Cycling UK Forum

PH wrote: ↑31 May 2023, 10:39am I contributed to the thread linked above, couple of things to add.
These are currently my favorite noodles, it says five minutes to cook, but adding boiling water to a mug with a lid and leaving to stand is good enough:
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/pro ... curry-100g

Tried this for our evening meal. Cracking curry. Added sliced up cooked butchers cumberland bangers, chopped onion,
mangetout and sweet peppers. Brilliant!

Al

When away in our Campervan, which only has a double gas burner, we use those packets of microwave rice you find in supermarkets. These just need to be warmed through in a pan, with perhaps a little water added. It can then be served up with a tin of Stagg Chilli or a tin of Chicken Curry.

well noodles aren't poison but not nutritionally balanced - wouldn't want to pedal on them long-term.
There's always these - chunks and "mince" available.

https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/searc ... a%20chunks

don't take long to rehydrate in a very small amount of boiling water which you can stir some yeast extract into for a veg meaty experience.

and then add to whatever, noodles, pasta, rice. high in protein.

I believe dehydrated meals are necessary when one has a constant water source. After all, if one carries a dehydrated meal plus the water to hydrate it, then there are no weight savings. There are many ready meals packaged in a pouch now which are much tastier than freeze dried and packaging weight is the same.

The alternative is to buy a dehydrator and take home-made meals you can tailor to your dietary requirements.

My take on dehydrated or other camp meals is they taste pretty rubbish when you test them out in the kitchen, but having spent 8 or 10 hours walking or cycling, when you've got your tent pitch on the ridge, watching the sun go down with maybe with a wee dram out of the hip flask, they taste bloody brilliant. Hunkered down inside your tent because it's p*ssing down and the only view you've got is of your flysheet, they still taste rubbish though!

It's also worthwhile looking at the contents of a military 24hr ration pack. Obvious the food is designed to give a good calorific content, but some of the other things they put into them, like some sweets, flavoured drinks powder and a few treats make an other functional meal pack, into something you enjoy eating. Remember food is for the soul as well as the body.

MarcusT wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 5:19am There are many ready meals packaged in a pouch now which are much tastier than freeze dried and packaging weight is the same.

What sort of thing are you thinking of? The ones I've seen and/or tried are certainly tastier than freeze dried, but significantly heavier for smaller portions.

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 6:36pm

MarcusT wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 5:19am There are many ready meals packaged in a pouch now which are much tastier than freeze dried and packaging weight is the same.

What sort of thing are you thinking of? The ones I've seen and/or tried are certainly tastier than freeze dried, but significantly heavier for smaller portions.

As posted, if you include water weight to re-hydrate, it is about the same. So if someone has to bring the water to re-hydrate it's the same weight as a ready to eat meal.

MarcusT wrote: ↑22 Jun 2023, 5:52am

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 6:36pm

MarcusT wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 5:19am There are many ready meals packaged in a pouch now which are much tastier than freeze dried and packaging weight is the same.

What sort of thing are you thinking of? The ones I've seen and/or tried are certainly tastier than freeze dried, but significantly heavier for smaller portions.

As posted, if you include water weight to re-hydrate, it is about the same. So if someone has to bring the water to re-hydrate it's the same weight as a ready to eat meal.

which is all well and good except i think most of us would be looking to source the H2o local to the point of rehydration, i certainly do.

Get a dehydrator
I often cook a little to much so now create home dehydrated meals for when out camping, these weight nothing and keep for an age in the freezer till needed.
I find that making fruit leathers and the such good for quick boost food and somthing to add to those oats on a morning, main meals are oftem spagbol which dehydrates very well ( just weight the complete meal before placing in the dehyrator then when dry just write the weight on the bag. I use a vacuum sealer to save each meal into portions, the bag I use have a notch to open..
these pack and store good (freezer)
Just completed the coast and castles only one buying a cooked meal (fish n Chips)

Ive dehydrated almost every thing now, some work good some not so even made my own all day breaky and beef stews

+1 for home dehydration. I take dried meal-size portions in ziploc bags, adding a little water mid-afternoon so the meal starts to rehydrate ready for that evening's meal.
I then double bag the wetted mixture using a second, larger ziploc just in case of leakage into the pannier - though that hasn't happened to me yet.