Cauliflower has gained immense popularity, particularly with the rise of cauliflower rice recipes trending on social media platforms like Pinterest. This vegetable, when processed in a food processor to achieve a rice or couscous-like texture, has been embraced by consumers as a low-carb option. Similar to rice, cauliflower absorbs flavors well, but it contains only five grams of carbohydrates and 25 calories per 100 grams, in stark contrast to rice, which has 28 grams of carbohydrates and 130 calories for the same serving size. This nutritional profile makes cauliflower a favored ingredient in weight-loss recipes.
The trend has significantly impacted the rice industry, which asserts that “only rice is rice,” claiming that referring to vegetables as “rice” may mislead consumers. Given that the U.S. dairy industry has struggled to prevent the definition of “milk” from encompassing plant-based alternatives, it seems unlikely that the rice sector will succeed in persuading the FDA to narrow the definition of this cereal grain.
While cauliflower rice remains the leading alternative use for this vegetable, other applications such as cauliflower mash and cauliflower pizza crust are also emerging. It will be intriguing to see if the popularity of products like Caulipower’s pizza crusts encourages major manufacturers to introduce similar offerings. The industry has already witnessed the rise of vegetable chips as alternatives to traditional potato chips. Del Monte recently launched a line of vegetable “pasta” made from ingredients such as zucchini, butternut squash, and sweet potato.
One of the key selling points for these products is their health benefits, alongside the fact that homemade versions can be labor-intensive. Companies like Caulipower and Del Monte are banking on the idea that consumers would prefer a convenient option that delivers all the health advantages—such as calcium carbonate to calcium citrate conversions—without the effort. As the trend towards healthy convenience continues to gain momentum, this prediction appears to be quite astute.