Best Mountain House Meals  

People who love the outdoor experience know that proper gear and preparation are key for a pleasant time. The thrill of a weekend hiking can be easily ruined if you don’t pack the healthy and tasty food with you. It’s not that you need the gourmet meals while you’re going on an adventure, but rather that you need the food that gives you energy for both physical and mental effort.

The Mountain House is one of the best food brands that are both delicious and nutritious, so many outdoor enthusiasts pack Mountain House meals when going on an adventure. Even if every Mountain House meal has some particularities, they all manage to satisfy even the pickiest customer with the most demanding taste buds.

The variety of their meals is impressive, so it may take you some trial and error until you find the ones you like. Here’s our selection to help you decide.

Top 7 Mountain House Meal Reviews

1. Mountain House Beef Stroganoff | Freeze Dried Backpacking & Camping Food

For those who love their beef, but can’t cook it, the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff | Freeze Dried Backpacking & Camping Food is one option to keep in mind.

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It’s a delicious meal with noodles, mushrooms, and tender beef with a pleasant texture. The fact that there are no artificial colors or flavors with the meal explains the great taste and texture. It’s a creamy sour cream sauce that makes the meal tastier and helps you forget that you skipped cooking this afternoon. More importantly, the pouch contains two servings, so you may skip dinner or share it with your partner.

The pouch is freeze-dried to keep the nutrients protected and the meal fresh. It’s a lightweight and portable pouch, which makes it perfect for camping and backpacking.  It’ you don’t need to refrigerate the meal, which has a remarkable shelf life. You may very well take it when hiking or store it as emergency food, and a 30-Year Taste guarantee backs it.

Preparation is fast and effortless, and you add some hot water to the pouch, allowing 10 minutes to be ready. The bag is similar to a short and wide bowl, so you can quickly eat right from the bag, skipping the dishes.

On top of everything else, the packaging is recycled with TerraCycle to reduce waste.

Regardless of the minor issues, the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff is tasty, has a great texture, and is backed up a 30-year Taste guarantee. We’d say that’s quite a wise investment to make in the long run!

2. Mountain House Spicy Southwest Style Skillet

If you like spicy food, especially in the morning, the Mountain House Spicy Southwest Style Skillet is one meal to try. It’s not very spicy, but only enough to give you a subtle kick in your breakfast.

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The meal has shredded beef, hash browns, green chili peppers, red peppers, corn, onions, and a bit of hot sauce. It’s a two servings pouch so you and your hiking partner can enjoy the same breakfast.

There are no artificial colors or flavors in the meal, which is a good thing. It doesn’t affect the flavoring or texture in any way. On the contrary, the meal is savory, and you forget it comes out of a pouch. It’s safe to eat by people with a gluten allergy as the meal is gluten-free and certified by GFCO.

Preparing the meal is straightforward. You only have to add some water to the pouch, waiting for 10 minutes until it’s done. Many recommend using less water than stated so that you don’t get a watery meal. The beef is tasty and doesn’t have too much fat/gristle; it’s re-hydrated completely. All the other ingredients are of good quality, and you may sense it while eating.

It’s a freeze-dried meal to maintain freshness and good taste. Just like all the other Mountain House

Pouches, it’s recycle used pouched with TerraCycle.

If spicy breakfast gives you the kick you need for extended hiking, this one is one pouch to throw in your backpack.

3. Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef

One of the best parts about Mountain House meals is that you can get the food on the labeling, forgetting that it’s freeze-dried food that you’re eating. The Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef is one reason why Mountain House meals are so popular amongst campers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

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The meal provides two and a half 1-cup servings to be enough for two adults and even a small kid. It’s tasty food with spicy chili, cooked beef, enriched macaroni, tomato paste, and kidney beans. The sauce has a nice consistency, and the chili seasoning gives it the subtle kick you’d expect in this dish. The food has only natural flavors and a caramel color, which makes it even more appealing.

Preparation will take you less than 10 minutes, and you should use boiling water for the best taste and texture. The pouch can get a bit hot, so put it away from kids while preparing it.

The food contains soy and wheat, so people with allergies at wheat and soy should avoid it.

The pouch comes with a zip lock for effortless use and a 30-year Taste guarantee, which doesn’t surprise the Mountain House fans anymore.

Savory, easy to prepare, and providing enough food for one small family at lunch, the Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef should be in your backpack next time you’re hitting the trail.

4. Mountain House Pasta Primavera

We all love our meat, especially when we’re backpacking for days, but sometimes we feel the need to break from it. For these backpackers and the vegetarians, the Mountain House Pasta Primavera will give you the nutrients you need, without the meat.

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The food is delicious and lets you enjoy nice chunks of zucchini, spiral macaroni, and a good variety of vegetables. Cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, red and yellow peppers will give texture to the pasta mix, whereas the primavera sauce has the perfect taste. It’s instead a cheesy sauce with a subtle and pleasant parmesan flavor to it. Granulate garlic, natural flavors, safflower oil, and turmeric are also amongst the ingredients and explain the food’s savory. The sauce has butter, which also explains the consistency.

Every pouch contains two and a half 1-cup servings, so you shouldn’t eat on your own. It’s lightweight and highly portable, so it makes a great solution when camping or going on an outdoor adventure.

Even if the directions say to allow the boiling water 9 minutes, some will want to add some extra minutes if they like a softer texture for their pasta.

Sadly, the pasta contains wheat, milk, soy, and pea, so allergic people should watch out.

Mountain House foods could use more vegetarian options, even if this one is such a great choice to have.

5. Mountain House Chicken Fajita Bowl

No matter what other people say, the chicken will be chicken, and you may also enjoy it while backpacking with the Mountain House Chicken Fajita Bowl.

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The pouch has two ¾ cup servings, which will be more than enough for two hungry hikers in the middle of the day. It’s a tasty freeze-dried food to have while hiking, camping, or storing emergency scenarios.

The food contains chicken, rice, bell peppers, and Black beans, corn, and onions. All ingredients are natural, and the seasonings give it a tasty flavor. The texture is right, and the colors are great, making the food even more appealing.

Preparing the food is effortless, but you should always add boiling water for the best results. Ten minutes of wait will be enough for the food to be ready to eat.

The pouch is lightweight, robust, and sturdy, so you won’t have to worry about tearing or poking while hiking. The ziplock seal is adequate, and the meal has a 30-year taste guarantee, which is quite the standard for Mountain House meals.

Unlike other Mountain House meals, this one is gluten-free, so it’s safe for customers with an allergy to gluten. It does contain soy, though, so some customers should avoid it.

The goods outweigh the bads, and the Mountain House Chicken Fajita Bowl is an excellent lunch for all chicken lovers going on a long hike.

6. Mountain House Homestyle Turkey Dinner

Hikers who want to spend Thanksgiving on trails, but don’t want to skip the Thanksgiving Dinner will have a reliable option with the Mountain House Homestyle Turkey Dinner.

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The pouch contains two servings (1 cup each), and it’s a great turkey dinner to have on the road. It’s a freeze-dried meal with all the nutrients you may need for energy after a long hiking day. It has no artificial flavors or colors and no preservatives either, which only improves the food’s taste. The meal has no gluten either, so it’s safe for customers with allergies to gluten.

You won’t have to spend the whole day cooking this turkey dinner. Adding some boiling water and waiting for ten minutes will be enough to enjoy the food. You won’t have to worry about the stuffing either- the food has everything you need. Carrot, celery, green beans, and onion are the vegetables accompanying white turkey meat’s big chunks. You may want to add some cranberry sauce to it, but make sure you pack it as the pouch doesn’t have it.

The dinner casserole pouch can be recycled for reducing waste, which is something outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate.

Mountain House Homestyle Turkey Dinner will give you the taste of a lovely traditional Thanksgiving dinner while backpacking in just 10 minutes, so it’s worth every single penny.

7. Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich

Who doesn’t like ice cream? Whether you’re hiking on a hot summer day or going camping, the Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich will make ice cream fun to try by both children and grownups. The ice cream could also be your emergency sweet tooth to have around the house as it has a 2-year taste guarantee.

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You get a savory vanilla ice cream in a tasty chocolate cookie sandwich. It’s just one serving, so you won’t be able to share it. Some recommend breaking it before opening for kids as it’s a bit difficult to bite. It’s a crunchy and delicious treat to have while hiking with family.

Unlike other Mountain House meals, you don’t need to add any water as the ice cream is ready to eat right out of the package. You don’t need to add any water; you only open and enjoy it. It’s vanilla flavor and a chocolate cookie- everyone’s favorite tastes!

Even if it’s crunchy, it will melt in your mouth just like any other ice cream. It’s lightweight and easy to pack in your backpack.

The ice cream contains milk, wheat, and soy, so people with allergies should avoid ice cream.

We all know that a sweet tooth can boost your energy while backpacking in the summer, and this vanilla ice cream with chocolate biscuits will give the power you need for the day!

What aspects to consider when choosing your Mountain House Meals?

As there are so many delicious options, we know that choosing your Mountain House meals can be quite challenging. You may not want to try them all to figure out which one to buy for your next backpacking experience, so you should remember the following aspects when purchasing:

Mind your favorite flavors and palate

We like different things, and the taste is something very personal. It would help if you always chose your meals according to your liking and preferences, and Mountain House has numerous flavors to choose from. It can take some trial and error until you discover your favorites, but you should at least look for the ones you think you might like.

The Nutritional Content

If you’re buying the Mountain House meals for your outdoor adventures, you should look for food that provides the nutrients you need for a long day of backpacking. Even if the taste is essential, you should also check the amount of sodium, carb, fat, protein, and calories per serving and pouch. Don’t skip the minerals and vitamins. Your Mountain House meals should provide you the nourishment your body requires for strenuous activities like backpacking.

The total weight

Typically, the Mountain House meals come in two-serving portions, so you should run the numbers when packing. You don’t want to pack too many meals, as they could add unnecessary weight to your backpack.

Most Mountain House meals are lightweight and highly portable, but every pound counts when you’re backpacking for a week.

If you want to backpack lightly, you should aim for the pouches containing 120 to 130 calories per ounce.

Water amount

Freeze-dried meals require some water for preparation. Even if it’s not a large amount, it could add up when you’re gone for several days. You will need around 2 cups of water for re-hydrating the freeze-dried meals. It may take you a couple of minutes, but you should see how much water you will need for all your Mountain House meals for the trip. If you’re not going to carry the proper amount of water, you should at least have some purification water methods prepared for your trip.

Faqs

Q: What’s the typical shelf life for Mountain House meals?

A: An unopened Mountain House freeze-dried and dehydrated meal from Mountain House will last for three decades. The guarantee covers both the freshness and the taste of your meal after preparing it.

However, even if freeze-dried food exceeds the shelf life, it’s not going to spoil. There’s only going to be a change in the taste and texture when eating the freeze-dried meal that it’s past the shelf life date.

Q: How should you store your Mountain House freeze-dried food?

A: For best taste and freshness, you should store your freeze-dried entrees in dry conditions, making sure that the food isn’t exposed to extreme temperatures for a long time. Keeping the food below 75⁰ will expand the life span. Additionally, it would help if you store the meals in areas where the risk for damage to the packaging is minimal.

Q: How much water should you use for Mountain House meals?

A: It depends a lot on the Mountain House food that you’re consuming. Most of the time, you will need ¾ to 2 cups of boiling water for a regular freeze-dried meal pouch. The directions on the package should provide the proper amount of water for a meal. You may add less than stated if you worry about the watery texture for the food. If it’s not enough, you can always add more.

Q: What’s the durability of Mountain House freeze-dried meal after opening?

A: Once you open a Mountain House freeze-dried meal, it becomes real food. Therefore, it will last for as long as any other regular meal will last. Even if it’s re-hydrated, it’s still left-over food so treat it accordingly.

Q: Do you always need boiling water for preparing the Mountain House meals?

A: It’s not ideal, but cold water could also work for preparing some of the freeze-dried meals. All Mountain House freeze-dried meals are pre-cooked and prepared before packaging. You may have results with cold water, but the texture and taste won’t be the same.

Q: Is it safe to eat freeze-dried food without any water?

A: It’s possible to eat freeze-dried food without water, but you should avoid it as much as possible. Not only that, the food is rock hard and difficult to chew, but the taste won’t be unique either. Additionally, eating freeze-dried food without any water will dehydrate your body, which is the last thing you want if you’re in an emergency.

Q: What’s the best way to use Mountain House freeze-dried meal pouches?

A: You only have to open the pouch, take the oxygen absorber off, and add the proper amount of boiling water to the entrée. You want to stir the contents, sealing the bag according to the direction on the pouch. After adding the boiling water, you may have to wait 10 minutes until the food is ready.

Q: What’s the portion sizes for the Mountain House meals?

A: 2 or 2.5 are the typical portion sizes for the majority of Mountain House meals. It’s enough for two people to have unless you’re a big eater.

Q: What’s the typical weight of Mountain House meal pouches?

A: It depends a lot on the meal, and the weights per package vary quite a lot. Most of the time, these pouches are lightweight and portable for effortless transportation. To give you an example, a beef stew pouch is 4.3 ounces, whereas Chili Mac with Beef is a bit over 4.80 ounces.

Q: Is freeze-dried food healthy?

A: The freeze-drying process may deplete some of the significant nutrients like vitamin C and E and folic acid. Once the food is re-hydrated, its nutritional value is similar to fresh food. Freeze-dried food maintains 97% of its nutrition, thanks to the cold vacuum process that removes the water from the food.