ARLINGTON, VA – Last week, USA Rice joined Giant Food’s
Table Talk for a live recording of the retailer’s dietitian-hosted wellness series. In celebration of March being Whole Grains Month, the discussion revolved around "fueling for our future with whole grains" and covered many aspects of whole grain rice from application and nutrition to cooking and storage best practices.
“This was the second time USA Rice has been featured on this grocer-hosted series,” said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice senior director of domestic promotion, who was interviewed for the podcast. “The first time I participated, the discussion was focused on the role rice plays in international dishes and global cuisines. This time around I shared up-to-date information on the domestic rice industry and all things whole grain rice.”
During the thirty-minute episode, Jacobs joined regional nutrition specialist Joni Rampolla RDN, LDN to talk about the U.S.-grown “difference,” highlighting the industry’s commitment to sustainability. Jacobs explained what whole grain rice is and how it differs from white rice in anatomy, nutrition, taste, and cook time, and answered questions from consumers in real time.
Jacobs got a chance to clarify the difference between short, medium, and long grain rice varieties, as well as talk about the affordability of rice at a time when shoppers are dealing with higher prices at the grocery store. He also shared some of his favorite whole grain rice recipes and how to access the USA Rice recipe database on
thinkrice.com.
“It was a pleasure to be a guest on
Table Talk again and a big ‘thank you’ to Giant Food for featuring USA Rice,” said Jacobs. “It is always a win for the industry when we get to personally interact with consumers and educate them on what makes U.S.-grown rice special and why they should be adding it to their shopping carts. I was impressed with how engaged the audience was and their desire to learn more about rice. We definitely could have gone over the thirty-minute mark just answering all of their questions!”
The 198 shoppers who registered for the broadcast received USA Rice recipes, resources, and a recording of the episode. Go
here to watch the full episode.
“Our live audience loves learning about their food from the experts and it is such a resource to have someone like Cameron on to discuss the ins and outs of whole grain rice and answer all their questions,” said Rampolla. “This was a great session! Our attendees were particularly engaged and loved learning new tips and tricks about using, buying, and storing rice.”
Table Talk follows a distinct theme each month and covers a wide range of topics. The virtual series is geared towards families and chefs of all ages looking to learn more about their food each week.
The Giant Company is based out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and operates Giant Food, Martin’s, and Giant Heirloom Market with more than 190 locations serving customers across Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.