OMeals – Vegetable Beef Stew
Out on a multi-day kayaking trip, pulling up to a rocky shore. It’s noon and I’m tired. Breaking out all my cooking gear is just too much of a hassle. Instead, it’s time to try Omeals Southwest Style Chicken.
Preparing this self-heating meal is a breeze, and if the end result doesn’t look ANYTHING like the picture on the bag…. so what. It’s still a decent vegetable stew that even came with its own spoon.
Additional information
Specification: OMeals – Vegetable Beef Stew
Calories per Ounce | 19 |
---|---|
Calories per Package | 170 |
Carbs per Package | 21g |
Fat per Package | 3g |
Protein per Package | 14g |
Sodium per Package | 610mg |
Sugar per Package | 4g |
Vegetarian | No |
Vegan | No |
Gluten Free | No |
Food Allergens | Fish, Soy, Wheat |
Pack Weight (oz) | 9 oz |
Prep Time | 5 Minutes |
Shelf Life | 3 Years |
Preparation
Preparation
Omeals is an all in one, fully inclusive meal system that includes not only the ability to heat itself, but also the spoon and napkin. Omeals uses the same heating system that the original MREs use, a powdered mixture of iron, magnesium, and table salt that uses water to activate an exothermic process.
When opening the Omeals bag, you will find and remove several smaller bags. These include the food pouch, heating element, and the spoon with a napkin. Remove the heating element from its packaging and place it in the bottom of the Omeals bag. Place the food pouch with the heating element inside the Omeals bag. Add 4-6 ounces of water to the Omeals bag. Close the Omeals bag, leaving it in the upright position, and wait 5 minutes. Stand back from the bag, as the steam will quickly leave a vent in the top of the bag and can potentially burn you. After 5 minutes, carefully open the Omeals bag and let stand for an additional minute. After the minute of cooling, remove the food pouch, open, and enjoy.
We recommend kneading the food pouch beforehand to disperse the ingredients, and after heating, to disperse the temperature.
- No fuel, burner, or pot needed.
- High quality ingredients that have never been dehydrated.
- The bag itself had a mark to indicate how much water to use.
- While cooking, the package lets off quite a bit of steam that can burn you if you aren’t careful.
- The food was only warm to luke warm and unevenly heated.
Taste
Taste
At first mouthful, the large chunks of potato and meat are welcome and a bit surprising. The taste and texture are comparable to a can of vegetable soup in the supermarket, albeit a higher end brand. It was a bit salty at first, but that quickly faded to the background as the other seasonings hit my taste buds. Be sure to check out our review of Backpacker’s Pantry Shepherds Potato Stew With Beef which scored in taste.
- The ingredients tasted fresher compared to most dehydrated meals.
- Small portion size.
- The food wasn’t hot enough.
Weight
Weight
At Outdoor Food Lab, we list our weight ratings as such:
- 150+ calories/ounce:
/ Ultralight Hiking Food
- 131-149 calories/ounce:
- 111-130 calories/ounce:
- 90-110 calories/ounce:
- Less than 90 calories/ounce: