Gastro Gnome Packable Meals

Gastro Gnome dried meals are hands-down the best I've ever tasted. If you prefer the taste of real food, prepared as it would be at home or in a restaurant, you need to give these a try. You'll be glad you did.

I gave these meals a try on two multi-day backpacking trips trips last summer and they were incredibly good. Instead of bland, but over-salted flavor, these meals taste like what you'd get in a good restaurant—really—and this is reflected in ingredient lists that look like recipes out of a cookbook instead of a chemistry text.

I've had four of their meals:

• Indian yogurt braised chicken,
• Spicy red chicken pozole,
• Thai green chicken curry, and
• Bison chorizo hash.

The spice flavors are front and center, as they should be, and the heat is pleasant, but not overpowering. These meals are rich in flavor and satisfying, each delivering enough calories for one person, or two if you are adding other courses to the meal.They re-hydrate well and I didn't encounter any of the wet on the outside, dry on the inside chunks that I invariably get with other brands.

The straightforward, simple ingredient lists with no fillers make it easy for people with allergies or food sensitivities to shop (no soy or pea protein fillers). I'm GF and allergic to legumes, so have a hard time finding meals in most brands, but have no problem with Gastro Gnome.

If you prefer the taste of real food, prepared as it would be at home or in a restaurant, you need to give these a try. You'll be glad you did.

Background

I used the meals on two multi-day backpacking trips.

While I have used these meals and loved them, and recommended them to others, the last batch I got had several packets of the Molten Lava Cake which were disastrous and inedible. They simply failed to hydrate and instead turned into a rock hard chunk. We tried to stay positive and turn it into a trial snack, but it was too hard. I let the company know, assuming they woud offer a refund, but they just said sorry. Very frustrating when out in the winter and counting on those calories!

While I have used these meals and loved them, and recommended them to others, the last batch I got had several packets of the Molten Lava Cake which were disastrous and inedible. They simply failed to hydrate and instead turned into a rock hard chunk. We tried to stay positive and turn it into a trial snack, but it was too hard. I let the company know, assuming they woud offer a refund, but they just said sorry.  Very frustrating when out in the winter and counting on those calories!

Background

4 or 5 trips using the product for several days ata time