Our latest grain alternative comes straight from the heart… hearts of palm, that is. We think the Hearts of Palm Pasta on our grocery shelves is a pretty impressive pasta substitute, so we set out to discover if it could be a suitable stand-in for another beloved grain, rice—and dazzle us, it did! For a simple, versatile, and convenient replacement for rice, Trader Joe’s’s Riced Hearts of Palm is just hearts of palm, that has been… well… riced. It’s gluten free, vegan, and kosher, too.

Tender, mild-tasting, hearts of palm come from the center of palm trees. Our Ecuadorian supplier takes the harvested Hearts and processes them, so it comes out looking like rice. Nothing is added to this mild- flavored Rice, so you can use as a blank canvas for a variety of dishes and flavors. Make a grain-free grain bowl, by adding sautéed veggies, a protein (maybe tofu or chicken) to the prepared Rice, and dress it with Green Goddess Salad Dressing. Since our Riced Hearts of Palm takes five minutes or less to prepare on the stove or in the microwave, so you can have a homemade fried rice ready in under 20 minutes. Talk about a weeknight dinner game changer!