ferric Orthophosphate), Thiamine (Thiamine Mononitrate), Folate (Folic Acid).
RESULTS
- Publix – 2
- Uncle Ben’s – 2
I spotted the pouches of Publix ready to serve rice a few weeks ago and thought they’d be a great option for us to taste test. My family loves rice and I am fond of having those heat and serve options handy for a busy night…so I grabbed a pouch of the Publix and the Uncle Ben’s as they were both labeled white rice. I wanted to make sure the products were as similar as possible to make sure it was an even playing field.
Rice is funny as you’d think that it would all just taste the same…but, it really doesn’t! I am pretty particular with rice. It’s not as much of a flavor issue as it is a texture issue. I can’t stand a mushy rice…it can ruin a whole meal. My guys are also rice fanatics and took this test very seriously. Everyone kept tasting and re-tasting in an attempt to decide which they liked best.
It was a TIE!
There was definitely a difference in the rice. The texture was similar in both but there was a slight flair difference and a color difference as well. Honestly, I would happily eat either pouch with a meal and be very happy.
From a price stand point, the Publix was the winner. It was 40¢ less than the Uncle Ben’s item. AND…I actually got mine while they were on sale. I think I paid $1.50 maybe? Uncle Ben’s also goes on sale pretty often so ultimately, I think I am going to stick with the tie this week. I will likely always just grab the item that’s on sale.
So have you tried both? Did you have a preference?
