Tribe Active Oats+ Breakfast

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).

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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.

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