Field-Tested: Good To-Go Camping Meals

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

Investing in your health long-term through diet on the road is as crucial as decent gas in the tank or using the best engine oil. After all, you are what you eat and, sometimes, it’s a challenge to achieve that in foreign lands. Budget-led options tend to be loaded with saturated fat, added sugar and/or salt, preservatives and, let’s face it, an unappealing array of unrecognizable nasties.

At other times in meat-heavy cultures such as Argentina, getting hold of fresh vegetables can be a challenge. Every cut of the cow, absolutely, but not too many whole foods to achieve a healthy balance of nutrition. On top that, it’s a myth to believe a person can survive on pot noodles and cans of tuna for months on end.

With a perpetual need to nourish our bodies after four years on the road, we noshed our way through the Good To-Go menu to find out whether its culinary offerings really did give us food for thought.

Good To-Go meals are calorie-dense, something needed after a long or energy-intensive day on the road, or a big hike to a backcountry campsite. When compared to meals offered by similar companies, Good To-Go almost always has a higher calorie count per ounce. The portions are also made with REAL food, where each meal is hand-made from scratch in small batches. And they’re prepared by real cooks, not food scientists. The result is a dinner that’s more flavorful and better for you than the traditional “space food in a bag.”

For those who live frugally like us, Good To-Go meals work well when supplemented with a small bag of frozen vegetables and a handful of anything cruciferous (dark green veggies). This means we can sometimes get away with only using one packet, which is cheaper and extends our provisions before having to resupply. When consumed on their own, lunchtimes on the road have become quite civilized with one sachet each—incurring zero dirty dishes, two spoons licked clean, and minimal waste. Moreover, the packets lend themselves perfectly to the solo stove system using alcohol or twigs as fuel. Simply boil some water, wait 20 minutes and you’re all set to snaffle! Each bag even comes marked with the water fill line.

Having devoured our way through the entire vegan and vegetarian menus, Good To-Go achieves a gold standard in taste and texture, and platinum in the composition and depth of flavor. Surprisingly coupled to all that, the sachets are packed with nutrition: dietary fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, and minerals such as calcium and iron. Calorie-dense means that they’re more satisfying than other dehydrated offerings previously sampled, which congealed into something pretty unpalatable by comparison.

Incredibly, there are more vegan and vegetarian options than pescatarian ones, or otherwise. All are gluten free, low sodium and, what’s more, the dinner options boast a two- to four-year expiration date. That said, the breakfast choices are still good for a year. Varying international cuisines are in attendance from Mexican, Korean, Thai, Indian and Italian—undeniably, the variety is excellent, no matter what your choice of food label. As low dairy, largely whole food, plant-based flexitarians, that really is something to shout about from the rooftops.

The Good To-Go dehydrated offerings are as good as any pre-prepared wet food options, if not better, because they’re lighter. While some on the market are filled with recognizable ingredients, they often require two sachets per person—the sauce and a filler such as quick-cook rice, doubling up on the wet weight and increasing the cost. In the event of a slow-speed “offy” when enthusiasm outweighs skill, or any get-off for that matter—trust me when I say that staying light and tight is infinitely better upon picking up a laden bike.

Good To-Go culinary offerings are just about as honest as pannier food gets. They’re a taste sensation loaded with nourishment and I wouldn’t be without mine. MSRP: $12.50 per sachet GoodTo-Go.com

Also available on Amazon.com (Affiliate).

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PROS	CONS
▲ Dehydrated, not freeze-dried	▼ Slightly longer cook time vs freeze-dried meals
▲ Gluten free	▼ Shorter shelf-life vs freeze-dried meals
▲ Handmade by cooks in Maine, U.S.A.	▼ Once you've tried Good To-Go, you may find yourself looking for excuses to be in Mother Nature's backyard, just to eat the meals
▲ Low in sodium
▲ Vegan options available
▲ Calorie dense
▲ No preservatives

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