Review & Giveaway: Better Oats Instant Oatmeal
Most companies claim their product is better than the other brand, but when they're willing to prove it by a taste test, it's something to take them up on. Better Oats wanted to prove just that and so sent a taste test kit to my home to show that we all deserve better than what other products have to offer. I had the chance to compare Better Oats' Apples & Cinnamon instant oatmeal with Quaker Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon flavor. I wasn't provided a blind fold for taste testing (lol!), but there is a reason why, Better Oats didn't only want me to taste the difference between the two brands, they also wanted me to see the difference.
The Apples & Cinnamon flavor of both brands contain apples and oats. You can see the difference in the photos, the Better Oats packet ingredients are on the left and the Quaker ingredients are on the right. The apples in the Better Oats variety are plumper, while the Quaker ones are more like chips. The oats in the Better Oats one are larger.
The next photo clearly shows the biggest difference. Better Oats contains flaxseed, Quaker...not so much.
How was Better Oats Oatmeal compared to Quaker? While both products' nutrition facts list sugar as the second ingredient, I'm pretty sure the Quaker one has more in it than the Better Oats, as it was much sweeter in taste. I also found that the Better Oats oatmeal left me feeling fuller than the Quaker one did. I do think the Quaker instant oatmeal is easier to make on the go because you can just use hot water to make it, Better Oats requires that you microwave the product. Not a big problem, but I do often take instant oatmeal with me when we travel for a quick breakfast to just use the in room coffee maker to make myself a bowl .
The flaxseed is definitely a nice touch though. The apples in the Better Oats one were chewy and flavorful. Better Oats like Quaker has a number of varieties to choose from; traditional flavors like Oat Fit
100 Calorie Cinnamon Roll and their Raw Pure & Simple which is a multigrain hot cereal. They also have some unique flavors Blueberry Muffin, Dark Chocolate and their Oat Heads line for kids which includes a Berry Blast flavor.
Better Oats come in space saving pantry packages, which really are a lot smaller than the Quaker boxes, noting that they only come in packages of 4 to 6 pouches (most varieties having 5 in them) as opposed to the 8 or 10 in most Quaker packages. While you can't make them using just hot water, you can use the pouch it comes in to measure the water for the oatmeal before you microwave it. Probably not needed in your home, but if you take it out and have access to a microwave, at least you don't have to carry around a measuring cup too.
Better Oats was generous and sent me a wide variety of samples for my family to try, and I'd like to share some with one of my readers. One reader will receive 2 pouches of 6 different varieties (a total of 12 pouches), that's more than two boxes worth!
To enter the giveaway visit the Better Oats and tell me what variety you think you would like the best.
For all the others, you can take the taste test yourself, head on over to Better Oats Oatmeal and fill out the form to receive a high value coupon and take the taste test challenge! They think once you've compared their great taste, texture and real flavors to your old oatmeal brand, you'll start waking up with Better Oats. Share your experience in an email or video and they'll donate five meals to help feed hungry families in the United States. Visit the store locator to see where you can purchase it near you.
For extra entries you can:
1. Subscribe to my blog by email.
2. Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect.
3. Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link.
4. Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway. You can tweet once per day. Please leave the link to your tweet.
RT @threedifferent Win Better Oats Oatmeal #giveaway Ends 5/12 http://www.threedifferentdirections.com/better-oats-instant-oatmeal.html
5. Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post. You can do this once per day. It must be a new comment on a different post each time. Previous comments are not eligible.
6. Grab my button.
Open to US Residents ages 18+, ends May 12, 2010 at 11:59 PM CST. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. E-mail must be in comment or submitted when entering. By entering this giveaway you are stating that you have read my **Privacy/Rules statements and agree to them.
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Hunter Public Relations on behalf of Better Oats and received samples to facilitate my candid review."
Better Oats, Flaxseed, Food, Instant Oatmeal
Reader Comments (148)
I think that my three kids would like the Cinnamon Roll the best, although they'd like them all.
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net
I subscribe via E-mail
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net
I follow you on GFC(5webs)
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net
I follow you on Twitter(5webs) and I Tweeted
http://twitter.com/5webs/status/13006119987
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net
I think I would like the Apples & Cinnamon flavor best!
I follow your blog with google friend connect!
the dark chocolate sounds good!
I'd like to try the Maple & Brown Sugar.
Email subscriber.
Follow you on Google Friend Connect.
Maple and Brown Sugar appeals to me
email subscriber
follow on Google friends
http://twitter.com/cdziuba/status/13007540447 and i follow on Twitter cdziuba
button ceeceeblogger.blogspot.com
love: Dark Chocolate
follow blog
subscriber
tweet http://twitter.com/kgail11/status/13020926292
The chai spiced sounds interesting!
gfc follower
email subscriber
I think the cinamon roll sounds good.
debp
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I am a email subscriber.
debp
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I like Peaches n Cream Oatmeal the best
email subscriber
follow @threedifferent on twitter @wildorchids09 and tweeted http://twitter.com/WildOrchids09/status/13026718979
Ahh the Maple and Brown Sugar sounds perfect =)
I subscribe via email
I follow your blog publicly
I think I would like the Peaches & Cream best.
Thank you. :-)
I would like the Apples & Cinnamon flavor or the peaches and cream.
i see they have a chocolate one. Thats different than anything I have seen in oatmeal before and I think my kids would be quite happy with it
subscriber
follower
http://twitter.com/cneiding/status/13045845455 tweet
button www.clarissaneiding.blogspot.com
I think I would like dark chocolate flavor the best.
I like Apples & Cinnamon
I think I'd like Maple & Brown Sugar (although they all sound good!). Thanks for the review and giveaway!
jackievillano at gmail dot com
I follow on google friend connect
the Apples & Cinnamon flavor
tweet http://twitter.com/kgail11/status/13126135055
I'd like to try the Peaches and Cream flavor.
Following on gfc (clc408)
I would like Apples & Cinnamon.
I follow you on GFC(honeybeez80
I think I would like the Apples & Cinnamon flavor best
http://twitter.com/cneiding/status/13163841617 tweet
Raisins & Spice would be a favorite in my house.