Heart Healthy* Whole Grain Blueberry Instant Oatmeal

Rating:
Price: $3.49
Features: Surprisingly sparse and artificial-tasting blueberries.
Found in: Near cereals

After my rave review and continuous consumption of TJ's Cranberry Oatmeal, I expected to enjoy the blueberry version to the fullest. Not so, in fact, it is quite a disappointment! They removed everything that is excellent about the cranberry stuff, and that makes it...well, a lot less good.

I discussed how the cranberry version has lots of dried fruit in it, and a nice balance of sweet and tart. Sadly, there are very few blueberries in this oatmeal, and those that you can dig up are tiny, shriveled, and what little flavor they have seems artificial. I had to search for the two little specks of blueberries that are showing in the photo (notice the difference compared to the product shot on the box). This oatmeal is too sweet and leaves a weird fake-almost-blueberry-but-not-quite taste in your mouth.

Red vs. Blue: Red wins.

Heart Healthy* Whole Grain Cranberry Instant Oatmeal

Rating:
Price: $3.49 (8 packets)
Features: Lots of sweet & tart cranberries, 12 vitamins & minerals, and flaxseed for Omega-3's!
Found in: Near cereals and granola bars

I love this stuff! I have purchased countless boxes of this ever since I consumed my first two packets for breakfast on a cold and wet backpacking trip on the Olympic Peninsula. It was perfect: easy to prepare, hot, just the right sweetness, full of cranberries, and really sticks with you. Now I eat this oatmeal all the time: for breakfast at work, on the weekend, as a snack, and it is always in my pack when I am camping or backpacking. Just add hot water or microwave for a minute.

Eating whole grains for breakfast really keeps you full for a long time. I like that this oatmeal provides a healthy dose of B-Vitamins and Omega-3's. B-Vitamins help regulate your response to stress (and can be depleted by the caffeine in your morning coffee), while Omega-3's are good for your heart and may have a mood stabilizing effect. I'm not as confident in the proclaimed benefits of other ingredients, but regardless, this stuff tastes great!

Trader Joe's Heart Healthy Whole Grain Cranberry Instant Oatmeal take the wholesome goodness of oatmeal and ratchets up the nutritional benefits and the flavor profile to create a hearty hot cereal that will warm you from the inside out.

Whole grain rolled oats are enriched with flaxseed for their Omega-3's, plant sterol esters for their cholesterol-fighting properties, and inulin, a soluable fiber derived from the chicory root that promotes healthy digestion.

The oatmeal is lightly sweetened and sprinkled with sweet tart dried cranberries for added flavor. It is also an excellent source of 12 vitamins and minerals and goes from package to table in about a minute.

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Twigs, Flakes & Clusters

Rating:
Price: $2.99
Features: High fiber, high protein, low sodium, not too sweet
Found in: Cereal land

This is one of my favorite new finds at TJ's. I struggle to find cereals which are not too sweet (ex: Strawberry Yogurt O's) and not too bland (ex: plain shredded wheat). Twigs, Flakes and Clusters strikes a balance with three crunchy components and a light brown sugar sweetness throughout. A bowl of this cereal with some TJ's milk (free of crazy growth hormones, $1.19) makes a surprisingly substantial quick breakfast. Must be all that fiber and protein!

Orange Juice

Rating:
Price: $1.99
Features: Great value!
Found in: Refrigerated Section

I was thrilled when Trader Joe's started selling their own brand of from concentrate orange juice. Not that I have anything against fresh squeezed, but prior to this product the only options for OJ at TJ's were the fresh squeezed jug for about $5, the fresh carton for about $4, or frozen concentrate which simply wasn't good. Both fresh varieties are delicious, but so expensive I often would pick up orange juice from a different store. No longer!

TJ's from concentrate orange juice is not only delicious (especially for from concentrate, I don't think I would ever be able to tell it from the "fresh squeezed" carton variety) it is also an amazing value at just $1.99! No wonder it is frequently out of stock.

Drink it on its own any time, or as part of a tasty and filling smoothie (I use frozen fruit, vanilla yogurt, OJ, and protein powder, all TJ's of course)! Also makes an excellent screwdriver when you add some vodka and ice ;-)

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