Food Review: Good To-Go Backpacker Meals

Let me ask you something: How many backpacking meals taste great? And not just because you’re so trail hungry that any form of calories tastes like a gourmet meal, but genuinely great. My answer to this was none, until I was introduced to Good To-Go, a Maine based backpacking meal company.

Founded by Jennifer Scism, a nationally renowned chef, and her husband David Koorits, Good To-Go makes utterly delicious dehydrated meals that do more than just fuel your hike, they make the experience better by providing you with food packed with flavor.

Currently, Good To-Go makes four unique meals Thai Curry, Smoked Three Bean Chili, Herbed Mushroom Risotto, and Classic Marinara with Penne.

 

 Thai Curry

The first time I made the Thai Curry, I was upset. The Good To-Go version is actually better than the Thai curry I made the night before for dinner. Better by a long shot, and I’m a pretty good cook. The Good To-Go Thai Curry is packed full of flavor, texture and an impressive amount of vegetables. When I feel like carrying the extra weight, adding some avocado to this meal would be a treat.

 Smoked Three Bean Chili

I enjoy the occasional vegan meal but I am by no means a vegetarian. I like meat, especially in my chili. Imagine my surprise when, after finish my Smoked Three Bean Chili, I felt compelled to read through the ingredients, sure that meat had somehow been snuck into the meal. Nope, it’s just that yummy. The chili has a rich, smoky flavor reminiscent of a chili that’s been simmering for days on the stove to bring out a full flavor. Just make sure you add enough water to this one when rehydrating, I failed to on my first go-around and the beans didn’t full hydrated. I kind of liked the chewy texture of the partially hydrated beans, but that’s a personal preference.

Herbed Mushroom Risotto

This is a true risotto, very cream and thick on the spoon. It’s packed with mushroom flavor, with a nice olive oil base, more so than risottos I’ve paid good money for at fancy restaurants. It’s a great variation to the average backpacking meal repertoire but I did find myself wanting some variation in texture with this meal, which I easily added by adding crackers to the meal.

 Marinara with Penne

A fantastic, gluten free version of this classic comfort food that even my Italian mother was impressed with. Enough said.

All four meals come in a single serving or double serving size to fit whatever your caloric needs are on the trail. Head over to their website for wine pairing recommendations for each meal! The only thing that will make Good To-Go any better is when (I hope!) more meals are added to their product line.

 

Disclosure: Good To-Go donated these meals for the purpose of review.