Vegetarian Entrées

Featured review by PhilNC

Excellent flavor and easy instructions offset the long wait time. This was my personal favorite of the two Good To-Go samples I tried, but had similar hydration issues (no more than other meals of its kind).

Note:  Some of the text below is similar to my review of Good To-Go’s Smoked Three Bean Chili but most of the detail is specific to this meal. I did this review to supplement Lah’s excellent review of the meal and to give another non-biased account of experience with it. No offense to other reviewers, but several seem to be related to the company in some way and I felt they might not carry the same weight as non-affiliated reviews.  I do appreciate the fairness of these reviewers admitting their relationships to the company.First off, when evaluating food choices I think it is a good baseline to describe my eating habits on the trail: Lots of fresh stuff on short trips especially first day or so Meals are usually a base (rice, pasta,...

Read more: Good To-Go Thai Curry reviews (11)

Reviewed by Patman

A tasty curry dish that surprised me with its freshness; this one doesn’t taste rehydrated. I’ve never knowingly had a Nepalese-style curry, but if this is representative, I’m a fan. I just wish there was more in the package. As I’ll mention in all the Nomad reviews: I consider this the best brand of dehydrated, prepackaged food I’ve tried to date. It’s an expensive but high quality product.

Prologue: When I was messaging back and forth with Alicia (Trailspace Co-Founder and Editor) about testing some food items, I mentioned that I would only be interested in vegetarian options (I’m not actually vegetarian or vegan, I just rarely eat meat). For those excluding meat altogether, the pre-packaged choices are understandably limited in the backpacking/dehydrated food genre. I was quite intrigued when Alicia came back with this brand as I had never heard of them before. As I read about the company and product my interest was piqued further; you can check out their story here but I’ll relate that all products are plant-based, possibly non-GMO /organic (they don’t claim to be fully non-GMO/ organic but state that they “do their...

Read more: Nomad Nutrition Kathmandu Curry review (1)

Reviewed by Patman

A tasty Indian stew that reminds me of a classic (but slightly less spicy) Dal. As I’ve written with the other Nomad reviews: this is my new favorite brand of dehydrated backpacking food.

Ingredients: Potatoes, Carrots, Red Lentils*, Coconut Milk*, Onions, Peas, Sundried Tomatoes*, Olive Oil*, Garlic*, Spices*, Sea Salt*.   *Certified Organic Ingredient. Nutrition: (for the 100-gram package) Calories 680, Carbs 93g, Sugars (10 g), Protein 24g Prologue: When I was messaging back and forth with Alicia (Trailspace Co-Founder and Editor) about testing some food items, I mentioned that I would only be interested in vegetarian options (I’m not actually vegetarian or vegan, I just rarely eat meat).

Read more: Nomad Nutrition Indian Red Lentil Stew review (1)

Reviewed by Twig

This is the latest addition to a line-up of six Good To-Go "all natural, dehydrated gourmet" meals. I found the product to be a fresh, healthy, and tasty alternative to the ever-growing line of pre-packaged, dehydrated backpacker meals on the market. I would highly recommend this product for those specifically looking for an all-natural, gluten-free, vegetarian option. It works well as both a stand-alone meal and as a side dish. The downsides are the higher retail cost and longer re-hydration time when compared to other similar products. I also found that some ingredients did not rehydrate fully, even given the full recommended prep time.

I tested the Good To-Go line of dehydrated foods two years ago when they were first introduced. At that time, only three options were offered. The company seems to be experiencing success and growth, having since added three more meals. This time around, I tested the Pad Thai and Indian Vegetable Korma meals, both in single and double serving sizes. This review is of the Indian Vegetable Korma. Please see my other reviews of the Thai Curry, Smoked Three Bean Chili, Herbed Mushroom Risotto, and Pad Thai on Trailspace.com.

Read more: Good To-Go Indian Vegetable Korma review (1)

Reviewed by Patman

A delicious and simple dehydrated meal with good caloric density (176 calories per ounce) for backpackers that prepares easily and satisfies. There is a naturalness to this dish (and this brand in general) that makes it seem as if this is some long-standing favorite food, even though I had never had it before. This brand is the best dehydrated food I’ve tried to date. It’s too pricey to be a staple for me, but worth it for that special trip or occasion.

Prologue: When I was messaging back and forth with Alicia (Trailspace Co-Founder and Editor) about testing some food items, I mentioned that I would only be interested in vegetarian options (I’m not actually vegetarian or vegan, I just rarely eat meat). For those excluding meat altogether, the pre-packaged choices are understandably limited in the backpacking/dehydrated food genre. I was quite intrigued when Alicia came back with this brand as I had never heard of them before. As I read about the company and product my interest was piqued further; you can check out their story here but I’ll relate that all products are plant-based, primarily non-GMO /organic (they don’t claim to be fully non-GMO/ organic but state that they “do their...

Read more: Nomad Nutrition Hungarian Goulash review (1)

Reviewed by Patman

A very familiar tasting and well-balanced meal, this one is like the backpacking equivalent of comfort food. A great bonus is the 225 calories per ounce which is excellent caloric density for carrying on a long trek. As I’ve written with the other Nomad reviews: this is my new favorite brand of dehydrated backpacking food.

Ingredients: Potatoes, Green Lentils*, Carrots, Coconut Milk*, Onions, Peas, Corn, Sundried Tomatoes*, Olive Oil*, Garlic*, Spices*, Sea Salt*. *Certified Organic Ingredient. Nutrition: (for the 100-gram package) Calories 790, Carbs 96g, Sugars (10g), Protein 23g Preparation and packaging Like all the Nomad meals I've tried so far, this one is a just-add-boiling water type (remember to remove the desiccant). I found it needed a tad more time than the recommended 10 minutes to reconstitute when using the cook-in-bag method.

Read more: Nomad Nutrition Irish Shepherd's Pie review (1)

Featured review by PhilNC

Coming from someone who is not a fan of packaged dinners—this was good! Easy instructions and good flavor, with only a few less hydrated/crunchy pieces. A great vegetarian alternative on the trail.

I did this review to supplement Lah’s excellent review of the meal and to give another non-biased account of experience with it.  No offense to other reviewers, but several seem to be related to the company in some way.  First off, when evaluating food choices I think it is a good baseline to describe my eating habits on the trail: Lots of fresh stuff on short trips especially first day or so Meals are usually a base (rice, pasta, barley) with home dehydrated vegetables Add variety to the menu with pre-packaged meals, tending  to stay with favorites.

Read more: Good To-Go Smoked Three Bean Chili reviews (8)

Featured review by Twig

This is a fresh, healthy, and tasty alternative to the every growing line of pre-packaged backpacker meals. While the recommended re-hydration period is quite a bit longer than other similar products, my sample of the Risotto did not take as long to re-hydrate as the other two meals. I would highly recommend this product for those looking specifically for an all-natural, vegetarian, gluten-free option.

A note: I’ve included some of the same commentary for all three Good To Go reviews: Smoked Three Bean Chili and Thai Curry and Herbed Mushroom Risotto. For particulars of each meal, skip to the section titled 'Taste'. Here's what was included in my sample box...note the bonus 'happy' beverages! About Me: I have progressed somewhat in my backcountry cuisine habits but will never achieve true greatness. You won't likely ever catch me porting fresh, raw ingredients into the wilderness to ingeniously craft baked goods in a dutch oven.

Read more: Good To-Go Herbed Mushroom Risotto reviews (4)

Featured review by Mortonsalt12

Delicious, great for the non-meat-eaters, spicy, easy to make. HUGE portions!

I took the Louisiana Red Beans & Rice, from Backpacker's Pantry, on a month-long bike packing trip around Lake Superior in September. Having a delicious, nutritious meal that required only hot water was probably one of the best things we did! We were able to use hot water from gas stations, or to quickly boil water on our camp stove. Having no dishes for clean up made camping during the cold/rainy September so much easier! We got into the habit of boiling water and setting the bag aside to "cook" while we were putting up our tent and covering our bikes with a tarp.

Read more: Backpacker's Pantry Louisiana Red Beans & Rice reviews (4)

Featured review by Ashleigh

Backpacker’s Pantry’s updated recipe of Chana Masala is a very flavorful and surprisingly filling dehydrated meal that has the perfect blend of Indian curry spices, rice, chilies, and garbanzo beans (chick peas). It is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free, so almost anyone can eat this meal without worry. In addition to great flavor, it feeds two people for under $7.

    When I first saw Backpacker’s Pantry Chana Masala, I didn't think it was something that I would have bought for myself. I was concerned that it wasn’t going to be filling enough without any meat in it and that it would be too spicy. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious taste and my very full belly when I tested it for Trailspace. Ingredients   Preparation Prep for Chana Masala is simple: add 2 1/4 cups boiling water, stir, seal, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

Read more: Backpacker's Pantry Chana Masala reviews (2)