The Trader Rater Reviews, Ingredients, Cooking Instructions & Nutritional Information for Trader Joe's Products 
Ingredients
Whole Grain Gluten Free Rolled Oats, Whole Grain Quinoa Flakes, Whole Grain Amaranth Flakes, Sliced Almonds, Sunflower Seed, Pumpkin Seed, Flax Seed, Shelled Hemp Seed, Shia Seed.
Contains Almonds.
Cooking Instructions
To prepare: Measure 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup cereal per serving.
Stovetop:
Shake unopened bag to evenly mix contents. Measure servings; bring 2/3 cup water to a boil; stir in 1/3 cup oatmeal. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened, stir occasionally. Add your favorite sweetener or sea salt and/or spices to make a savory side dish. Stir and serve.
Microwave (1200 watt):
Microwave cook times may vary depending on oven wattage. Shake unopened bag to evenly mix contents. Measure servings; combine 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup oatmeal in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Add your favorite sweetener or sea salt and/or spices to make a savory side dish. Stir and serve.
Cooking Notes
Although the cooking instructions call for using water as the base, we found the oatmeal to be severely lacking body and flavor unless milk was used instead.
Additionally, the 1/3 cup recommended serving size seemed small for a portion.
We’re big fans of oatmeal for a quick and nutritious breakfast treat. There’s something about the warmth and density that really kicks our day into motion.
So we were definitely intrigued when we saw this new item at our local TJ’s. Ancient Grains? Super Seeds? Sounds like a treat!
Sadly, we found a number of things wrong with this dish, and can’t say that we enjoyed it.
First, the positives – there is no question this oatmeal is good for you. It’s got a ton of super-food ingredients under one roof (whole grain rolled oats, quinoa, amaranth flakes, almond slivers, plus sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, flax and chia seeds). But therein lies one of our key issues.
Because of the hodgepodge of ingredients, there’s a lot of subtle – yet competing – flavors in there. The most obvious of which is quinoa, which we found to be rather overpowering.
Another issue: there’s more texture than you’re probably used to in your oatmeal – up to you if that’s a good thing. In our opinion, the combination of mushy and gritty and crunchy was a bit off-putting.
All told, this dish certainly didn’t live up to our expectations. It is no doubt healthy, and there’s no doubt an audience for it, but we won’t be back for more.
Review Overview
Value
Taste
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Can It!
Summary : Despite its obvious nutritional and health benefits, we couldn't get past the competing flavors and textures in this oatmeal dish.
Make it a spicy, cheesy dish with nutritional yeast, sea salt, smoked paprika, pepper, and guacamole. My favorite breakfast combo!
Thanks for the suggestion – we’ll have to give that a try!
I love this product for the fact that it is plain, no added sugars. I suffer from GERD and IBS and this product Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Ancient Grain & Super seed oatmeal is the best. I add natural sugar ie, half smashed banana, blueberries, applesauce, honey, etc. I sure hope Trader Joe’s does not add any processed sugars or fruit. Thank you Trader Joe’s
Thanks for your comment, Leann. Glad to hear what you think of this. We hope so too! Better to have the option to add your own fixins 🙂
I enjoy eating healthy food. I like this product, but to make it more tasty, I cook it in almond milk, and add maple syrup.
Thanks for your suggestion, Nancy!
I have found that if I cook this 1:1 with steel cut oats (using a rice maker because I like big batches) it’s awesome! The addition of more oats evens out any textural issues or one grain overpowering the other.
Interesting tip, TJ. We’ll have to give it a try – makes sense that it might help to balance it out. Thanks!
I just purchased this mixture to use in making overnight oats, and I found that the texture was absolutely perfect for me. I added almond butter, part of a banana, and a little honey, and it really hit the spot. For the liquid for overnight oats, I used a coconut/almond milk combo. I really enjoyed it, and will definitely keep this in my arsenal of oatmeal options. I also think it would be really good for added texture/flavor in an oatmeal cookie–maybe substitute 1/3 to 1/2 of the rolled oats with this. Just a thought. So glad I found your site.
Great tip, C.K. – thanks for the suggestion!
We’ll have to try your cookie idea – agreed it might give some interesting texture and flavor.
Thanks for visiting! Cheers!
I really enjoy this oatmeal. In addition to the obvious healthy additions, these GF oats do not aggravate my celiac symptoms. I keep these on hand for breakfast, baking and as a breadcrum substitute.
Awesome to hear, Yvonne. Thanks for your feedback!
I thought this was excellent, but I have always liked to mix my dry cereals together, so having all this stuff in one dish is great. I just put a package of Stevia in it and thought it was delicious.
Thanks for your feedback, Karen!
New recipe–just tried today! I cooked the oatmeal per the instructions with a generous sprinkle of chili powder. Then I added one slieced mashed banana, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder and 2 tablespoons raw cacao! What a delight! It is pretty filling and I could not eat the normal 1/3 cup serving, so I saved some for lunch-dessert! Yummy!
Wow, awesome sounding recipe! We’ll have to give this a try.
Chili Powder? Way to kick it up a notch, Janice 🙂
Fantabulous! Lovely hot meal. Just follow cooking instructions. Be sure to let it thicken properly. At the end of cooking add a half of a teaspoon of allspice, a half teaspoon of turmeric one half to one teaspoon of cinnamon, (I like lots of cinnamon) one small apple chopped and four or five sliced Brazil nuts during the final 30 second of simmering. Also, a teaspoon of unsalted butter can be included for an even more delightful meal. Enjoy!
Thanks for your recipe suggestion, Reginald! Sounds very tasty – we’ll have to give it a try next time.
I do not agree with this review at all! The flavors are all very subtle, and the added texture from the grains are delightful. It is MUCH more flavorful than plain mushy oatmeal. It is also extremely healthful.
Thanks for your comment, Danny. Sounds like we need to give them another try. We’ve never been a fan of Quinoa – that’s what ruined it for us. But, as they say… to each their own! 🙂