Ask Dr. Gourmet

Are Alessi brand packaged side dishes good for you?

Do the varieties of Alessi grain packages with the flavor included have any nutritional value?

Dr. Gourmet Says...

Thanks for writing about these products.

We would never review or recommend these Alessi packaged side dishes for a number of reasons.

First and foremost is that the sodium content is outrageously high for a side dish - in the range of 600 to 800 milligrams for a cup of prepared risotto (820mg in the case of the pictured variety). Note that sodium is the third ingredient after arborio rice and dried onion and garlic.

The second reason is that some of the sodium comes from monosodium glutamate (MSG) - it's the 6th ingredient in the ingredient list. If you see a product that contains MSG, you should never purchase it - it's a signal that the product is highly processed.

If you want to eat risotto, it's pretty easy to make your own. Here's my Chef Tim Says... column on risotto.

Here are a few risotto recipes to try:

Side Dish ideas (a side dish serving will be 1/2 of a main course serving):
Mushroom Risotto
Onion Risotto
Risotto with Peas
Main Course ideas:
Chicken Leek Risotto
Saffron Salmon Risotto
Risotto Con Pollo | Low Sodium Version
Risotto with Italian Sausage
Shrimp Risotto with Peas

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet