If you had to pick out the single “healthiest” item you could buy at Trader Joe’s, what would you pick?

Here’s the item I might pick – ORGANIC STEEL CUT OATS. Classic. Whole grain. Super food.

One ingredient here: Just Organic steel cut oats

Are oats healthy? There’s a reason horses are fed oats. Frankly these are practically the same as oats horses eat, the real difference being the grains here have been cut smaller. STEEL CUT as the name implies has the oats cut with steel blades, with a grain cut into about 2 or 3 pieces just to make it cook faster. That’s it. Minimally processed.

Steel cut oats are pretty natural with way less processing than even rolled oats which have been partially cooked and are then pressed between steel rollers (rolled) to flatten them, to make them cook faster

As far as oatmeal goes, steel cut oats are my favorite type of oatmeal, as they have a lovely chewy texture and a nice nutty taste. I love them for breakfast.

They take a little bit longer to cook than rolled oats but I think the effort is worth it, as these taste way better. These take about 25 minutes. I generally make a pot of them the night before so they are ready in the morning for breakfast. I usually will make a big enough batch to last us about 3 or 4 days.

How to cook STEEL CUT OATS. The basic ratio is 1:4. 1 cup of oats to 4 cups of water. In a heavy pot, boil the water. Add a pinch of salt (optional but it tastes better) Stir in the oats, and when they start to boil lower the heat till they are simmering stirring occasionally every 10 minutes or so so the bottom doesn’t stick or burn. Let them cook for about 25-30 minutes. We like to add a good sprinkle of cinnamon when we are cooking them. Many times we will dice up an apple and throw that in too.

Optional additions are so many: Some butter or cream, brown sugar, raisins, frozen blueberries or other fruit. Whatever strikes your fancy. You can change them up easily so you can make it different every time. If you are a purist, just eat them plain! Obviously that stuff makes them a bit less healthy but I feel I balance it all out.

Trader Joe’s Organic Oatmeal $4.49 (30 oz tub)

“What are the health benefits of oats” (Google)

Oats are highly nutritious, offering benefits like improved heart, gut, and blood sugar health due to their unique soluble fiber, beta-glucan, which lowers cholesterol and glucose, promotes good gut bacteria, and increases fullness for weight management. They’re packed with protein, vitamins, minerals (magnesium, copper, zinc, thiamine), and antioxidants called avenanthramides, supporting digestion, energy, and providing anti-inflammatory effects.

Key Benefits:

Heart Health: Beta-glucan significantly lowers total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and helps lower blood pressure by promoting nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels.
Blood Sugar Control: Slows glucose absorption, improving insulin sensitivity and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Digestive Health: Fiber acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria, and helps with regularity, preventing constipation.
Weight Management: Fiber and protein increase satiety, helping you feel full longer and reducing overall calorie intake.
Rich in Antioxidants: Unique antioxidants (avenanthramides) and polyphenols offer anti-inflammatory and protective effects.
Nutrient-Dense: An excellent source of manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc, and B vitamins.

How to Maximize Benefits:

Pair with healthy additions like nuts, seeds, and fruit to boost nutrition and avoid added sugars.

Choose less-processed forms like rolled oats or steel-cut oats over instant varieties to get the most beta-glucan.

“Are oats Gluten Free” – Yes

Trader Joe’s KEFIR (cultured milk)

RAVE

TRADER JOE’S KEFIR CULTURED MILK DRINK

Kefir, is a cultured milk product, one that’s been produced for centuries by many cultures.

You might think of it as drinkable yogurt, however while similar to yogurt, kefir is unique. It has lots more cultures and probiotics than yogurt. It is loaded with probiotics, or healthy bacteria,. Therefore its seen as a beneficial food for health and digestion, especially for your Gut Health, which is a huge topic of research of late.

KEFIR has been quite the rage in the natural health community for some time.

On a practical food level you may find Kefir is just ideal to make your Smoothies with. I usually have it mixed with chia seeds and fruit and cereal in the morning, yes with a little yogurt added as well.

The origins of Kefir are believed to have come from the Caucasus, the mountainous regions dividing Europe and Asia where kefir has been produced for hundreds if not thousands, of years, like other fermented dairy products such as yogurt or cheese.

While Kefir is similar to yogurt in some respects, it has lots more healthy bacteria cultures than yogurt has and many more varieties. The label on Trader Joe’s bottle lists : “12 Live Active Cultures”. Compare that to Yogurt, which usually list around 3 or 4 kinds of cultures. I recognized about the first three “L” ones listed on the label (L. stands for Lactobacillus) for example “L. Acididopholus” however there are many more I don’t know such as “L. Plantarum”

Of course this means a lot more probiotics are going into your gut and digestive tract. Kefir is also supposed to be better tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant (can anyone verify their experience with this ? Please send in a COMMENT if you have some experience/knowledge about this).

Article: “The Microbiota and Health Promoting Characteristics of the Fermented Beverage Kefir”.

Kefir: “Health benefits, risks, and how to make it”

Looking for a Smoothie Recipe? Here you go:

BASIC KEFIR SMOOTHIE RECIPE:

In a blender, add 1 cup Kefir of your choosing, 1 cup of ice, one banana (fresh or frozen), a 1/2 cup of some fresh or frozen berries, a tablespoon of chia seeds and/or flax seeds and a maybe a drizzle of honey. Blend for a minute or two until the mix is smooth. Makes 2 1/2 cups +

I wanted to try TJ’s Kefir for awhile. So I first tried Trader Joe’s Mango flavor to start with. I liked the taste a lot. I found it really good. I mean the drink quite tasty with a nice mango flavor. I have heard that the Plain Kefir is naturally very tart and sour. TJ’s Mango version is sweetened with natural cane sugar and mango. Its not very sweet, nor is it very tart. Just right. You still get some a little tanginess. The Mango whole milk kefir drink was thick, almost smoothie thick (update: it’s no longer thick; its been changed since they first introduced it!)

Trader Joe’s also sells another flavor, Strawberry* flavor , a lower fat version made with skim milk and that is also good.

Plain Kefir – I haven’t tried the Plain yet thinking it might be too tart for me. If you didn’t grow up drinking plain Kefir, I am told it might take some getting used to as it is quite tart. In addition there is one made from GOAT MILK

Kefir is great poured on fruit. I pour a bit of the kefir over my morning bowl of oatmeal or cereal. I also mix this with soaked chia seeds and top it with granola and fruit. Also its good for OVERNIGHT OATS.

Kefir is both super healthy and tasty. If you like yogurt, you will like this and its something well worth trying. Even your kids might like the Mango and Strawberry kefir.

The Mango flavor of kefir is made with whole milk, the strawberry one is made with skim milk so a few less calories.

Trader Joe’s also sells Plain Kefir (unsweetened) if you are inclined to try it “au natural” (very tart I hear) as well as the aforementioned one made from Goat Milk! Baaaah.

Trader Joe’s KEFIR, 32 oz bottle, ~~$2.99.~~ $3.49

Is KEFIR worth buying? Definitely!

Your gut biome may thank you.

Kefir will improve gut health and probably help with constipation if that’s a problem from all the healthy gut bacteria in it. Mixing a 1/2 glass kefir with chia seeds or flax seeds might be a great morning routine to keep everything running smoothly! All I know is my system runs like clockwork every morning, through frankly I think my morning coffee also has something to do with that.

TIP: If you never tried Kefir perhaps I would suggest that you don’t drink a big 12 oz glass the first time you try it. Try maybe 2-4 ounces, till your body gets used to all that extra probiotic bacteria, lest it work its magic too well (if you know what I mean).

The Strawberry* Kefir is made with LOW FAT milk. The MANGO version is made with WHOLE MILK. Whole milk meaning 4% while low fat milk is 1 or 2%. So the Strawberry flavor has lower calories…. but you don’t drink that much of it, so it’s not a huge difference really.

Nutrition (per 1 cup): (MANGO Whole Milk Kefir) = 180 Cal. & 4.5 g of sat. fat VS 160 Cal. and 1.5 g sat. fat for STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir which interestingly also seems to have 1 more gram of Protein per cup serving? Plain Kefir= 100 cals (1 cup) So if you want to save a few calories get the STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir or PLAIN Low Fat Kefir (though the Mango is very tasty!) Honestly, I can’t see anyone drinking it a whole cup at a time straight though of any variety, this is a small glass thing (6 oz?) or mix with some ice and a dash of water….

THANK YOU TO THE READER WHO LET US KNOW, “LIFEWAY” MAKES TRADER JOE’S KEFIR (Lifeway brand is sold at health stores) I have no doubt TJ’s is cheaper.

(update fall 2019: Trader Joe’s KEFIR used to be very thick. I mean really really thick. It changed. Its no longer as thick as when I first reviewed it. They changed it. Other readers have wrote in to say the the same thing. My gut feeling (hah!) tells me perhaps some people complained about it being too thick? I have found product changes at TJ’s again and again from when a product first came out to later on so I surmise TJ’s sometimes makes changes based on customer feedback….?