There’s nothing quite like the disappointment of realizing that one of your favorite grocery items has undergone a formula change or declined in quality (except maybe the disappointment of your favorite item being discontinued altogether—RIP When Life Gives You Lemons Ice Cream). Some Trader Joe’s shoppers on Reddit are speculating that such is the case with TJ’s High Fiber cereal.
Not only do customers claim that this cereal looks different from before (and quite unappetizing at that), but they’re also saying the taste has changed. Find all of the details—including a few potential reasons for these changes—below.
High Fiber Cereal different from before
byu/corpascreon intraderjoes
Trader Joe’s shoppers complain about changes to High Fiber Cereal
Not every item at Trader Joe’s can be amazing. Some are bound to be disappointing—and it can be especially disappointing to notice a change in quality. A Reddit post titled “High Fiber Cereal different from before” has sparked a lively discussion among shoppers who have noticed significant disparities in the quality and taste of Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal.
“Is it just me or has trader joe’s changed this product drastically?” wrote the poster. “The new version is a lot more brittle, visually different (looks more similar to mealworms now), and tastes noticeably different. The biggest issue is the texture, where before it was a lot denser compared to now where it’s more similar to a rice cake.” The user noted that they bought the cereal in California.
Accompanying the post is a photo of the cereal in its clear bag. And, to be honest, it does indeed look like mealworms. Much of the discussion in the Reddit thread revolves around the cereal’s unappealing appearance, with comments making jokes like:
“this doesn’t look like food”
“This looks like some sort of animal food. Like a weird rodent pet or whatever- not human food or some natural kitty litter.”
“People actually eat this?? This looks like what you use to line hamster cages.”
However, several users did delve into potential factors that may have contributed to the changes.
One commenter speculates that the addition of rice to the cereal may have played a role in altering its texture, resulting in a more "friable" and crunchy consistency. They wrote: "You may be onto something. It is entirely possible they added Rice so that they could make it faster as a completely extruded product that also generates less fines in the box."
Others reminisce about the previous version of the cereal and express disappointment with the modifications. One user recalls, "The old formula TJs had less texture—they were perfectly smooth cylinders—and was gummier in water."
A Trader Joe's employee jumped in to add insight to the conversation, acknowledging the possibility of a switch in suppliers and encouraging customers to provide feedback at their local stores. "Highly likely that we had to change suppliers since something stopped working out with the last one (hence the very long delay). So no way to get the old version back, but feel free to leave feedback at your local store!" they commented.
It's also worth noting that not everyone in the comments was dunking on this poor cereal. Some even jumped to defend it. As one person wrote: "I noticed the differences too! But I kind of prefer the crisp texture of the new one & it’s still effective as a fiber supplement lol."
"y’all are hating but this cereal is tasty and great for your digestion. smh," another shopper commented.
Regardless, one thing's for sure: we can't deny the fact that that cereal looks like mealworms. But there are still tons of incredible items on Trader Joe's shelves, so we won't hold it against them.
READ MORE: 7 ‘Beyond Amazing’ Trader Joe’s Finds Superfans Are Raving About: ‘I Could Eat Them Every Day’
