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Tribe Active Oats+ Breakfast

8
£12.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Simple, tasty and effective way to get a pre-ride boost in the morning, though fairly expensive
Tastes good, even in the sugar-free version
Very quick to prepare
Nutritionally effective
Sachets are handy for bike travels
Quite spendy
Weight: 
480g
Contact: 

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Tribe Active Oats+ is a convenient way of maximising your nutrition first thing in the morning, though it makes for a good snack any time of the day. The oats are instant, so you simply add milk – no need to heat them or soak overnight – and we found all four flavours tasty. These 60g sachets are ideal for bikepacking or touring, but only make this stuff more expensive.

Fuelling before a ride is pretty much essential – your body needs lots of nutrients in order to work at its best. I find porridge perfect for this and it's pretty cheap too (though I like to bulk it up with Linwood's seeds and berries, plus some Natura's Organic Cacao Powder).

> Buy this online here

Admittedly, preparing all that isn't quick, but these sachets are – and they basically contain a turbo-charged version of regular porridge, and offer a lot of nutrition with very little prep time. You just add cold milk (or 'mylk,' as Tribe inclusively has it) and away you go.

There are four flavours: Raspberry Nut Crunch; Apple, Blueberry + Pecan; Choc + Hazelnut; and Low Sugar Nut Crunch. I found them pretty tasty and not too sweet, while the low sugar version packs just 3g of sugar anyway (versus 6.9-7.3g for the other).

They're gr-r-r-ranola!

Though these are definitely oats, don't be fooled into thinking you're getting a porridge–like experience. With cold milk it's more like eating granola.

For nutrition, the numbers differ slightly depending on flavour:

  • Raspberry Nut Crunch - Energy 1040kJ, Protein 10g, Carbs 27g, Fats 11g
  • Apple, Blueberry + Pecan - Energy 1033kJ, Protein 10g, Carbs 29g, Fats 10g
  • Choc + Hazelnut - Energy 1103kJ, Protein 10g, Carbs 26g, Fats 13g
  • Low Sugar Nut Crunch - Energy 957kJ, Protein 13g, Carbs 24g, Fats 12g

As you can see, they're all quite similar. The Low Sugar Nut Crunch offers slightly less energy due to there being less sugar, along with less carbohydrate, though you're rewarded with the highest protein figure of them all at 13g – which might make it better as a post-ride recovery breakfast.

Consume a culture

Tribe also includes live cultures it says are good for your gut, and vitamins and minerals (vitamins C, B2, B6, B7 and B12, plus zinc, iron, thiamine, iodine and chromium) to give your immune system a bit of a boost. It will only actually help if your diet is deficient already, of course, but at the very least the chrome will make it shiny.

2022 Tribe Active Oats+ Breakfast - Raspberry nut crunch.jpg

There are several ways to buy the Active Oats+. The most cost–effective is the single 480g pouch, which costs £10 and gives you eight 60g servings. There's also the 8 x 60g sachet pack we have here for £12, or – in Raspberry Nut Crunch and Choc + Hazelnut flavours only – 8 x 60g pots, also for £12.

> How to eat right for sportives and long rides

The pouch works out at £1.25 per serving, while the sachets or pots are £1.50. So, how does that compare to my usual go–to DIY morning setup? I did a bit of number crunching.

Complete porridge

Regular porridge (Quaker Rolled Oats, if you must know, at £2 per 1kg) which works at out 8p per 40g recommended serving. Now let's add the extras. Linwoods Flaxseed, Sunflower, Pumpkin & Chia Seeds & Goji Berries (£5.79 for 425g) is 27p per 20g serving, while Natura Organic Cacao powder is £6.99 for 250g and works out at 69p per 25g serving.

In total, each serving of my Hollis-tic (geddit?) breakfast costs £1.04 for 85g, and definitely fills you up a bit more. In terms of nutrition, it gives:

  • Energy 1,441kJ
  • Fat 13.5g
  • Carbs 31.1g
  • Protein 14.8g

Compare to Active Oats+ my version provides a lot more energy, a bit more carbohydrate and protein, and about the same fat. You also get vitamin E and a large helping of minerals, including magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc and omega 3 (ALA).

Value

Though we've reviewed umpteen energy bars, gels and drinks, we've never actually covered breakfast before on road.cc, so there's nothing to compare it with. A quick look at the supermarkets reveals a ton of instant breakfast options, though: Lizi's High Protein Granola is £3.70 for 350g, so 53p per 50g serving, and provides 945kJ energy, 13.5g protein, 22g carbs and 8.5g of fats.

That's good protein, but not quite as good in terms of overall nutrition, plus you don't get the live cultures, vitamins and minerals.

Overall then, the Tribe Active Oats+ offering is a really good one. Though it can't quite compete with my DIY breakfast ensemble the price is at least comparable, and it's obviously a much quicker, more convenient option. And it tastes really good too.

It's more expensive than the generic instant breakfasts, but you might find the nutritional benefits outweigh the higher cost.

Verdict

Simple, tasty and effective way to get a pre-ride boost in the morning, though fairly expensive

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Tribe Active Oats+ Breakfast

Size tested: 60g x 8

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Tribe says, "Active Oats+ is a natural plant-based breakfast to kickstart your day; it's an instant Overnight Oats (just add cold mylk) and comes in three flavours (Raspberry Nut Crunch, Choc + Hazelnut, Apple, Blueberry + Pecan)."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Raspberry Nut Crunch (example)

Protein: 10g

Carbohydrates: 27g

Fats: 11g

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Good quality packaging that won't fall apart on a long ride.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Good nutritional benefits.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10

60g sachets won't weigh you down!

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Not as cheap as a other instant breakfasts, but offers nutritional benefits over those.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Good nutrition, great taste and quick to prepare.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The nutrition.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

You could make something similar yourself, but you won't really save much money buying the ingredients separately – at least in my experience. It's not as convenient either. Lizi's High Protein Granola is a reasonably effective instant option though, and it's half the price.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes - the more cost-effective pouch, though

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Tribe has really come up with a great option for a good, convenient pre-ride nutritional boost. It's tasty, too, or at least we think so. It's expensive against other instant breakfasts, but it also offers nutritional benefits they don't.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 6'4  Weight: 175lbs

I usually ride: Condor Italia RC custom build  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
anagallis_arvensis | 1 year ago
1 like

Would be nice if reviewers could consider the environmental impact of all this extra packaging.

Avatar
Simon E | 1 year ago
1 like

£10 for 480g - how is this stuff any better than a £1 bag of oats or granola?

It's not. This is just another branding ripoff.

Supermarket own-brand porridge oats are the same as Quaker (a very unethical brand) and about half the price. Tribe are using gluten-free oats,  which may be helpful for a few people. And if anyone is relying on products like this to get their vitamins then they are wasting time and money as they will contain insignificant amounts, some coming from inferior products.

If I want to make my own granola/overnight oat mix I use an existing pouch (I have some Jordan's 1kg granola pouches which are strong and reseal well). It takes very little effort to add some dried fruit, seeds and nuts.

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