Turbo Oatmeal
Two packets of instant oatmeal loaded with milk powder, protein mix, dried fruit, and pine nuts.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 144
- protein
- 34 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 3 min
- total time
- 5 min
- water
- 240 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Bikepacking
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant oatmeal packets | 2 packets | any flavor, they carry their own sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Dry milk powder | 1/3 cup | |
| Chocolate protein drink powder | 2 scoops | whey or plant, whatever you already buy |
| Dried cranberries | 1 tbsp | |
| Golden raisins | 1 tbsp | |
| Pine nuts | 1 tbsp |
Method
- At home, dump everything into a quart freezer bag and shake it flat.
- In camp, boil about 240 ml of water.
- Pour it into the bag, stir hard from the bottom corners, and close it.
- Wait three minutes in a cozy or a spare sock.
- Stir again and add hot water by the splash until it pours the way you want.
Plain instant oatmeal is about 150 calories and almost no protein, which is why it fails as a hiking breakfast. The fix here is stacking: milk powder and a protein scoop push this past 30 g of protein, and the pine nuts add fat that oats do not have on their own. That fat is what keeps it from burning off two miles down the trail.
Built as freezer bag cooking, so the pot only ever holds water and the bag is the bowl. Measure the water short. Oatmeal thickens as it sits, and it is easy to add more but impossible to take any back out.
No dietary tag beyond vegetarian: the milk powder rules out vegan and dairy-free, the oats are usually not certified gluten-free, and pine nuts are a nut.
Packing
One bag per morning. Freezer bags only, the thin sandwich ones fail under boiling water. Eat with a long spoon so you are not licking your knuckles.
Variations
- Swap the pine nuts for sunflower seeds if you want it nut-free and cheaper.
- Unflavored protein powder plus a spoon of cocoa gives you the same numbers with less sweetness.
- Chopped dates instead of raisins hold up better in heat.
https://trailcooking.com/breakfast/turbo-charged-oatmeal