If you want to shake up your rice game, Trader Joe's offers Riced Hearts of Palm. 

A shelf-stable product, you'll find Trader Joe's Riced Hearts of Palm vacuum-sealed in a box near the other rice and pasta. A 9-ounce package costs $3.49.

What are Hearts of Palm?

I'm embarrassed to admit, but for the longest time, I thought hearts of palm were part of an artichoke. Um, despite the name practically spelling it out. Hearts of palm are the core of palm plants. 

I think we can agree that the hearts of palm in the vacuum-sealed package look a little unappetizing. 

Trader Joe's Riced Hearts of Palm Nutrition Information and Weight Watcher Points

There's one ingredient in Trader Joe's Riced Hearts of Palm, and that is...hearts of palm! It's also naturally gluten-free and vegan. 

The suggested serving size is 1/3rd of the package, but you can eat the entirety of the package (well, not the box and the plastic) for 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein. 

The Weight Watchers Points (WW points) for Trader Joe's Riced Hearts of Palm is 0. Zero points whether you eat the serving size or the whole package.

Speaking of rice, here are some favorite rice-centric recipes:

• stick of butter rice (30 handmade days)
• thai-style chickpea curry with coconut rice (how sweet eats)
• fluffernutter sandwich rice krispies (cookies & cups)

Trader Joe's Riced Hearts of Palm Review

He says (Mark): This sounded interesting before the taste test. By itself, I have nothing to compare it to. I'm such a fan of various white rice that it made for a poor start. The texture didn't do anything to win me over. I tried it both plain and with a dash of salt/pepper. If this were a base for a protein bowl with other strong flavors and textures, I'd still notice it.

Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars

She says (Bridget): Let me start by saying this is no fault of Trader Joe's. I just think riced hearts of palm is not my jam. It's wet. It has a strange but bland flavor. I can't see using it as a rice substitute or as a side dish on its own. It's said that hearts of palm taste like artichokes. I love artichokes and I don't find this to be the case. They might have a similar texture. I'm gonna stick to my rice favorites: basmati, jasmine, forbidden, and sushi. 

Overall rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Will we buy this again? That's a resounding NO. 

Does Trader Joe's Riced Hearts of Palm make a good rice substitute? We don't think so.