There is one thing to consider though – many of their meals have a LOT of fiber due to the use of TVP. If you are not used to eating it expect certain stomach issues if you get my drift. Don’t eat a lot of it until you get used to it! Especially if you are on a date!! (It is the same reason I always tell folks to get used to stuff by Fantastic Foods, particularly the veggie chili dry mix). I have seen other reviews for Wise Foods where the reviewer had stomach pains later that night after eating. It is simply due to not being used to fiber of this sort Drink a lot of water with it as well. Or take Beano©

The company offers a deal on a 12 pack of the outdoor meals that lowers the price considerably. It includes the cheesy lasagna, stroganoff, creamy chicken pasta and chicken ala king. They also offer a 4 pack, with one of each flavor.

Cheesy Lasagna:

4.8 ounces in weight, technically a 2 serving.

The pasta used is a mix of shapes – ribbons and twisties:

Simple to prepare: Add 2 cups boiling water, stir well, seal up and let sit for 12 minutes. Stir up and eat:

Lots of big chunks of “beef” and tomatoes. It has a pleasing smell – no “Spaghettio’s©” smell (lets just say that one brand we reviewed years ago was neon red and reeked of the can variety. It was not a good thing.) The meal isn’t overly seasoned so those who like comfort food would go for this. It is though a solid 1 person serving size wise. A whole bag has 26 grams of protein, 520 calories, 12 grams fat and a huge dose of 10 grams of fiber.  It is a pleasing meal and I wouldn’t mind having this one in our emergency kit and bug out bags.

Chicken Ala King:

It is 4.2 ounces in weight and also calls for 2 cups boiling water. Of all the meals sent (outside of the granola mentioned below) it has about half the sodium per serving (a little over 500). It is a blend of rice, peas and “chicken”.

Of the three meals we tested in this run we did not care for this one. It was really soupy. The rice also required more sitting time (it really needed 15 to 20 minutes versus 12). It just needed something – be it herbs, Parmesan cheese and a lot more vegetables. Had it been bulked up with more vegetables it would have been more casserole like than soup. With tweaking this could have worked, but not straight out of the package for our liking.

The third was Honey Granola, offered in the one time use package (no closure):

Over the years I have tried a number of packaged granola’s aimed at the outdoor crowd. What has always struck me is how crappy they are – often over cooked, small and hard cereal pieces that just don’t excite the taste buds by any means. So I didn’t have any expectations for it and was pleasantly surprised. The granola is fresh smelling, large chunks (lots of texture that way for when you crave crunching), big pieces of slivered almonds. It wasn’t all crunched up into dust. No hard pieces. They have done this well – what it reminded me of is the granola you can buy in bulk at many natural food stores that is so tasty.The ingredient list is about the same as well.

The bag has 2 cups, which I would call 2 hearty servings (the bag says 4). Pack your own milk of choice (which I personally like this – Kirk and Ford like soy milk, I prefer cow). Just split the cereal into sandwich bags and go! The only thing is that the breakfast bags are sold in big kits – but if you are building an emergency supply of food along with your backpacking stores, it can be a good deal. (And you should be! Don’t make me lecture you!) All you need for one summer is bucket of the bags and a tub of NIDO milk

Coming soon:

More meals reviewed!

~Sarah

We had opted to try out the sausage version. The meal came with the egg mix, bag of Toastees, 2 oil packets, 2 salsa packets and prep kit (I always get the prep kit that includes folded parchment paper, salt, pepper and hand wipes – because even if I don’t use it with the meal I will at some point. They come in handy for making wraps and sandwiches on the trail! Free is free and it is handy to have.)

My package came in at 8 ounces – from the website it appears that they have altered the recipe a bit maybe? I know the nutritional stats are different, as is the ingredient list on my package (mine had fewer fat grams). But no loss, it is still relatively the same!

Packit uses good dried eggs in their meals. If you expect typical dried eggs from past memories you will be pleasantly surprised. They are not rubbery or watery and taste like fresh eggs. I deviated from the instructions and toasted up the Toastees first (that way our eggs would be super hot at the end). It also go the fry pan hot. I drizzled in a little oil and tossed the crunchy bread over a low flame, then stashed them in a mug. You can use the second packet of oil or instead pack in butter (better!). In cool weather butter carries well and in summer clarified butter (ghee) is extremely shelf stable. A Tablespoon of butter makes the eggs perfect.

Mixing up the eggs is simple – a cup of cool water to the mix in the outer bag. Stir/shake till combined (it will be very thick) and let sit till the bread is toasted. Add to the hot fat of choice and scramble.

A non stick fry pan will be your friend along with a small spatula or spoon and a stove that has an adjustable flame – keep it low and keep the eggs moving. Titanium is not your friend here unless you want fried on eggs.

Turn off the stove when the eggs are set but still a little shiny/wet looking. The carry over heat will continue cooking a bit more. Serve up with the Toastees split between the 2 servings and salsa if desired – we found the eggs didn’t need any! They had plenty of flavor, packed full of sausage, veggies and cheese.

A definite winner and extremely easy to make. As long as one uses a non stick pan clean up is simple (wipe out the pan to remove any left over egg and wash). And yes, it will fill you up! It is the equivalent of 6 eggs for the whole package. Just add in some fresh fruit and you are good to go.

~Sarah

It is a one pot meal, simply bring the dry ingredients and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in your pot, then cook on a simmer for 5 minutes. I let it sit for another 5 minutes covered to thicken up.

Ready to eat:

It is an interesting meal choice. The texture of the mushrooms, wild and brown rices and slivered almonds give it crunch, the green beans add a juicy vegetable. It is a half way mix of being a thick chowder and a casserole. It is also very low sodium for a commercial meal, 313 mg of sodium for the entire serving. The meal has plenty of flavor so unless one likes a salt lick the lower sodium is perfect. To me it is the perfect amount.

It is satisfying and perfect for the smaller/medium sized appetite. For men who love to eat I would recommend adding in some chicken to bump up the protein.

~Sarah

You may well not have. They are not a big company nor do they have a lot of selections but what they do carry is well thought out. The meals are very compact (one thin bag and a dessication packet) and while one pot meals, are efficient for water and fuel use. The meals are all vegetarian, no added MSG, fillers or preservatives and as far as I can see no fake colorings or preservatives. The best part is they are very good in the sodium levels. Not one of the meals in front of me has over 499 mg for a huge serving. That is fantastic! Many are in the 350 mg range as well.

Ordering was easy and straight forward, shipping by UPS and was prompt.

Originally I had gone to pick up a bag of the Green Bean Cuisine after one of our readers mentioned loving it. I also picked up Wild Bill’s Wild Rice Dinner, Meals with Wheels, Mom’s Pasta Primavera, Potato-Corn Chowder and I found a packet of Pea-Pickin Jambalaya tucked in as well.

Reviews will be coming as we try them out on upcoming hikes this month!

~Sarah

Ford and I met up with her and we drove to Mowich Lake, along the always interesting “State Highway 165″ which is not paved and is basically a 2 car wide FS logging road. You can tell the out of staters by the white knuckled grip as they drive 5 mph past you…..the straight drop offs the side and the vast views from the clearcuts only make the drive better Ah, but never fear – once you enter the park all you see is glorious low subalpine forest and then you get treated to one massive lake, Mowich. Just take a word of advice: DO NOT ever use the privies at Mowich. I learned that lesson years ago. You can smell them 20 feet away……or farther.

We had driven up into the clouds and as we stepped out into 46* temps, the clouds were flittering above.  Way behind that ridge and beyond is Spray Park…..

We wandered around Mowich Lake on The Wonderland Trail to Ipsuit Pass. Of which I realized every time I have been at this pass it has been clouded over.

Trees on Wonderland Trail:

A few minutes passed and the wind blew the clouds by for a little while – leaving us with a view of sorts.

We went back to the turn off for Eunice Lake and headed downhill. Along the way you cross a number of avy slopes that were brilliant with color from wild flowers.

Tiger Lilies:

Eunice Lake. Elevation 5355 feet. The trail to Tolmie Peak/Lookout continues on.

The lookout is visible in the middle of the photo, a square bump.

Fields of Lupine above the water – the air was very perfumed.

Even though it was only in the 50′s, Ford decided to go wading and enjoyed himself till his feet went numb….

For lunch Ford and I reviewed Packitgourmet’s Many Bean Salad.

I had picked up a bag of this meal awhile back and had never gotten around to trying it. Part of it being I just wasn’t sure about it. And it had a LOT of beans. I’d end up grabbing different meals over the past months. Finally today I told myself we would try it out.

Opening it up you have the bag of beans/seasoning, vegetable bag, 2 packets EVOO, 2 packets malt vinegar and a packet of salad dressing.

Knowing how cooked/dehydrated beans work I took a gamble and ignored the cooking directions and did it the lazy way. I boiled the called for 1 1/2 cups water, then added the bean bag and the vegetable bag to the outer heat safe bag. Poured the hot water over, sealed and cozied up for 10 or so minutes. Came back and added in the dressing, the malt vinegar and 1 packet of the olive oil.

The smell was INCREDIBLE! I honestly had been wondering up to the point of opening the bag if I’d be eating stale Luna bars instead. No, it was so good smelling that Ford popped over with his spoon. I took the leftover bean bag, cut off the top and made him a bag as well and split it up between us. He ate his half and then was trying to get mine.

And this was a VEGAN meal! Beans, beans, beans and a lot of veggies. And the kid wanted more.

We all chatted about it – it would rock tossed with pasta and Parmesan cheese to make a hearty dinner for two. Or served over rice. With bacon added.

This is one I will be buying again. And again! I’d eat this at home – that kind of good!

Ford packing up, though he is hard to see:

After lunch and packing up we went exploring. The lake is crossed by trails.

Looking back down the lake:

Looking down from above of a hidden section of the lake:

Cat took this photo of me walking on a trail above the lake:

Ford ahead of me, on a rock section we climbed up:

The view down below, of another section of the lake. This part is shallow and actually balmy. Somewhere I have a photo of a small Ford in fall of 2004 playing in this section.

One last look as we walked back above the lake, before leaving the lake basin:

Ford and I heading back up The Wonderland at the end (Photo by Cat):

Mowich Lake was nearly covered in clouds as we came back, the coves felt almost like standing at the Pacific Ocean – and not in subalpine.

Highlights of the trip were bunnies and deer. Not bad on a very misty day. And I can say that hiking in 50* weather is much preferred to 90*+ days…….

~Sarah

Depending on appetite it will serve 1 to 2. I’d say if you are a man who loves food, treat this as a solo meal. Ford would have eaten the whole pie himself, myself, half would be fine. It is a protein powerhouse, 19 grams for half the meal. It is a bit higher in sodium, due to the sausage. Packed weight is 11 ounces.

Find in the package the crust mix, cheese/veggie/meat packet, sauce mix, oil, cornmeal and flour packets, Parmesan and red pepper packets.

The only thing I changed was to prepare the dough in the smaller bag it came in. It worked better for me than to use the outer bag as a “mixing vessel”. It was easier to knead the dough (more flexible) and easier to get the dough out of later. The sauce is simple: add water, seal and shake. Dissolves very fast. Sprinkle in a little water over the toppings. Set aside for 10 minutes.

As for the baking? A non stick fry pan is needed, for many stoves a heat diffuser will be needed, though I have done it without one – but you have to keep a close eye out for burning. You will also need a lid, though a wide cooking pot can be used also.

Heat up half the oil over a low flame, sprinkle in 1/2 the corn meal. Quickly press out the dough into the pan (it helps to do this off the stove or have someone helping you hold the pan), then sprinkle the flour on top. Using clean hands stretch the dough with your finger tips. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, keeping an ear out and your sniffer for over browning.

Open up pan, drizzle on the rest of the oil and cornmeal. Flip the dough over. Spread the sauce on, top with the toppings. Cover and bake for 5 minutes. Take off the stove and let sit covered for another 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges:

It was a fun pizza to make with Ford, even if it was at home and not on the trail The pizza is quite tasty and the dough turned out well. An impressive meal to serve a loved one on the trail….

~Sarah

The pouch is 8-ounces and runs retail for $5.90, making it one of the more affordable commercial meals on the market. It seems with Backpacker’s Pantry if you choose the veg entrees they are surprisingly affordable. This one does contain TVP for extra protein as well, so keep that in mind if you don’t like soy products.

The pouch contains the noodles/dry sauce, a 1 1/2-ounce packet of peanut butter and a small packet of halved roasted peanuts. While it is a great concept to have the packet of peanut butter I was shocked to see the low quality used – the peanut butter contained bad oils (Roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil – rapeseed, cottonseed and/or soybeans oils- , salt*). I would suggest that the company use something a wee bit healthier such as Justin’s Nut Butters which are fabulous tasting and a whole lot healthier. [*It does seem that the newer bags of the Pad Thai do contain a better peanut butter that got rid of the bad oils. Nice to see that. Too bad they are still selling the bags with the bad PB!]

Looking into the pouch at the dry rice noodles/sauce mix:

It is pretty straight forward, as with most commercial ‘no-cook’ meals – add hot water, seal tightly and let sit for time on package. With the pad thai they have you add in the peanut butter and peanuts, then the water. You will need a long handled spoon to be able to mix it well. The noodles being rice must be submerged to cook properly. The company suggests 13 minutes for the sit time for up to 5,000 ft elevation, if you are in cold weather or higher in elevation I would suggest 15 to 20 minutes or up to 30 minutes if above 10,000 feet – or you may have chewy noodles. In higher elevation/cold I would suggest a cozy for these bags, they are not as thick as some other brands. Not a bad thing, just keep it in mind!

Ford was my taste tester for the meal. He liked it and was happy it wasn’t “too spicy”. That is something to consider, it is spiced for the average American taste bud. And that is nice really – one can always ramp up the heat by throwing in some dried Thai chilies or dried red pepper flakes. (Or some rooster sauce!)

Overall the meal was good. The smell of the dry ingredients was a nice aroma when opening the bag.It has a pleasant flavor though for me I would shake in some more heat – or a little more lime powder.

The nutrition stats were also on the good side. The bag is technically 2 servings, with each serving being: 460 calories, 18 grams fat, 580 mg sodium, 8 grams fiber, 19 grams protein.

This makes this an unusual choice in commercial meals – the high fat, high protein and high fiber with reasonable sodium levels. Most commercial meals lack in all of this.

But….as with nearly all commercial meals this does NOT make 2 servings unless you eat like a hummingbird. As you can see in the photos above, I served the full bag in the Fozzils Bowl. This is a meal the boy would eat on his own. If we were to split it I would have to provide another meal for him. Again, something to consider when making meal choices. Still, with the sodium levels a person could eat the bag by themselves….but be warned, if you don’t get a lot of fiber in your diet, well…..16 grams of fiber in one meal is a lot

~Sarah

The package weighs in at 6 1/2 ounces and retails for $6.03.

Opening up the package you get a strong smell of cumin, so do be aware of that. It is a mix of instant rice, beans and vegetables with seasonings and salt. From what I could see it is vegetarian/vegan friendly.

The directions call for 2 1/2 cups water, I would recommend 2 1/4 cups for more firm rice, less water left behind. I let it sit for 20 minutes for more of the water to absorb.

We decided to make burritos with the rice dish and that worked well. You have plenty to make at least 4 burritos – especially if you use the big burrito sized tortillas (we used soft taco size).

1-ounce sticks of string cheese diced up work well on top, I cheated and added sour cream to mine

Flavor wise this was actually good. The cumin that smells so strong doesn’t taste strong. That is a good thing as cumin can over power. This is a meal easy to replicate at home for a lot less but in a pinch I would consider it – the sodium levels were not fantastic but neither were they bad for a commercial meal. And it is one filling meal due to the beans. Still, I would recommend adding in fat or making burritos to bump up both the fat and calories. 340 calories for half a bag is not going to satisfy most people and due to the higher fiber….you won’t want to eat the whole bag!

Nutritional Stats per serving, bag makes 2:

Calories 340 / Total Fat 2g  / Sodium 770mg  / Protein 11g / Fiber 10g

~Sarah (and Ford)

Having said that, if you buy the meals through Mary Janes website you will get a better deal than at, say REI. The Cheesy B.N.T. costs $6.95 at Mary Janes, $9.25 at REI!

Organic Cheesy B.N.T. (Bac’un bits, Noodles & Tomatoes). each pouch is 4.3 ounces and is 1 1/2 servings (in other words? 1 larger serving). If you treat the package as a 1 person meal you will have this for the nutritional stats:

465 calories, 15 grams fat, 570 mg sodium, 3 grams fiber and 21 grams protein. The meal is vegetarian, the “bacon” is soy based.

It is easy to prepare – bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil and add into the pouch. Stir well, roll the top over and let sit for 10 minutes. If in cold weather a cozy would be very useful – the bag is not Mylar lined as many commercial meals are. Stir well and serve up!

I used a GSI Rehydrate spoon and a Fozzil dish.

The pasta is perfectly cooked, the sauce coats the macaroni – nearly absorbed. I happen to like fake bacon so flavor wise it is good. The only issue in the meal is how strong the cheese is – it is a very sharp white cheddar. Kids may not like this meal due to that – and as well, if as an adult you think boxed mac n’ cheese by a certain company starting with “K” is gourmet, you too may find it a bit sharp.

Meat eaters would find this meal perfect with a can or pouch of chicken added and even a Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. A few extra veggies wouldn’t hurt either. By adding that you could easily stretch the meal to feed two.

I would buy this one again – I liked the flavor and texture. Even more so the appearance of the meal is quite pleasing, as is the aroma.

~Sarah