Trader Joe’s is known for their rustic, wholesome produce that captures a more simple approach to nutrition.
Today we’re going to take a look at the nutritional values of some of their wholesome cereal varieties.
Sections
Trader Joe’s Cereal Brands Explained
The emphasis on the produce in Trader Joe’s cereal aisle is on simple, healthy breakfast foods with no artificial flavors or overly sweet candy cereals.
All the cereals we’ll take a look at have an emphasis on a simple ingredients list made with wholesome ingredients to achieve their trademark rustic flavor.
Trader Joe’s – High Fiber Cereal
This slightly sweet wheat bran cereal is fortified with a range of essential minerals and vitamins and contains a whopping 9 grams of fiber per serving, making it perfect for people seeking a high fiber breakfast to promote heart health and gastrointestinal balance.
Is it gluten-free?
Unfortunately, wheat is a gluten-containing grain, so this isn’t suitable for celiacs or gluten-free diets.
Is it vegan?
This cereal contains no animal products, so it is suitable for cruelty-free diets.
Is it keto?
This cereal contains 23g of carbohydrates and very little fat, making it unsuitable for keto.
Always check the nutrition facts to be sure the carb levels in your diet are below 20g/daily to allow ketosis.
Protein & fiber content
This cereal contains a solid 3g of protein and 9g of dietary fiber, giving it almost double the amount of fiber required to be called a high fiber food source.
Trader Joe’s – Museli
This blend of whole grain rolled oats, raisins, dried coconut, dried apple, nuts, and sunflower and pumpkin seeds has no added sugar.
It’s a sweet and varied combination that’s big on healthy ingredients that goes great with milk or Trader Joe’s strawberry yogurt.
Is it gluten-free?
Yes, the oats and rice in this cereal are gluten-free grains, so this muesli is suitable for celiacs and restricted diets.
Is it vegan?
The ingredients in Trader Joe’s muesli are all suitable for ethical, cruelty-free diets.
Is it keto?
While it contains slightly above average fats, this muesli has 34g of carbohydrate, making it too high for the daily 20g allowed on keto.
Protein & fiber content
The macronutrients in this muesli make it the healthiest Trader Joe’s breakfast choice you could make, with a fantastic 10g of protein per serving and 5g of dietary fiber.
Trader Joe’s – Unsweetened Instant Oatmeal
These simple, unsweetened oats are the ideal blank canvas for your perfect oatmeal.
Add a little fresh fruit, sugar, cinnamon, or peanut butter to dress up this wholesome, creamy hot cereal.
Is it gluten-free?
The oats in this cereal are free of gluten, making this a suitable cereal for restricted diets or celiacs.
Is it vegan?
Yes, this Trader Joe’s cereal contains only oats with no animal products, making it perfect for vegan diets.
Is it keto?
This cereal contains too little fat to provide your body with fuel to produce ketones. It’s also too high in carbohydrates to allow your body to enter a ketosis state.
As a rule of thumb, cereals are best avoided on a ketogenic diet.
Protein & fiber content
This instant oatmeal contains great protein and fiber values with 5g of both. While the protein is objectively a little low, the fiber levels qualify this as a high fiber breakfast.
Trader Joe’s – Frosted Flakes
These sweet corn flakes coated in a light dusting of sugar are almost as delicious as the real thing.
They’re crunchier and sweeter than the original brand, which is reflected in their fairly unhealthy nutrition values, with 13g of added sugar making up just over a third of a 36g serving, but for an occasional sweet treat, you can’t go wrong with this tasty cereal.
Is it gluten-free?
The barley malt extract used to flavor this cereal is derived from gluten-containing grains, so it is not suitable for restricted diets.
Is it vegan?
There are no animal products in this cereal, so it’s suitable for a vegan diet.
Is it keto?
A keto diet requires less than 20g of carbohydrate a day, meaning the 33g of carbohydrate per 36g serving of Trader Joe’s Frosted Flakes makes it unsuitable for keto, as well as its low-fat values.
Protein & fiber content
This cereal has poor levels of these important macronutrients, with 0g of dietary fiber and only 2g of protein per 36g serving.
Trader Joe’s – Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
Oats are often a tricky breakfast choice for celiacs or people who observe gluten-free diets as the oats, though gluten-free, are often cut alongside gluten-containing grains, making them unsuitable.
With these gluten-free oats, Trader Joe’s uses advanced milling techniques to remove any undesirable grains, making this creamy, satisfying breakfast perfect for people on a restricted diet.
They’re also great for making overnight oats. Try adding peanut butter, almond butter, or fruit like dried strawberries to dress up your breakfast for the next day.
Is it gluten-free?
Yes! The milling process of these oats removes any trace of gluten-containing grains.
Is it vegan?
Yes, this cereal only contains natural grains, making it a perfect choice for an ethical breakfast.
Is it keto?
No. One serving of this oatmeal contains 27g of carbohydrates, which is above the 20g max daily amount to allow your body to enter a ketosis state.
Its fat values are also too low to encourage ketone production in the body.
Protein & fiber content
This cereal has fantastic values of both, with 4g of dietary fiber per serving and a whopping 6g of protein. Neither values are astonishing, but for cereals, these are great macro values.
Trader Joe’s – Multigrain Triple Berry Instant Hot Cereal
This calorie-dense, heart-healthy Trader Joe’s breakfast cereal combines dried strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries with flax and chia seeds for a convenient breakfast that’s huge on healthy macronutrients.
Each box contains 8 1.5oz packs of this hearty warming breakfast.
Is it gluten-free?
Unfortunately, this cereal contains several gluten-containing grains, including barley and rye, making it unsuitable for gluten-free diets.
Is it vegan?
The all-natural plant-based ingredients in this cereal are suitable for vegan diets.
Is it keto?
This cereal’s 31g of carbohydrate is too high for a keto diet and would stop your body from being able to create ketones, making it unsuitable for a carb restrictive diet like keto.
Protein & fiber content
There are solid 4g values on both protein and fiber in this cereal, accounting for 8% and 16% of your daily values of each.
Trader Joe’s – Raisin Bran
If you’ve ever thought bran flakes felt like a boring choice for breakfast, these should change your mind! The flakes are crunchy and full of flavor, perfectly offset by the big chewy pieces of fruit that are generously layered throughout the cereal, so you get variety in every bite.
They’re also low fat and high in fiber, making them perfect for a heart-healthy breakfast.
Is it gluten-free?
No, unfortunately, the bran flakes in this cereal get their malty sweetness from a malted barley extract, which is a gluten-containing grain.
Is it vegan?
Yes, this cereal is made with almost entirely plant-based ingredients and is cruelty-free.
Is it keto?
As with most cereals, the carbohydrate values are way too high for a ketogenic diet, especially in this case with a huge 50g per serving, which is more than double the max daily amount allowed before ketosis can no longer be reached.
Protein & fiber content
This is a high fiber cereal as it contains 6g of fiber, just over the 5g minimum recommended by the FDA. It also contains a respectable 4g of protein which is objectively low but good by cereal standards.
Trader Joe’s – Ancient Grain & Super Seed Oatmeal
Oatmeal is already one of the most satisfying and sustaining ways to start your day, so add a bunch of superfood grains to it, and you’ve got yourself a powerful breakfast.
This hearty, nutty, and very healthy cereal is stacked with quinoa flakes, whole-grain amaranth flakes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, and flax seeds.
This exhaustive list of nutritious grains in a bowl of warming oatmeal is guaranteed to set you up right. You can add a little maple syrup for extra sweetness or double down on the nuttiness by adding some Trader Joe’s nut butter.
Is it gluten-free?
This cereal contains no gluten, so it’s safe for celiacs and gluten-free diets.
Is it vegan?
This cereal is all cruelty-free grains, making it perfect for vegan diets.
Is it keto?
The high 24g concentration of carbohydrates in this cereal is a good source of lasting energy but is not suitable for a keto diet.
Protein & fiber content
Oatmeal is generally high in protein, and a serving of this superfood oatmeal contains 6g all from healthy grains and a solid 4g of fiber which is 14% of your recommended daily intake.
Trader Joe’s – Bran Flakes
These slightly sweet bran flakes are made with a blend of organic wheat bran and organic wheat for a perfect crunch that goes great with milk or your favorite milk substitute.
Like most Trader Joe’s cereals, their bran flakes contain excellent fiber levels with 6g per serving.
Is it gluten-free?
The barley extract used in this bran flakes makes it unsuitable for gluten-free diets and celiacs.
Is it vegan?
Yes, there are no animal products in this nature-based cereal, making it a cruelty-free start to your day.
Is it keto?
This cereal is naturally high in carbohydrates, with 37g per serving. While only 13% of your daily values, this is nearly twice the maximum amount allowed on a ketogenic diet to allow a ketosis state.
Protein & fiber content
The 6g of dietary fiber in this cereal qualifies it as a high fiber food, and it also contains a good 4g of fiber per serving.
Trader Joe’s – Joe’s O’s
Trader Joe’s answer to Cheerios, these multigrain O’s have a sweet, nutty taste and stay crunchy in milk. They’re low in sugar and a fantastic source of fiber, making them a perfect store-brand alternative to Cheerios.
Trader Joe’s have a few varieties of this cereal available, including Trader Joe’s Strawberry Yogurt O’s and Trader Joe’s Honey O’s.
Is it gluten-free?
The nutrition label warns that this cereal may contain wheat, so it’s best avoided by those on a gluten-free diet.
Is it vegan?
This crunchy, crowd-pleasing cereal contains no animal products, so it is suitable for a vegan diet.
Is it keto?
This cereal contains a high 31g of carbohydrates which is too high to allow a ketosis state. It’s also too low in fat to provide adequate fuel for ketone production.
Protein & fiber content
4g of dietary fiber per serving accounts for 16% of your daily values, with 4g of protein, which is relatively good for a conventional cereal.
Where to Buy Trader Joe’s Cereal
Shop in-store
The good thing about all these Trader Joe’s brands is that they’ll all be available in-store, so the next time you’re on a Trader Joe’s run, have a look at what their cereal aisle has on offer.
Shop online
If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, you can jump on their website and take full advantage of their cereal selection with the convenience of having it delivered to your door.
FAQs
Are Joe’s O’s the same as Cheerios?
Joe’s O’s and original Cheerios are very similar; whichever one you prefer would come down to slight differences in taste. There’s no Cheerio alternative to Joe’s Yogurt O’s, though!
Which Trader Joe’s cereals are gluten-free?
Oatmeal with Ancient grains, Gluten-Free Oatmeal, Unsweetened Oatmeal, and Trader Joe’s Muesli are all gluten-free.
Is Trader Joe’s high fiber cereal good?
The fantastic 9% of dietary fiber in this cereal accounts for a huge amount of your recommended daily intake, making it a healthy choice, especially if you’re looking to balance gastrointestinal health and promote a healthy heart.
Final Thoughts
Trader Joe’s healthy, rustic approach to groceries has created a range of cereals with a refreshingly old-fashioned warmth.
Their range covers old favorites and stays true to their wholesome original recipes without relying on endless artificial sweeteners or preservatives, as well as introducing some interesting, contemporary takes on classic favorites.
Whichever cereal you decide, Trader Joe’s focus on wholesome, basic cereals means you’ll be getting a healthy, delicious start to your day.