With time ticking to get everything done in the morning, sometimes convenience is key.Instant oatmealis an easy solution.
What you gain in convenience, however, you sometimes suffer in nutrition.
Not every brand is entirely healthy, especially when you start adding inhigh-sugar flavorings.
Photos: The brands. Design: Eat This, Not That!
I tasted eight different brands in this same flavor to see which widely available, single-serve oatmeal fared best.
Here’s how every brand ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall best.
The brand specifically uses steel-cut oats, which are generally higher in fiber than the regular kind.
Photo: Amazon
On the flip side, I was surprise how much sugar it contained: a whopping 21 grams!
The prep was a little more than some of the others.
Flecks of cinnamon and small apple chunks were visible throughout.
Photo: Amazon
The taste:Overly cinnamonyand not in a good way.
I love actual cinnamon, but this tasted almost like a cinnamon simple syrup.
The packaging looked funky, but proved to be perfectly serviceable.
Photo: Amazon
The listed ingredients notably included fava bean protein, so perhaps that’s the culprit.
Otherwise, it contained good-tasting apple chunks and cinnamon.
I just couldn’t get over that strange aftertaste that overshadowed all the other flavors.
Photo: Instacart
The cup is made with chia, coconut, flaxseed, and almonds.
It’s a gluten-free and paleo option.
There are no microwave instructions.
Photo: Amazon
Just fill with the appropriate amount of hot water, stir, and let it sit for two minutes.
However, it seemed a little thin in the porridge department, probably because it contains no real grains.
It tasted like eating ground up oatmeal.
Photo: Amazon
There’s a good chance that one of the major brands may make this oatmeal.
It felt most similar to the Quaker version.
The taste:Very sweetthe sweetest oatmeal I tried, and simply too sweet for me for breakfast.
Photo: Amaazon
The apple pieces were nice, soft, and enjoyable to eat.
It would also occasionally show up in my childhood home.
It is one of the easier-to-find oatmeal cups and likely one of the most popular.
Photo: Bob’s Red Mill
The taste:The cinnamon flavor was strong and the apple pieces added brightness.
My trusty 9-year-old, oatmeal-loving sidekick loved this one, wanting to rank it number three.
He is likely the target audience, but I didn’t love it.
It just tasted a little watery and uninspiring to me.
Cane sugar is the second listed ingredient, though, suggesting it would not skimp on sweetness.
The look:The consistency looked good and thick, with lots of noticeable chunks and oats.
But the portion size seemed really small.
The taste:I’d almost describe this oatmeal as a little crunchy.
I don’t know if some of the sugar bits didn’t break up in the 30-45 second microwave.
The flavor tasted more like maple than cinnamon, with slightly thinner apples than some of the other varieties.
It wasn’t overly sweet though and the thick consistency made it feel like real oatmeal.
It also has a higher amount of fiber than most of the other cups.
The taste:Of all the oatmeals, this was the least sweet.
It tasted more like plain oatmeal with a nice hearty texture.
The pecans were nice and crunchy, but the apples lacked a bit in flavor.
I have tried other Bob’s Red Mill products and everything has been very high quality.
I was hoping the same for this oatmeal and it delivered.
Just 60 seconds in the microwave and 60 seconds resting until this cup was ready.
The taste:Not overly sweet with just enough cinnamon to taste it, but not too overpowering.
This one tasted healthy and hearty but not bland with its bright apple chunks.
This was the favorite by far for both my child and myself.
I’d certainly grab this one for a morning on-the-go on any day.
