# Ready-Made Rice Sides Café Spice's Microwavable Side Dishes Simplify Mealtime By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2024-09-17 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rice-sides References: [foodbusinessnews.net](https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/26777-cafe-spice-debuts-microwave-ready-rice-sides) & [cafespice](https://cafespice.com/meals)  [Café Spice](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/readytoeat-meals) launched a new line of rice sides in [microwavable trays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tasty-bite-butter-chickpea-vegetables) that simplify meals and meal preparation with savory, globally inspired recipes. “The market is telling us that consumers want more diversity,” said Sameer Malhotra, chief executive officer and co-founder of Café Spice, “With the celebrated success of our combo meals, and being recognized for the flavorful rice we already sell, it was a natural progression to highlight our expanded rice offering exclusively." With these [ready-made rice sides](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zatarains-rice-products), consumers can enjoy flavors like vegetable fried rice, coconut rice or saffron rice on their own, or pair them with a protein or vegetable of choice. All three of the new rice sides are mildly spiced, gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based and vegetarian-friendly. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.4/10 - Popularity: 12% | Activity: 32% | Freshness: 28% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Microwavable Meals:** An increasing demand for convenient, quick meal solutions can be met with innovative microwavable tray dishes that offer diverse, savory flavors. - **Global Flavors:** Products highlighting globally inspired recipes cater to adventurous consumers seeking variety and authenticity in their daily meals. - **Plant-based Options:** The rise in plant-based diets creates a market for versatile, vegetarian-friendly meal components that are also gluten-free and dairy-free. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food & Beverage:** The food and beverage industry can respond to changing consumer preferences by offering convenient, diverse meal options that cater to dietary needs. - **Health & Wellness:** An emphasis on healthier eating habits drives demand for plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free food products. - **Packaged Goods:** Innovation in packaged goods focuses on convenient, ready-made meal solutions that deliver exotic tastes and cater to various dietary lifestyles. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Heat-and-Eat Indian Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/readytoeat-meals.md) - [International Cuisine Side Dishes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tilda-tasty-sides.md) - [Heat-and-Eat Indian Cuisine Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/geetas-microwaveable-sides.md) - [Flavorfully Spiced Rice Dishes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chipotle-jasmine-rice.md) - [Authentic Flash-Frozen Rice Dishes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/simply-so-rice.md) - [High-Quality Microwaveable Rice Pouches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/merchant-gourmet-rice-pouches.md) - [Pouch-Packaged Meal Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tilda-easy-meals.md) - [Heat-and-Eat Fakeaway Rices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/readytoheat-rice.md) - [Foodie-Friendly Rice Cups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/riviana-foods-minute-rice-cups.md)