I'd never
paid attention to this food until www.SurvivalBill.ca
recently wrote about it. I just assumed it was frozen or refrigerated, but its
not! It is shelf stable at room temperature for about two years! This makes it
a strong candidate for mid-term food storage, bug out bags and camping.
Currently there are over 30 different entree's to choose from covering
breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Compleats product line.
The Test:
I purchased
a "Homestyle Beef Pot Roast" at WalMart for $2.18, this meal weight
is 10oz (over half a pound!).
Nutrition Facts:
Calories
= 230
Carbs=
22g
Salt is
high at 1470mg
Servings
Per Container: 1
As a
camping or emergency meal, this salt level is nothing compared to many chain
restaurant foods. I haven't looked at all the other meals offered but the eight
I did check the salt ranges from 600mg to 1000mg. This is not a deal breaker
for me. I would take a SWAG (scientific wild ass guess) that the added salt is
part of their preservation method.
Preparing:
Couldn't
be simpler, just heat and eat! You don't have to add water or anything, it's a
fully prepared meal.
Microwave Instructions: Puncture film/peel back film, heat
for 30 seconds, stir, heat for 30 seconds, stir.
Boil Instructions: Place unopened plastic tray in
boiling water and simmer for about 9 minutes.
Heat in a Pot: Transfer contents into a camp pot
and heat it over a campfire or camp stove.
More information at these links:
So, what does it taste like?
I ate
this meal today and it was very good, just as good as any frozen quality entree'. I can't
compare it to an MRE because I've never eaten an MRE and not looking forward to
it especially because of cost. I certainly will be testing and stocking more of
these Compleats.
Front
view.
Side
view.
Rear of
package showing nutrition facts and best by date. This was purchased 11-24-14.
Yummy!
I knew you had SWAG!
ReplyDeleteJeebus, dat sodium content is off the charts!
ReplyDeleteThat's fairly common with heat and eat entree's (it's lower than most fast foods). Don't make it a deal breaker for yourself. These are good tasting meals and during disaster times they will taste even better.
DeleteMRE's have a better flavor and longer storage, and more complete nutrition. These have the advantage of lower cost and wide availability. You will sometimes find $1 off coupons for these. The package is very durable. The 'Best By' date is just that. They will last longer than 2 years if properly stored. I usually rotate them so they do not go much further than the date, but bet they would still be 'good' for another 2 to 3 years beyond this date. I have had one a year past the best by date, and it tasted the same and I suffered no ill effects.
ReplyDeleteI keep about 20 in a opaque, plastic, lidded container, stored in a closet. I rotate them about once a year. Eating the older items and replacing them with new. That's the nice thing. You get used to eating them so its not a shock if you had to eat them in an emergency.
MRE's have their place. Having a few around is an option if you can afford them at $5-$6 each and everyone is used to eating them.
DeleteYes these do last at least a year and a half past the best by date. I tested this out about six months ago when I found one that was not rotated properly (these are hermetically sealed so these do have a much longer shelf life than the Best Buy date which is for the grocery stores to rotate them out of stock not 4 lifespan although taste would degrade over time). It was the beef stew and it tasted just like the others that were still within the best by date.
ReplyDeleteI keep these for a backup food supply for emergencies, they are lightweight and easy to store and have multiple ways of being heated. I have yet to boil one of these but plan to do so here in the next month while camping. I would suggest if you microwave them reduce the power to 60% increase the cooking time, if not the outer edges get cooked to death. I have heated the meat and gravy separately from the mashed potatoes in a skillet and it turned out really good.
I've stuck with the beef stew, sirloin & mashed potatoes, pot roast & potatoes, meatballs & spaghetti and turkey with mashed potatoes & gravy. They all are great tastes wise for what you're getting and paying for.
Both myself and my daughter grab these for last minute lunches at work or when we do not feel like making a dinner here and there.