A simple guide to ready-to-eat food
A hot meal,anywhere.
Ready meals stay fresh without a fridge in one of three ways. Learn the difference and you will know which one to buy.
Everest Base CampNepal, around 5,360 m
Same dal and rice
Three ways to pack it
Retortwith gravy
Freeze-driedfrozen and dried
Dehydrateddried with hot air
Retort
Packed with its gravy.
Cooked food is sealed in a pouch with all its gravy, then heated to kill germs. Ready to eat, but heavy to carry.
- Inside the pack
- Wet food with gravy
- How to eat
- Heat the pouch
- Weight
- Heavy
Freeze-dried
Water taken out, by freezing.
Cooked food is frozen, then the ice is removed. The food keeps its shape and colour and becomes very light. Add hot water and it is a meal again.
- Inside the pack
- Dry, light pieces
- How to eat
- Add hot water
- Weight
- Very light
Dehydrated
Dried with hot air.
Cooked food is dried with hot air for many hours. The pieces shrink and turn hard, so they take longer to cook again.
- Inside the pack
- Small, hard pieces
- How to eat
- Soak, then cook
- Weight
- Light
Pick one to see its answers.
1 of 6
Does it needpreservatives?
Water left in the food
2 of 6
Is it real,home-style food?
How it is made
3 of 6
How do Imake it?
Steps
You need
4 of 6
How longdoes it keep?
After you buy it
5 of 6
Can I flywith it?
Bag by bag
- Cabin bag
- Checked bag
- On landing
6 of 6
Does it keepits goodness?
Heat used
Freeze-dried Indian meals
Spice UpFoods
Dal chawal, khichdi, pav bhaji and more, all 100% vegetarian. Add hot water in a hostel in Toronto or a tent on a mountain, and your meal is ready.
- 6 months shelf life
- No preservatives
- Hot water, 7 minutes