The pros: Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa and Rice Hot Cereal is a new item that is mixed in with all the other decadent flavors of the holiday season. This was ready in about 2 minutes.
The cons: You'll want to add your own mix ins to this. It's extremely bland on its own.
The verdict: There are a handful of items I don't love reviewing. Yogurt is the one thing you won't see much of this blog. The other item I tend to not go for is cereal. I know it's a bit odd to avoid two common breakfast food items, but it's the food items that I am not enthused about to writing about. I did bite the bullet and try this one since I was so fond of Trader Joe's White Corn Grits.
For $3.69 you are getting a gluten free, kosher cereal item that only takes under 3 minutes to prepare. Everything takes place in your microwave. Now, normally I am not a fan of adding just water to anything. It doesn't add flavor. So I made myself a second bowl using almond milk.
Well, the one made with water came out just fine. The one with almond milk wasn't that great because the ratio way off. I did not experiment with that route further, but if you do, please let me know how it goes.
I liked and have repurchased Trader Joe's White Corn Grits multiple times which is pretty much a blank canvas for flavor. This product too is a blank canvas because while the quinoa and brown rice add a slight nuttiness, there isn't much in the way of flavor to even discuss here. The most descriptive word I can come up with is slightly nutty and a bit bitter. Brown rice and quinoa will lend a slight nuttiness, however I like quinoa, but I never like it with just water. It needs flavor. If you are going to eat this, then you'll have to load up on the toppings.
The texture did not do much for me either. It was smooth for the most part, but nothing that made me want to come back to it time and time again. For some people who are more health conscious than myself, they might end up liking this. However, I had to add way too much stuff to enjoy eating it. So for me, this is a no. Perhaps some people in the gluten free crowd might like this more than I. But if I'm going to reach for something gluten free. I'm still reaching for those grits.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The bag of Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa and Rice Hot Cereal:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
After being cooked you get:
Would I buy this again? No, I would not buy Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa and Rice Hot Cereal again. My package was promptly disposed of after the writing of this post.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Traderfoodie says
I returned it.. very bitter..
becomebetty says
Hey Traderfoodie! I was too forgetful to bring it back. I couldn't agree more about it being bitter! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
tanlu says
Thanks for the review! I had a very different reaction, though. I find quinoa has a very specific taste I don't like. This was reflected in the cooked cereal, although I found no bitterness. I used some of Trader Joe's unsweetened soy milk and a generous spoonful of raw honey and it came out pretty good. I agree grits easily beat this one, but are poor in nutrients.
becomebetty says
Hey tanlu! I'm glad you took the time to stop by and share your thoughts. I'm glad you found a way to enjoy this. I like quinoa in general. But for some odd reason, this did not jive with me. Thanks again for taking the time to stop by!
Nkemjika says
YA, completely agree, I just made it and had to throw a LOT of honey to get anything out of it. I thought it would trump Cream of Wheat or grits but it does neither. I made it work by also adding creme fraiche and lots of fruit. But agree too much work.
becomebetty says
Hey Nkemjika! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Sometimes, especially when I don't enjoy something I really wonder if it was just me. I wish we both could have enjoyed this more :(.
Lisa says
I used my Italian way of cooking. Don’t scream, but this is what I did. Cooked with chicken broth, a little salt till creamy, and served it in a soup bowl with extra virgin olive oil and grated parmigiano. Don’t knock it till you try it!
becomebetty says
Hey Lisa! Thanks so much for adding to the conversation about this. I'm glad you shared this, because it sounds like it is a good alternate from the directions. Hope you'll stop by again!
Michele says
I used to eat Arrowhead Mills Rice and Shine until Whole Foods stopped carrying it in store and tole me the only way to get it is on Amazon. Pffft.
Thank goodness I happened upon TJ's Rice and Quinoa cereal as a rellacement. I love this stuff and was distressed to learn it is being discontinued, so I drove to another store and bought their last 22 bags!!!
I eat it every morning during the cold months. When I first open the package, I mix it with a package of Bob's Red Mill Organic Buckwheat cereal. Then, each morning I take a 1/4 scoop of the mixture, add water (I don't measurem but I do use quite a bit more than suggested) and microwave on high for two minutes. Then I add two egg whites, stir vigorously, and pop back in the microwave for another minute. I stir again and add one chopped fuji apple, stir that in, and in it goes for another minute on high. Finally, I add a dash of TJ's organic Stevia powder, a generous amount of organic pumpkin pie spice powder, the two egg yolks, and stir until completely mixed in. Let it coll just a bit and eat! This keeps me full -- in the belly and of energy -- for about four hours.
i hope to find another suitable substitue once these bags are gone.
becomebetty says
Hey Michele! Thanks for sharing this!
Rhyanna says
My rice & Quinoa sat in my pantry for a long time I almost tossed it in the trash , till I noticed it said grits ,, I thought wow maybe this is good and I thought it was delicious, adding some salt & pepper helps a lot it is very bland tasting , I really enjoyed it .
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing Rhyanna!