What are the best dehydrated/freeze-dried meals?

[PixelTali]

I also second Radix - they have 400, 600, and 800 calorie versions, a 6-flavour pack and they don't have much salt so you avoid the salty, preservative taste with some meals.
I'm in the same boat as you - we hike for a very long day I want the brainlessness of the packet meal, and the ease of water and then rubbish bag for the packet. Radix is also a NZ company so local enough!

[Kott]

How are the vegan/vegetarian versions. The old meat based ones were really nice?

p.s. second Pixeltali comment - I love the option for a simple rubbish bag after.

[matagi]

One of the things we noticed after having the Radix meals on our recent Overland Track trip, is that there's no greasy residue - I rehydrated mine in my pot and it was easy to rinse clean afterward.

[headwerkn]

Thanks Headwerkn, the Alps and Amici website is helpful and their shop in Lonnie looks very good. I wonder if they're Italian. - Thus the good food. When you say you add stuff at home into a zip-lock bag and later simply add boiling water, is it their zip-lock bag or are you confident to add boiling water to your own-bought Zip-locks - Glad?

Their freeze-dried meals are literally the same fancy meals they sell prepared in their store (fancypants East Launceston deli store for fancypants East Launceston types), so high quality stuff. I believe Forager Foods do their freeze drying.

Yes, I just use regular supermarket ziploc bags, medium size. The bags that freeze dried meals come in are too bulky and heavy for my tastes, either full or used. Never had a problem with leaks in ziplocs. They sit in a HMG Repack to hold heat while they rehydrate.

[ofuros]

Another thumbs up for Alps & Amici...As the above comments, expensive but o so tasty, just need to add dehy rice, pasta etc to fill them out.

Occasionally, their packets are still sealed after you've torn along the tear line.

Would like to see a couple of fishy meals, just to broaden the menu...

[ofuros]

Anyone tried these ?

Freeze dried...Indian. I think they're all vegetarian.

https://freshoneed.com.au/collections/shop-all

[ofuros]

Just replying to my own post above...

Received my order today.

I think they're transitioning from the older style packet (no tearline, no ziploc seal) to the newer packets with these improvements. Most had the improvements & a couple didn't. Boil in bag or in a pot...up to you.
No preservatives or chemicals.
Gusseted, so they stand up by themselves.
Packet sizes are between 70-100g dry.

1st test pkt (Paneer Hyderabadi) had two smaller packets inside the main compartment to keep the ingredients separated. (One had freeze dried cubes of paneer cheese the other was a spicy oil mix). I added a small palm full of dehy rice to fill out, tasty. Slight heat.

2nd test packet (Paneer Bhurji) No extra packets inside. Tasty. Oniony. Rice added again.

Last edited by ofuros on Mon 30 Jun, 2025 10:38 pm, edited 4 times in total.

[matagi]

Which flavours did you get?

[vagrom]

BOOM !? They look very good.

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[ofuros]

Which flavours did you get?

If you like indian there's a lot to choose from.
I ordered the first 13 on the 1st page just to keep it simple.
Will gradually work through them, taking notes on which ones I like the best.