If you’re a mom who enjoys the outdoors, there might come a time when you want to take your children on an extended camping trip — a real getaway from civilization. Getting away from it all can be a terrific panacea for mom burnout. In this type of situation, ready to eat meals are a great solution for your main meals each day for a whole host of reasons. First of all, you’ll get a welcome break from cooking for your brood. Secondly, these little meals are perfectly portable because they’re compact and don’t weigh much. Keep reading to find out the rest of the reasons you’ll want to consider using ready to eat meals on your next outdoor adventure.
1. Ready to Eat Meals Help You Control Your Calories
If you’re out trekking around while on a hiking or camping trip, you’ll expend a ton of energy and when mealtime rolls around, you’ll need something hearty to eat to replenish your energy stores. Not only are they filling, but ready to eat meals can also be a terrific way to know what your calorie intake is. Like all food products, ready to eat meals have an easy-to-read nutrition label, which details the number of calories, fat grams, sodium and more.
2. Ready to Eat Meals Are Lightweight
When you’re carrying a backpack on your back on uneven terrain, weight matters. The more weight you have to pack, the more strain you’ll put on your back and leg muscles, which can cause unpleasant achiness the next day. The plus with ready to eat meals is that they are lightweight enough that they won’t cause a significant strain on you as you walk.
3. Waste from Ready to Eat Meals is Minimal
When camping, especially in primitive areas, there might not be trash receptacles to deposit your trash, and you’ll have to leave no trace and pack out whatever you packed in. After you eat the meal in the ready to eat meal’s pouch, you’ll, of course, have the pouch and the heating element left to dispose of. But even if you have to carry it, the waste is minimal and won’t weigh more than the intact ready to eat meal.
4. Just Add Water and You’ll Have a Meal
You won’t have to worry about preparing food and cooking it if you opt to use ready to eat meals as your food source, which is a major plus if you’ve had an active day outside with the kids. All you’ll have to do is just add water, wait for the meal to heat up and you’re all set. What could be more simple?
5. Ready to Eat Meals Come in a Variety of Flavors
There’s no need to worry about having to eat the same ready to eat meals over and over again unless you want to. Ready to eat meals are available in a variety of flavors like vegetarian chili, vegetable stew with beef and spaghetti. Breakfast options are also available, including oatmeal.
6. No Need to Pack Extra Stuff
When you choose ready to eat meals, you won’t need to pack anything else for your main course. Ready to eat meals include utensils, salt and pepper and napkins — it’s all included with each meal kit.
7. You Don’t Need to Pack a Camp Stove
When space and weight are concerns, ready to eat meals are lifesavers because you don’t have to figure out how to pack a camp stove. A camp stove is heavy and cumbersome and requires the hassle of unpacking, setting it up and packing it back up when you’re done.
8. Ready to Eat Meals are Comparable in Price to Other Products
As far as cost is concerned, ready to eat meals are comparable in price to other products like dehydrated food. You might be wondering, “How much are ready to eat meals?” The meals are approximately $8, with some brands costing a bit less or more.
Other Uses for Ready to Eat Meals
Maybe the outdoors camping and hiking thing isn’t for you, and that’s okay. There are, in fact, other great uses for ready to eat meals. If you’re planning to take a trip where you’ll have to travel a long way by bus, plane or train, consider taking a few ready to eat meals with you. Not only will they be convenient, but you’ll definitely save money by not buying expensive fast food in the airport, buying food on the train or jumping off the bus and buying whatever’s available at the current stop.
