Highest-protein backpacking breakfasts
Every breakfast in the index, from freeze-dried egg scrambles to instant oatmeal packets, ranked by protein per ounce of pack weight. The top three right now: Next Mile Meals Steak Omelette (12.7 g/oz), Next Mile Meals Sausage Scramble (10.7 g/oz), Mountain House Breakfast Skillet (7.5 g/oz). Egg-and-meat freeze-dried breakfasts lead by a wide margin. Oatmeal is light and cheap but low in protein, so many hikers add a scoop of protein powder.
16 foods · tap a column to sort
| Food | kcal/oz | protein g/oz ↓ | g protein /100 kcal | $ / 1,000 kcal | kcal/serv | protein/serv | serving g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steak Omelette Next Mile Meals · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 160 | 12.7 | 7.9 | $31.15 | 480 | 38 | 85 |
| Sausage Scramble Next Mile Meals · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 177 | 10.7 | 6.0 | $28.21 | 530 | 32 | 85 |
| Breakfast Skillet Mountain House · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 139 | 7.5 | 5.4 | $24.02 | 520 | 28 | 106 |
| Veggie Chorizo Breakfast Scramble Mountain House · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 147 | 7.1 | 4.8 | $21.53 | 580 | 28 | 112 |
| Breakfast Fried Rice Mountain House · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 135 | 6.8 | 5.0 | $19.52 | 640 | 32 | 134 |
| Biscuits and Gravy Mountain House · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 123 | 5.0 | 4.1 | $21.28 | 540 | 22 | 124 |
| Classic Biscuits & Gravy Mountain House · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 131 | 4.4 | 3.3 | $16.66 | 900 | 30 | 195 |
| Original Instant Oatmeal Quaker · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 101 | 4.0 | 4.0 | — | 100 | 4 | 28 |
| Original Instant Oatmeal Kroger · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 111 | 4.0 | 3.6 | — | 110 | 4 | 28 |
| Granola with Milk and Blueberries Mountain House · Freeze-Dried & Backpacking Meals | 127 | 4.0 | 3.2 | $15.98 | 500 | 16 | 112 |
| Instant Oatmeal (40 g serving, FDC 409993) Nature's Path · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 113 | 3.5 | 3.1 | — | 160 | 5 | 40 |
| Instant Oatmeal (32 g serving, FDC 410015) Nature's Path · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 115 | 3.5 | 3.1 | — | 130 | 4 | 32 |
| Chocolate Instant Oatmeal, Chocolate Quaker · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 105 | 3.2 | 3.1 | — | 130 | 4 | 35 |
| Classic Instant Oatmeal, Classic Bob's Red Mill · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 113 | 3.2 | 2.9 | — | 140 | 4 | 35 |
| Fruit & Cream Instant Oatmeal Quaker · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 104 | 2.8 | 2.7 | — | 110 | 3 | 30 |
| Flavor Variety Instant Oatmeal Quaker · Breakfast & Oatmeal | 105 | 2.6 | 2.5 | — | 160 | 4 | 43 |
16 foods. Every number comes from published Nutrition Facts. We don't do taste tests or paid placements. See the methodology for sources and formulas, or build a full menu with the planner.
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