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This article was taken from the November 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
How we tested With the help of Becky Douglas, a nutritionist from Champneys, we chose five self-heating meals and analysed their ingredients, heating system, nutritional merit and taste. "Even a soggy-looking camp dinner will supply the energy needed to survive days in the wild," says Douglas. Aftera full day's boot camp and hike, we prepared each dish in the damp English countryside to measure serving temperatures, cooking times and consider their restorative value versus pack weight.
Meatballs and pasta (above)
This comes with a small pouch of water, which triggers an exothermic reaction to heat the food. It also has a plate, on which to serve the meal, and cutlery. Douglas says that the meal supplies about a third of your daily protein, with an average calorie content for a ready meal. The pasta provides refined carbohydrates, which means it's more likely to boost your blood-sugar level and energy. There is no information about fibre content, salt or sugar on the packet.
Wired: Good balance of meaty protein and carbohydrates
Tired: Bland sauce and little nutritional information
6/10
£33.50 (pack of six)
Cheese and tomato ravioli
Push the spike provided into holes at the top of the can and the meal heats up in 12 minutes. The sides get very hot quickly so you can't pick it up straightaway, but it is the most fuss-free heating system on test. The pasta texture seems acceptable, but the sauce tastes quite sugary. Although this has the lowest saturated-fat content of all the meals we tested, it includes 16g of sugar (about three teaspoons).
Wired: Free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives
Tired: Reduced protein and fat mean it's less filling
5/10
£3.99
Lamb curry
Simply pour the sodium water provided into the outer pocket, fold over and leave for 12 minutes. The curry has good amounts of sauce and meat. The "lamb" is actually mutton and although high in saturated fat, it does provide iron. While some of the spices have anti-inflammatory properties, the meal has quite a few chemical preservatives.
Wired: Good portion of meat
Tired: Mutton dressed as lamb
6/10
£6
English breakfast
To heat this meal you have to press down hard in the middle of the box until the lining "softens", but it's difficult to tell instantly whether it has been activated. This has the highest calorie content of the meals, so is great for energy, but it features mostly saturated fat because of the types of meat used.
Wired: White beans, which provide slow-release energy and fibre
Tired: Additives and preservatives; looks revolting
3/10
€18 (pack of three)
foodcase.nl
Beef stew and dumplings
You need to have 40ml of water to use this meal, which means not all the tools for the job are provided. However, the meat was tender and the dumplings big -- as wide as a 50p piece. The stew is quite watery and the meat content is only 22 percent. The meal is 95 percent fat free -- good if you're trying to lose weight but not if you're on an active camping trip.
Wired: Tasty and filling dumplings
Tired: No water included; more of a snack than a dinner
5/10
£5.50
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
