The Meal Chart Explained
Have questions about our meal chart? Read on for detailed information on every aspect of our ‘at a glance’ chart.
| Serves | Weighs | # Pots | Water Need | Heat Need | Cook Time | Prep Ease |
| 1 | 3.6 oz | 1 | 12 oz | Boil | 10< | Easy |
| 2 | 6.9 oz | 1 | 24 oz | Boil | 10< | Easy |
We’ve designed our meal packs to comfortably feed what we consider as two hungry campers after an active day. How did we decide what two hungry campers were? Well, we found a couple right here in the Packit Gourmet family . . hardy fellows with above average height-weight that expend a lot of energy on the trail. That’s not to say that the standards of the test group will meet the needs of every customer’s appetite . . in fact, the portion sizes may be a little light for heartier appetites and maybe a too large for some!
You may be able to get a better idea of our portion sizes by viewing a few photos and, if you feel they look a little large for your appetite level, you may want to check out our single serving offerings.
The net weight of each meal is listed in the meal chart. Please keep in mind that any optional condiments (salsa, etc.) you choose to add to your meals will add to the total weight.
Net Weight – Net weight is the total weight of the food and does not include the weight of the label, exterior bag or any added condiments or tool kits. This is the weight listed on the meal package as is legally required.
Gross Weight- Gross weight is the total weight of the meal pack. The weight of the label and exterior bag are included. The average weight of the packaging (label and exterior bag) is about 0.5 oz and the average weight of a tool kit is about 0.3 oz.
| None | These meals don’t require any cooking at all – not even a pan to heat a little water! Some have the option of using hot or cool water (hot water will rehydrate the meal faster) and some are cool water only. |
| 1 | Most of our meals require only one pot or pan. If the size and type of the pot/pan are not very important, ’1′ will be listed under # Pots. If the meal is a just-add-water meal but requires boiling water to heat and reconstitute the meal, ’1′ will be listed as the pot needed to heat the water. |
| 2 | A few of our meals require two pots in order to cook separate parts of the meal. This may mean cooking the main part of the meal in one pot and the sauce in another or cooking and then frying the dish. Some of these meals do have the option for partial Cook-in-Bag preparation (e.g. the sauce can be prepared in the bag). |
| Fry Pan | Most often used with our egg dishes and other foods that require frying (flaquities) or “skillet” cooking (pan cakes). A large diameter pot can be used in lieu of a frying pan for some meals; however foods like pancakes and quesadillas would be difficult to prep in a pot with deep sides. |
| Fry + Lid | A domed lid is often recommended for breads which require “skillet baking” to allow room for the biscuits or bread to rise. A proper lid could include an inverted pot that sits comfortably over the skillet; or tin foil that has been fashioned into a domed cover. Note that the “skillet baking” technique requires that the bread be flipped mid-way through the baking process, so the lids should be fairly easy to move and replace. |
| Pot + Lid | Many of our baked goods require “steam baking” – a technique where a small amount of water is boiled in a lid covered pot to create a moist oven-like environment. The pot should always be deep enough to accommodate the baking medium (our baking kitor other baking set-up) and have a lid to retain the heat. It’s also nice to have a lid that you can see through so you can check the status of your baked goods with lifting the lid and allowing precious heat to escape. |
The total amount of water needed to prepare the meal. If additional water is needed to cook the meal other than what is required in the recipe, as in the case of steam baking, it will be noted in the meal description.
| None | Just add cool water – that’s it! There is no cooking or warming of water needed. |
| Optional | Do you want to conserve fuel and don’t mind waiting a longer for the meal? Then cool-water prep is the answer. Feeling the hunger pangs and want to hurry things up? Then crank up the stove and get some hot water going to speed things up. |
| Boil | Bringing water to a boil is needed to cook these meals. Most of these meals have the option of just adding hot water (noted in the meal description) but can also be cooked in the pot if desired. |
| Fry | A high enough level of heat is needed to produce the crispy texture typical of a “fried” food. |
| Boil + Fry | A few of our meals require that one portion of the meal be cooked or rehydrated with hot water – and another aspect fried in a skillet. With flaquities, for instance, the filling is rehydrated with boiling water; then wrapped in a tortilla and fried. In some cases this can all be accomplished in the one fry pan – the boiling water is used to rehydrate the filling in the Cook-in-Bag, then wiped dry for frying. |
| Skillet Bake | If you’re planning to enjoy any type of crusty bread, you’re going to need to skillet bake! Skillet baking involves ‘baking’ your bread in a frying pan with a lid – you’ll need a low level of heat over a longer period of time for these breads… and you may want to invest in a heat diffuserto help prevent burning. |
| Steam Bake | Baked goods like cakes and muffins need to be baked – an easy task with our Baking Set. Just place the steamer in the pot, set your muffin cups on the steamer, cover the pot and ‘steam bake’ away! Keeping a small amount of water at a gentle simmer is needed to steam your baked goods to perfection. |
Most of our meals are estimated to cook in 15 minutes or less under ideal conditions. Breads can take up to 20 minutes depending on your level of heat. The cook time noted on the meal chart is the longest amount of time that you’ll need to cook your meal – the time needed to boil/simmer your meal for the entire time that it’s cooking. Other factors that may affect actual cook time include: elevation, stove type, heat variations while cooking etc.
We often offer instructions on ‘cooking’ your meal in the bag (just-add-water) or even by adding cool water and allowing the meal to sit for a longer period of time. If your meal includes an optional no-cook method of cooking, you will find it noted in the “Details” section listed just below the meal chart. You will also find it noted on the meal’s label as: Cook-in-Bag Prep or Cook-in-Bag Option. You can also view a complete list of all of our no-cook meals which can be further sorted as to whether they require hot or cool water.
| Super EZ | It doesn’t get much simpler than this! Usually, the only step required is adding cool water. |
| Easy | Pretty simple – add water and a little heat. Not much more to it than that – you can usually cook these meals right in the bag. |
| Chef-It-Up | Our most challenging meals usually requiring two-steps and/or two pots – and a little more effort than just add boiling water and stir. |
