By Aaron Theisen
Cover photo courtesy of Angry Pika
The once-lowly granola is in the midst of a bit of a renaissance, with several small-batch brands reminding hikers why the breakfast item became shorthand for outdoorsy folk. Bozeman, Mont.-based Angry Pika Foods is leading the charge with a line of high-quality and indulgent breakfasts for backpackers and bikepackers who want to log high meals before high noon.
The 5oz. meals average 700 calories, and around 30g of fat, 20g of protein, and 10g of fiber—the highest-calorie granola breakfasts on the market, packed with fuel for high miles. This is not the syrupy-sweet granola of big-name cereal brands; Angry Pika’s granola breakfasts feature real ingredients in addition to being gluten-free and vegetarian. The Cranberry White Chocolate, for example, features chia and sprouted pumpkin seeds to complement the cranberries and mini white chocolate chips, and although the meals are fairly high in sugar, they are not overly sweet.
The meals can be made with hot or cold water and require only a few minutes of soaking time, so backpackers need not sacrifice comfort or taste to save time and weight. And if you have a hard time eating a big breakfast all in one go, the sturdy package allows you to save half for second breakfast, with the ingredients retaining their texture even after several hours. If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it’s doubly true on the trail, and Angry Pika has raised the bar for this backpacker staple.
