Review? I Was Too Busy Eating.

Aug 22

Let me start by saying: I wasn't expecting to be emotionally rocked by a box of lentils and rice. And yet—there I was, standing over the stove, sniffing steam like it was a fine wine, whispering,

"Oh my gosh, this smells amazing."

Because it did. Like a warm, comforting hug from your friend's abuela who knows how to spice things right.

This red lentil rice from Thrive Market had me at paprika and garlic. I mean, that's basically how I want to be remembered.

If you've ever craved Spanish rice with a little more personality—and fewer weird ingredients—this is your moment. It's like your favorite rice dish grew up, discovered its plant-based roots, and went gluten-free without losing any flavor.

Let's talk logistics.

It's a 5-oz box. You dump it in a pot with 1.5 cups of water. The instructions suggest using another Thrive Market product I didn't have on hand (surprise, surprise), so I substituted ½ tablespoon of butter and called it good. Spoiler: It was more than reasonable. It was inhale-it-between-tantrums good.

Honestly, I forgot I was supposed to be reviewing it. That's how deeply I was into it. I had a fork in one hand and the empty box in the other, with zero regrets.

My kids refused to try it—because, naturally, anything orange that isn't macaroni and cheese is apparently poison. Still, if they had taken a bite, I'm 98% sure they'd have loved it. The other 2% is reserved for the chaos that is parenting. Here's the label rundown:

✅ Gluten-Free

✅ Vegetarian & Vegan

✅ Certified Kosher

✅ Certified Organic

✅ Plant-Based

✅ Grain-Free

✅ Non-GMO

✅ Preservative-Free

✅ No Added Sugar or Sweeteners

✅ Cholesterol-Free

Basically, if this rice were a person, it would be the clean-eating, label-reading mom friend we all admire but secretly want to slap because how do you do it, Karen?!

And for only $3.99 on Thrive Market? That's cheaper than one of those "rice bowls" at a trendy cafe that charges extra to heat your food.

Final verdict:

Would eat again. And again. And probably hide the box from my husband because he's been known to "try a bite" and then eat the whole serving. It's that good. And if you're looking for an easy, healthy, feel-good meal that tastes like it took effort (but didn't), this is your winner.