Product Review: Velleron French Herb Whole Grain Blend

It comes to me while reading over the title to this review that the name does not make it very clear at all what this product is. Think of it as an organic, all natural version of Rice-A-Roni with no gluten. Yep, it’s a boxed rice mix- Kind of. I picked this up from the store because I’ve noticed that my personal nutrition has gone down the tubes a bit with all of the cookies and snacks I’ve been reviewing lately. It was not really what I expected, but I am very happy with the end result.

This Whole Grain Blend comes to us from Seeds of Change. It is a blend of brown rice, quinoa and millet. You mix the grains with a little olive oil, some water and the seasoning packet. It is easy to make and has an exciting flavor profile. The whole thing takes about 35 minutes from start to finish.

Something I noticed as soon as I opened the seasoning packet is that it smells like a health food store. You know, that earthy, herby smell? It made my whole house smell that way, which was great for me, not so much for the hubby :)

I expected the Velleron French Herb Whole Grain Blend to be slightly sweet, with bits of herbs- somewhat delicate. I was totally wrong. What I got was a deep, rich, in-your-face flavor. It is a bit spicy, very bold and multi-textured. It was fantastic. The seasoning packet carried bits of veggies, some were little red specks (peppers?), the carrot pieces plumped up fairly large and juicy. The overall effect was complex and indulgent.

The price isn’t bad either. It was less than $4.00 and made a large amount. I’m thinking about grabbing some to have on hand when it comes to bringing dishes to all the holiday dinners that are coming up.

The box has a lot of information about how green the company is, always a plus in my book. The product is certified organic and pretty darn healthy! I recommend it as a side dish for any dinner, or as a lunch all by itself.