Backpacker's Pantry Blueberry Walnut Oats

A new, "Limited Release" formulation of one of BP's classic meals is available. It is a decent breakfast option, but feels like a missed opportunity.

Backpacker's Pantry has re-released their Blueberry Oats breakfast for a "limited time," with a possible/probable change to the recipe? I've not had it before, so I can't make any claims to what makes this a Limited Release versus previous editions, but I can say that this is a pleasant breakfast.

Preparation:
The packaging calls for a single cup of boiling water and 5 minutes of rehydration. I found the full cup to provide a somewhat watery meal, and the oats definitely needed something closer to 10 minutes for what I consider a proper softened oatmeal mouthfeel.

Nutrition:
This is a single-serving pack, so the 390 calorie count feels a little low. But it has a solid hit of fat (12g, 15%) and protein (12g, 24%) from the quinoa, hemp hearts, and walnuts. Plenty of carbs (59g, 29%) and fiber (8g, 29%). Overall, a decent start to your day, if supplemented with some jerky, perhaps.

Taste and Satiety:
This was...interesting. The addition of quinoa and hemp hearts to the more or less standard oatmeal provided a pleasant, nutty flavor and a little extra texture. The blueberries were somehow very mild in comparison, their flavor almost an afterthought. The oats struggled a little to soften as much as I tend to prefer, but were by no means "tough." The total lack of any spices commonly associated with oatmeal±cinnamon and nutmeg primarily—meant this was a very, very mild dish which really allowed the other flavors to shine.

As already stated, this is a single-serving pack, and so felt a little too light for me. But that wasn't anything a couple chunks of jerky couldn't fix.

Recommendation:
This is almost good enough for the price.  A decent enough backpacking meal. You could certainly replicate this at home, with ease. You could easily replicate it at home and bring it with you on the trail.  And that's where it just kind of fails as a commercial product. You're paying a decent amount just for the convenience of having someone else cook for you. It's like going to a diner and ordering ham and eggs and getting...ham and eggs.  There's nothing to make it special, and that feels like a missed opportunity. But there are certainly those days where you just don't want to cook, but you don't want anything fancy.  Perhaps this is for those days.

Background

Joshua has been hiking, backpacking, and car-camping for more than four decades. He is based primarily in the Pacific Northwest, but has hiked throughout the US, with forays into Hawaii and New Zealand.