Product review from In a Vegetarian Kitchen Newsletter (October 2003) by Nava Atlas, author of Vegetarian Express, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons and other popular cookbooks.

This past summer, a Pack Lite representative contacted me to ask for a link from the Vegetarian Kitchen web site. I thought the products - lightweight, dehydrated, vegetarian meals for backpackers and campers - sounded so interesting that I asked for a few samples to review.

The company's array of meals, packed in sturdy plastic bags, include Will's Wild Rice Dinner, Mom's Pasta Primavera, South o' the Border Chili, Pea Pickin' Jambalaya, and more. Made with partially cooked grains and beans plus good quality dehydrated veggies and seasonings, all that's needed to make them is a pot, a heating source, and some water.

I tried the South o' the Border Chili and the Jambalaya, here in my own kitchen. Both made very generous servings which would satisfy hungry outdoorsy types. Since I was at home when I made these and it was the height of summer, I added fresh tomatoes. Very tasty!

We're not campers, but next time we do a long distance road trip I will definitely take some of these meals along. On our annual trip from New York to Detroit there is a stretch where there is literally nothing to eat, a veritable wasteland for vegetarians, let alone vegans. Outfitted with these meals, though, I can make a satisfying dinner with a small hot plate and some water at any hotel where we may make "camp" for the night.

Pack Lite Foods also features breakfast cereals, snacks and beverages for outdoor adventures. The meals are very reasonably priced, and the whole concept is really refreshing!

Reprinted with permission.