Precooked food from supermarkets can be a good resource for those days when time is short and you don't feel like turning on the stove. The problem is that in many cases it leaves a lot to be desired, both in terms of its flavor and its nutritional composition. And it is not just saying, because the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has confirmed it in a latest study in which it has analyzed five ready-to-eat rice and paella dishes from large stores.
After evaluating two seafood paellas (Bo de Debo and Eroski brands), 2 mixed paellas (Carrefour and Dia al punto) and a rice with Iberian secret and mushrooms ( Hacendado, from Mercadona), the organization has found that these products are They pass a lot of salt, have a good amount of fats and carbohydrates and include little protein.
The high sodium content of some of these products is what has worried the body the most: "an average serving has 4.9 grams, a value that is bordering on the 5 grams that the WHO has set as a daily limit for salt consumption." The Dia brand exceeds the recommended value: a single container contains 5.9 grams of salt!" they warn.
They have also been found with many common industrial ingredients in ultra-processed products, such as maltodextrin, flavors, phosphates, modified starch, dyes, yeast extract and xanthan gum.
In terms of flavor, the seafood paellas from Bo de Debo and Eroski come out badly, because when you heat them, "stale rice and some hard grains" remain. Of the two mixed paellas, Carrefour's is somewhat tastier than Dia's, they say, but the best-rated product is the Hacendado rice with Iberian secret and mushrooms.
"The price of these dishes is around 3.50 euros per container, somewhat more if seafood appears among the ingredients. The cost is, of course, tempting to resort to these dishes forgetting to buy the ingredients and start cooking. However , the excess of salt and the abundance of additives and industrial ingredients lead us to advise against the regular consumption of these products," the organization concludes.
