Rice is a near-universal mealtime staple that carries as much comfort as it does culinary history, and It's That Simple found a way to honor its essence while meeting modern dietary priorities with lower-carb Rice Blends that don't ask anyone to give up their favorite dish. Debuted at Natural Products Expo West 2026, the carb-reduced Rice Blends boast 50% fewer carbohydrates and calories than traditional rice, thanks to a clever combination of white or brown rice flour with konjac flour.
“We are applying the same approach that fueled our success in Pasta to the Rice Blends,” said Bryan Guadagno, It’s That Simple co-founder and CEO. “This isn’t just a product launch, it’s a modern upgrade to one of the most widely consumed staple foods. Our goal is simple: to make better-for-you choices effortless, accessible, and genuinely delicious.”
What's Driving This Trend
- Low-carb Staple Reinvention
- Reformulating ubiquitous carbohydrate staples into familiar formats with half the carbs creates opportunities to displace traditional pantry items and reshape consumer purchasing patterns.
- Functional Flour Blends
- Combining konjac and rice flours to deliver mouthfeel and structure while reducing calories points to novel ingredient systems that can replace single-source flours across multiple categories.
- Texture-preserving Reformulation
- Maintaining classic rice grain shape and sensory properties despite compositional shifts highlights potential for reformulated products to win mainstream acceptance without sacrifice to culinary expectations.
Who This Affects Most
- Packaged Foods
- Retail-ready low-carb rice blends open avenues for branded convenience products that target health-conscious consumers seeking familiar meal components with improved nutrition profiles.
- Foodservice and Restaurants
- Menu integrations of carb-reduced staples can alter dish formulations and pricing strategies by offering lower-calorie options that preserve expected textures and portion experiences.
- Ingredient Suppliers
- Demand for konjac and functional flour blends could spur innovation in supply chains, formulation services, and specialized processing technologies to support scale and consistency.
