Our Official Review of Mush's Ready-to-Eat Oats

Welcome to Skimm Tested, where we put products to the test and then give 'em a report card. (Check out all of our tried and tested faves here.)

The assignment…

To see if Mush ($39.99/6 pack) — ready-to-eat oats made with less than eight ingredients —  are worthy of snagging a recurring role in your breakfast or snack rotation.

Straight A’s in…

• Flavor and consistency. Incredibly tasty and flavor you can actually recognize: Apple cinnamon is flavorful but not too sweet, dark chocolate is rich, but not overwhelming. We’d rank blueberry and vanilla bean to be the least satisfying flavors. We also found consistency to be thick and substantial, not watery or soup-like. PS: You can eat the oats hot or cold, but we recommend cold.

• Convenience. A huge time-saver — no more making oats from scratch. The cups are peel-and-eat, making things quick and easy especially if your mornings are hectic. The compact size and packaging makes it convenient to commute with too. 

• Nutritional value. Well-balanced and at ~200 calories per container, each flavor includes less than eight ingredients. Mush ready-to-eat oats provide a good serving of protein (5-8g), with calcium, iron, and potassium (varies by flavor).

Room for growth…

• Heartiness. May seem plain if you eat it alone (sans extra toppings). For our breakfast, we added blueberries and granola for additional nutrients and to make it more filling.

• Accessories.The plastic spoon that comes with the 6-ounce container may be wasteful if you’re eating from home instead of on the go. 

• Cost. If you’re ordering the 12 pack of a single flavor, the cost breakdown is about $5 per serving; with the 6 pack, they’re about $7 each. While a purchase here and there may not burn a hole in your pocket, if you’re buying these as your go-to breakfast, the cost can add up.

Plays well with…

• Those who want a quick, tasty, and nutritious breakfast, especially if you’re packing food to eat at the office or commuting. 

• Oatmeal lovers who want a bit of variation in their meal choices.

• Those who are calorie-conscious and/or have dietary restrictions (gluten- and dairy-free).

Gets extra credit for…

• The subscription option. For 10% off, you can choose how often you want shipments to be delivered.

• You can purchase 5–ounce Mush cups in stores, just find a location near you. 

• Available in variety packs so you can test different flavors.

How we did our homework…

• One editor taste-tested Mush as a breakfast option over the course of several weeks. She tried all flavors available, ate the oats hot and cold, with and without added toppings. She also kept her Mush oats refrigerated for the suggested amount of time to see if consistency changed. She was mindful of how full she felt after eating them, paying special attention to how long she could go after breakfast before feeling hunger pangs. She traveled with the oats to test convenience. Additionally, we incorporated anecdotal evidence from other HQ’rs who’ve tried Mush and could speak to its general quality.

Footnotes…

• $39.99/mixed pack of 6

• No artificial ingredients: preservative-, color-, and filler-free. 

• Cups should be refrigerated, with a six- to seven-week shelf-life. If you prefer hot oats, they can be heated via stove or microwave.