Cycling UK Forum

Hi tourers

Rather than buying some of those camping meals I see for sale online, please can I have some suggestions of cheap supermarket options?

Are pot noodles really that bad, nutritionally speaking?

What about super noodles?

I usually work a chip shop or a pub/restaurant into the latter part of my daily route when touring, and just use the cooking kit for a cuppa in the morning.

I've decided to try and be more self supporting and go further off the beaten track.

Any suggestions welcome.

Couscous will fill you up and keep you going and I generally take a couple of packets just in case I run out of or can't find anything else to eat, i.e. it is my "emergency rations". Some packets have been on several trips!

I carry oats and super noodles. I’ll eat the oats any time of day, always my breakfast, and a spicy noodle at night.
Both are light and only need boiling water.

Lots of suggestions in this recent thread:
viewtopic.php?t=154283

Jonathan

Thanks for the suggestions and pointing out that other thread, I'll have a read now.

Wide-ranging group test here Includes natty nutritional & calories summary... don't know where they're getting the data from, mind... same bloke has done a 'spicy noodles' group test as well - here, so you should be just about covered in terms of your noodles requirements !

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

If you're going to be doing a fair bit of it, it might be worth investing in some Huel hot food, nutritionally sound (Allegedly) less packaging and you can take what you're likely to need and vary the portion size to suit:
https://uk.huel.com/products/huel-hot-savoury

simonineaston wrote: ↑31 May 2023, 9:15am Wide-ranging group test here Includes natty nutritional & calories summary... don't know where they're getting the data from, mind... same bloke has done a 'spicy noodles' group test as well - here, so you should be just about covered in terms of your noodles requirements !
...

Thanks for that. Interesting and well-written.

But:

By ranking them by calories/healthiness to help kerb the rise of self-isolating fatties.

with no description of what's meant by "healthiness" and no reporting or discussion of salt content!

Jonathan

Not used it personally, but I'm told that Heinz "plant protein daal-type meals" are tasty, cheap (£1 each at supermarkets) and reasonably filling, though as with many of this type, they could do with a bit of extra spice: bring your own herbs and spices to add. The disadvantage IMO would be the pouch type packaging.

The big plus that dehydrated food has is its light weight. As soon as you move towards wet ready meals, the weight multiplies big time 'cos you're carting all the water around with you. If you can guarantee a water source come meal time, the weight weenie loves a pot noodle!
Having said that, I think those bean-based products, marketed as Creationz, refered to above are quite good. Bit dear, weight for weight, although can be found online at discounted prices. Great for convenient eating on a base camp or star type tour.

...just found this on fleabay while looking for keenly priced meal options...

I think you'll find that price is in Sudanese pounds. About 34 GB pence, according to Google! You might have to wait a while for delivery, mind...

These are good, sort of vacuum packed semi-dehydrated, so a tiny bit heavier, but actually taste like proper food when stir fried with some greens (off-road riders can PYO!).

Knorr do almost-instant pasta. It's pretty good and there are a few different flavours. Seem to have increased in price quite a bit but so has everything else. You wouldn't want them every night but they are good every so often. A step up from the supermarket own-brand versions.

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/312082943

Koka curry noodles are the best! But again you wouldn't want them every night.

I often take cup soups or those pasta mug things along as cheap emergency rations. Of course pot noodles are a favourite, the 'no pot' versions are a bit better to pack, the same for instant porridge. The Germans are very good at packet soups / sauces, there will be whole aisles in most supermarkets and they also do things like pot potato meals which i sometimes get when i'm over there. Spaetzle is a good alternative to pasta/potato/asian noodles and is usually available in dry form during Lidl 'Alpfest' promotions.

I don't usually cook a lot when i'm camping so i tend to buy 'wet' food for same day consumption.