New to the market is Alpen Fuel Granola.
Six flavors that come in mylar bags, ready to be eaten cold or hot. Just add 4 to 5 ounces water, hot or cold, depending on how you like your breakfast. The milk is in it for you, and the oats are organic (which is yes a good thing!).
These are not your boring hippy granola from the bulk bin at the local Hippy Hut. It’s a gourmet take on a classic. Aplen Fuel is a small company out of Bozeman, Montana – run by two happy humans. No big faceless company here, they are living the American Dream!
They are also a powerhouse of calories. Which if you look at enough commercial meals for hiking, you know well that freeze-dried meals are often lacking in calories. At 650 to 720 calories a bag (these bags do not pretend to be 2 servings, they are 1 servings), these breakfasts will get you going in the morning. They are in the 200 to 400’ish range for sodium. Yes, they are high in sugar, but are also high in fiber. Fruit adds sugar however, and of the 3 flavors we reviewed, the sugar was 30, 37 and 40 grams, but most of the sugar was from the fruit, and not just added in.
We tried out three of the flavors:
No lack of good looking ingredients in the bags. Plenty of berries and nuts/seeds. The meals smell very fresh upon opening. No stale smell. The granola looks, smells and stirs like it was just prepped. Each breakfast is $8.99, which puts it a higher price point. But lest I lecture you: You get what you pay for. Quality isn’t cheap. You want cheap, go buy a box of Quaker Granola and a box of non fat dry milk. I can assure you it won’t taste as good and the oats are not organic (oats are one of the very few items I only buy organic in).
Remove the oxygen absorber packet and add in water. We went the cold route, but I feel the Caramel Apple would make a great bowl of warm oats.
I loved all 3 flavors. Usually I can find something that maybe could be improved on, but Alpen Fuel did their research before bringing the meals out. Fresh tasting, crunchy texture for the oats, lots of add ins (berries, nuts, seeds, etc). It won’t bore your tastebuds. They also do a 15% off first order if you sign up for their newsletter (and no this is NOT an affiliate link ya’all – it’s me supporting another small business).
Caramel Apple Granola Breakfast.
The apples have a nice chewy bite to them, with the caramel flavor not being over powering. I found it the sweetest of the 3 – I’d eat this as dessert as well. You’d sleep well with a full belly of it.
Cranberry White Chocolate Granola Breakfast.
You might think the white chocolate would be too “desert-y” but it isn’t. It gives a nice texture and a bit of sweetness to the pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Very hearty!
Lemon Berry Granola Breakfast.
If you like berries, this is the one for you!
They also make Chocolate Strawberry, Orange Pecan and Coconut Mango as additional flavors.
FTC Disclaimer: We received product for potential review. All thoughts and opinions are ours.
~Sarah