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My previous summary of this topic was not accepted to the list serv due to it's length.... so here I go again... with 6 parts to post.... Enjoy!
Summary For St. John’s Celiac List Serv
Topic: Packaged Freeze Dried "Meals in a Bag" for Hiking/Camping
Shared by Melonie Katz, August 2005
Here is a summary of the responses I rec’d regarding GF freeze dried “Meals in a Bag” for camping/hiking:
Back in my hiking days, I stopped buying the name brand freeze-dried meals because they were just too expensive. I bought individual items at bulk stores--freeze-dried peas, corn, noodles, soy tvp, etc., and concocted my own as needed. If you're okay with the gf cup-of-soup things, take those and just add tvp. Won't be as varied as, say, beef stroganoff or chicken a la king, but you'll know for sure it's gf.
While you're at it, making your own gorp is another good way to save money and bring food you know you can trust. I buy bulk packed nuts and seeds (we've got a lot of places here that sell unroasted, unsalted, no name-brand nuts in 1-pound sealed bags) and various dried fruits, then mix them with the obligatory chocolate chips.
Also, my recollection is we've been told several times now that all U.S. modified food starch is from corn--check the archives to be sure
I would highly suggest jerky. You can make it yourself at a much lower cost than buying it. I make mine from low fat (97/3) hamburger with a jerky gun and a food dehydrator. I use the American Harvest jerky seasonings & cure. They are GF and I have never had a problem with them. You can purchase the food dehydrator, "Jerky Works" kit and the seasonings at Wal-Mart (all found in the small appliances aisle.) I buy my meat five pounds at a time and the American Harvest brand dehydrator right out of the box will hold about 2 pounds if carefully arranged. Each batch takes about 6 hours or so depending on the humidity of your house. It tastes great and there are several flavors. I especially like the original.
This item is not freeze dried, but I like to buy the Trader Joes Yellow and Red Curry Tuna Panangs. They are ready to eat, packaged in a thin cardboard box with a plastic tear off top pouch inside. The tuna is in a Thai gravy that I like. The Red Panang is a little spicier than the yellow, but neither is super spicy hot, and they have a nice almost sweet flavor. (No sugar on the label.) They are made from yellow fin tuna, so I'm hoping that is not the kind that is so prone to mercury contamination. They can be eaten straight, hot or cold, or over noodles, rice, potatoes, GF bread, or used as a dip for veggies or chips. They cost about $1.39 at my Trader Joe's so they are very inexpensive for what you are getting.
Again they are not freeze dried, but they are quite thin for packing and the (notched) pouch is pretty tough.
AlpineAire Foods website
Funny you should write this today, we were just talking about it at our GIG meeting last night. Earl Ley, who heads up our support group, is going on a cross-country bike ride starting mid-September, to promote celiac awareness. Earl said he had done a lot of looking, and the only one he had found was AlpineAire Black Bart Chili With Beans. But I've exchanged some other info with him, and since I found a bit more, I'm copying Earl here on my reply to you. Looks like he may have missed some stuff that would be of interest. (By the way, you'll be able to follow Earl's progress at http://www.gluten.net/followtheride.html.)
AlpineAire Black Bart Chili With Beans:
http://www.aa-foods.com/itemDetail.cfm?ProdID=10407
However, I checked the web just now, and AlpineAire also has a GF list, looks like you could assemble your own meals from their available ingredients:
http://www.aa-foods.com/instant.cfm?insName=3
Also mentioned last night, Trader Joe's pre-cooked white and brown rice packages, shelf-ready (not frozen, and don't need reconstituting, I thought the flavor and texture were pretty good.) Could be boiled in the bag or microwaved. And Aunt Candice (www.auntcandicefoods.com 503-682-8733) and Bio-genesis energy/protein bars (http://www.bio-genesis.com/products.html), LaraBars and Bumble Bars.
Another recent email chunk, I was telling Earl about the GF seasoning/gravy mix packets I found:
The flavoring packets I got the other night at Marlene’s Market Deli are Road’s End Organics, I think they were $.99 each, and I have 4 of them, all GF, Cheddar Style Chreese Mix, Shiitake Mushroom Gravy Mix, Golden Gravy Mix, and Alfredo Style Chreese Mix. Note that the 2 “chreeses” are dairy-free as well as GF, so I’ll have to try them before I can recommend them. But they all seem to have the same basic instructions, add hot water. So it might be a good basis for you to start building some kind of rice, GF pasta, or potato dish. With some meat and a veggie stir-fried in, and this kind of sauce, you could make a pretty easy meal in one pot on a campsite (assuming they taste good, of course!).
They have two web sites, probably one is an identical link to the other, but I found the GF page on it. Looks like the products might be even a bit cheaper on line, and there might be another flavor or two. Note the GF mac-n-cheese boxes, too. Marlene’s had one of these, too, I think, but also had Mrs. Leeper’s GF boxes in 3 flavors, maybe tuna helper, lasagna, and something else, like mac-n-cheese? I think I’d try them all soon, if I were going to live on this stuff exclusively for a few months, I’d want to pick the best one.
By the way, watch out, if you buy them at Marlene’s – I picked up one that WASN’T GF as well, I’ll swap it when I get back there. I think they maybe had 5 flavors total, and 4 were GF.
http://www.roadsendorganics.com/
~Melonie (R.O.C.K. leader for NoVa/Metro DC Chapter) & Owner of SillyYaks (www.groups.yahoo.com/group/SillyYaks)
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson
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