I think I may have finally found the best quick porridge pot! It may have taken me quite a few trials but I think this may be it. The new go-to and now my staple for office days. As I have mentioned before, I am truly becoming an oats convert and realising that they are actually so good for you. I definitely feel the difference in my energy levels and my mood when I correctly fuel my body and these oats have been so helpful in this process.
I have tried a ‘gut loving porridge’ pot before and I again want to state that I am not someone who tends to have many issues with my tummy. When I first started running, and especially now I am training for a marathon, I read so many articles and saw so many advice videos about being prepared for ‘The Runners Tummy’, but so far I have had no issues. My stomach does tend to be quite the iron machine so it takes a lot to really mess with it. With this in mind, I can’t really comment on whether or not this porridge was ‘gut loving’ or not as I don’t really have anything bad to compare it to? I haven’t noticed any difference in my gut health specifically, so just wanted to preface this review with this bit of context.
Taste wise though, this porridge is super yummy. It has the perfect balance of apple and cinnamon, with the apple chunks being surprisingly flavourful: They were a lot more tart than I was expecting, which was very welcome since most porridge meals tend to be somewhat bland. The apply really did cut through the porridge oats and did help give me a little bit of a wake up buzz during my lunch break. The cinnamon is a good balance, and I find that cinnamon always makes me feel so cosy. Apple and cinnamon especially is one of my favourite flavour combinations and for some reason it reminds me of Christmas. So even though it is currently around 30 degrees here in the UK, this little porridge pot made me feel very cosy and that is always a plus for me. The cinnamon also leaves a lovely little aftertaste in your mouth, which again just adds to the cosy vibes. It is also surprisingly creamy and so has a natural thickness to it that can be hard to find when you are simply adding water to a product.
The pot does tell you to fill it with hot water to a certain level, but I find this does make the porridge a bit too thick for my liking. I like my porridge to be more like a thick yoghurt, whilst the level they recommend makes it seem a lot more like cement. I therefore add to the line, mix and let it sit for about 3 minutes, and then I will add a few teaspoons of cold water to get it to a slightly thinner consistency. I find these pots are trial and error the first few times whilst you work out what texture works best for you, but I would say to add less water than you think you need to begin with and then slowly add water a little bit at a time. I have also made the mistake of adding too much water and it just turns into soup which is…just a bit gross really. Learn from my mistake!
I also feel that these porridge pots are the perfect lunch size. I finished this pot feeling very satisfied, without feeling like I’d eaten too much or feeling bloated afterwards. The portion doesn’t look like much when you first open it but trust me this is the perfect portion size for a midday meal. I tend to have this with maybe a breakfast bar or some popcorn for my lunch and whilst it doesn’t sound like a lot, it leaves me feeling energised and full for the rest of the day so that by the time it is time for dinner (usually around 7pm for me) I am just starting to get a little peckish. I also find that these help to keep my energy at a consistent level – I really notice when I have a sandwich or something similar that even after having lunch at 1pm, by 3pm I feel like I need to lie down and have a nap. That 3pm slump is real and luckily is something I have avoided with these porridge pots.
As with the other pots, this one was £1.30 on its own at my local Tesco supermarket, however it was included in a deal where I get 3 pots for £3, so essentially £1 per pot. I think for £1 these pots are great value and are a great option for lunches when you don’t necessarily want to cook something but still want something substantial.
Taylor Talks Vegan 