I wanted to try Itacate’s meals and ordered a round at the end of the year. Their “in stock” seems a little low right now, but they are also carried at REI. Keep an eye out, and they will probably be back in stock on their website.
Two things to note:
These meals last about a year, so keep them in your hiker’s pantry, and don’t let them get buried in the back.
They come in very thin pouches, not a full-thickness mylar bag. That’s not an issue, but be mindful to hold up the bag while adding water and that the bag radiates heat faster than a heavy mylar bag. However, this can be good as it means less garbage tossed. Just protect your hands and potentially insulate the bag in a cozy, especially in winter months.
They have 4 meals to try; we picked up 3 of them: a breakfast, a soup, and a dessert.
Charge-Up Chilaquiles (Chilaquiles Verdes)
This is a breakfast choice that is also dinner-ready. Opening the bag, the dry food seems small, but it has a delicious aroma. It only requires 5 minutes of rehydration, so it is a quick meal.
Dry weight 3.5 ounces
490 calories / 20 grams fat / 630 mg sodium / 20 grams fiber / 17 grams protein / 55 grams carbs
The price is $12.49.
It’s vegetarian, filling, warming, and has a pleasant flavor—very comfort food indeed with the tortilla chips! I highly recommend this one if you are seeking a different taste in breakfast. And no, I didn’t find it spicy at all—pleasant heat levels.
Arroz Con Leche (Aeeoz Con Leche De Coco)
Dessert? Breakfast? It could be either. It’s not too sweet, and you can taste the plump strawberries. It uses chia seeds for thickening, so keep that in mind whether or not you like them. The dessert is vegan-friendly as well.
Dry weight 3.5 ounces
450 calories / 10 grams fat / 75 mg sodium / 4 grams fiber / 7 grams protein / 80 grams carbs
The price is $6.49.
Give this meal the full 15 minutes to rehydrate the chia seeds and rice. It’s a nice take on rice pudding, although I will admit I am not a huge chia seed fan, but since it’s not the main focus, I didn’t mind them.
Campsite Lentejas (Sopa De Lentejas)
In lentil soup, the lentils are firm and fully shaped, not mushy. There is lots of broth. It’s a very mild flavor, no heat at all. I’d actually add some hot sauce to my taste, and I thought how well this soup would have been with a half cup of instant rice (made in a bag) added to it to soak up all the broth.
The soup is vegan-friendly and very high in fiber.
Dry weight 4 ounces
490 calories / 12 grams fat / 460 mg sodium / 26 grams fiber / 24 grams protein / 73 grams carbs
The price is $12.49.
I liked the texture, and the warming broth, it just needed a punch of flavor (a bit of heat)
I enjoyed all three meals, with them having a different taste profile than one normally finds at REI and similar.
~Sarah