Today we are reviewing Mountain House Noodles and Chicken freeze-dried meal from a #10 can. The biggest and most successful player in the freeze-dried meals industry, Oregon Freeze Dry, has long been making tasty meals for outdoor enthusiasts and the preparedness community under the name Mountain House and this entree is no exception. So grab some popcorn and come along for a ride on our Mountain House Noodles and Chicken Review!
Even though they have rarely made big changes to their meal lines there appears to be some significant changes underway in the Northwest company of 49 years and below we will get into those changes in detail.
Noodles and Chicken is one of the entrees Mountain House has recently changed by including low water activity noodles (instant noodles) instead of freeze-drying the noodles with the rest of the meal.
As you can see in the picture to the right, the meal has clean looking noodles, normally with Mountain House meals the entire meal looks very homogeneous as they make the complete meal THEN freeze-dry it in its entirety. This meal, like the Beef Stroganoff, is now being made and freeze-dried without the noodles which are later included after the fact. So does this affect taste? Read on to find out…
Taste
Like most of their meals, the Mountain House Noodles and Chicken is very tasty and a huge upgrade from the majority of the new comers in the market. The meal quickly sets up and is a hearty , you can eat it with a fork unlike some soupy entrees Iv’e had recently from Wise Foods. While it could be a little salty to some people the flavor was spot on for me. No need to add seasoning at all.
For those wanting to stretch the meal more they could add freeze-dried peas or even more noodles to be able to feed more mouths in one setting. Be careful as you do this though as you want to add only a little at a time and re-taste to make sure it isn’t getting too bland.
Shelf Life
Oregon Freeze Dry is a leader in the emergency prep industry because not only do they make a good meal on a consistent basis they can also back up their shelf life claims with testing they have performed as well as cracking up cans and pouches they have had sitting in storage for 3 decades at their facilities. Not only can you find articles and press releases from OFD on shelf life studies you can also find videos on YouTube where someone pulls a Mountain House can open after sitting in storage for 25 years and it taste good and is not rancid at all. Check out the pricing here!
Ease of Use
We were a little skeptical to see if the new instant noodles (not freeze dried) would set up and be ready to eat quickly and they were. We didn’t wait even 8 minutes to start eating our meal and the noodles were totally reconstituted. Some meals made by competitors use normal noodles that need cooking and simmering. The Food For Health “freeze-dried” meals we recently reviewed took over 25 minutes to cook. That is some serious time for a freeze-dried meal and uses a lot of fuel… something you want to avoid in an emergency situation.
Cost
At $2.64 a serving, the Noodles and Chicken are one of the less expensive meals but still pretty pricey compared to a lot of the new comers to the market the last few years. In the end you have to decide for you if it is worth it, some people will store the ingredients to make a meal like this and it will cost a fraction of this. Others want quality and convenience and are willing to pay the premium. Either way we gave it an average score for cost.
Nutrition
Like most Mountain House meals the Noodles and Chicken entree has some positives and some negatives. At 10 grams of protein per serving the meal is helping provide something many meals lack in long term storage. The real meat in the entree helps out here. TVP, a meat substitute, used by many companies will often have 40% less protein per serving.
The draw back found here is definitely the sodium, at 1000 miligrams you are looking at 40% of your day’s sodium intake in one cup of food. Many people will end up making 1 1/2 cups or 2 cups for their meal so you can be up in the 80% range one sitting. We are pleased to see several new low sodium dishes being introduced into the market place by OFD recently.
For those looking to avoid foods with lactose, gluten, eggs and soy you are going to want to keep looking elsewhere.
Summary
Our sampling and review of the Mountain House Noodles and Chicken resulted in a familiar conclusion with previous meals we have tasted. Good taste, simple convenience, long shelf life but costly and packed with sodium.
If the cost doesn’t deter you and you are ok with eating a diet higher in sodium there are fewer better options out there when it comes to emergency preparedness ready made meals.
So there you have it, our Mountain House Noodles and Chicken Review is complete. Come back and leave your own Mountain House Noodles and Chicken Review in the comment section and let us and others know what you thought of it!
