Heather's Choice FD Selections

[Kevin Dill]

I'm curious if anyone here has tried much or most of their items and can offer opinions as to flavor and overall satisfaction. All reviews welcomed.

 

[Brendan]

Some love it, some hate it. I personally like all of it I've tried. My current theory is if someone is used to bland foods, more simple foods, they probably won't like it as much. I like a little spice and variety, and try to eat healthy anyways, and it's much better for you than Mountain House. Can't honestly think of a dish I don't like, but they all take longer to re-hydrate than Mountain House, so it's easier to get a meal with a little "crunch" in it if you don't let it sit...

If you like spice - try the Egyptian Doro Wat. Packaroons are great for desert / extra calories. Like the buckwheat breakfasts too...

 

[NDGuy]

I bought the Packaroon sampler pack. Really liked the flavors, haven't tried any of the meals yet. I did try Paleo Meals to Go this fall, the Summit Savory Chicken and the Mtn Beef Stew. I was really impressed and enjoyed both meals. They are a bit spendy but the meals themselves were phenomenal.

Paleo Meals To Go – Gluten Free, Freeze-Dried Backpacking Meals

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I typically make my own meals but fishslap gave me one of their salmon chowders (didn't want that much spice in the mountains) which I found quite enjoyable.

 

[NDGuy]

I typically make my own meals but fishslap gave me one of their salmon chowders (didn't want that much spice in the mountains) which I found quite enjoyable.

How fishy is it? I was thinking about trying that one

 

[mrgreen]

I've had the Chili's (Chocolate and Cherry) and enjoyed them very much. The Packaroons are with me everytime I head out, any and all flavors are good.

Not a fan of the Buckwheat breakfasts, to me they all had a sour taste.

I should say that when I relayed this to Heather (both here on the forum, and in an email) she shocked me by replacing them with Packaroons.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

How fishy is it? I was thinking about trying that one

There is a smoked salmon taste to it which seems balanced to me, its not like its all smoked fish flavor. Presuming you like smoked salmon it should be just fine. Note it has a little spice to it, that's how I ended up with it. I didn't mind it at all but I go through a lot of shiracha at my house...

 

[Kevin Dill]

Interesting assessments so far.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Interesting assessments so far.

Have any interest in dehydrating your own?

 

[Kevin Dill]

Have any interest in dehydrating your own?

Not at this point in my life. It's already a mega-crunch for me to get everything together and in readiness for an extended hunt. Prepping my own food would just add weight to my heavy list of chores. I typically buy my selections in the summer and have them directly shipped to my hunt destination. And besides....I really enjoy the entrees I get from various manufacturers including MH, BP, AA and others.

 

[gelton]

I've had alot of it, its so, so so I decided to stick with mountain house. The favorite thing that I had that she offered was smoked salmon bites - they were excellent as daytime snacks but she doesnt seem to carry them anymore. (I think its the same smoked salmon used in the chowder)

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think I have tried most of them.

I like the packroons. Breakfasts weren’t bad at all but I am not sure I would order them again simply because I prefer savory breakfasts. The salmon chowder and door wat were my favorite entrees. I didn’t like the chili’s as much as I thought I would but they were not bad.

I listened to her speak on a podcast and liked her and her message as well. Overall, I think they are great options if you are looking for something a little different and made with ingredients that are better for you than the mountain House grade stuff.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Interesting to read the responses. I spent about $200+ on a bunch of HC offerings this year. I did all the Packaroons, several breakfasts, the Salmon Chowder and some other stuff.

Not Good: I didn't particularly enjoy the taste of anything except the Packaroons which were superb. The ingredients, seasonings, spices and such just yielded a strangeness (to me) which wasn't very pleasing. Hydration of the Salmon Chowder was never complete even after 25 minutes. Most of the salmon pieces were chippy. When I considered the costs....relative to MH and others....I didn't think it measured up to my expectations.

Very Good: Nutritionally excellent and no question about it. Serving sizes were very adequate and not excessive which is often the case with MH and BP entrees. The packaging is premium level and speaks of their pride in the product. The Packaroons are a phenomenal snack and did encourage me to drink plenty of water after eating them.

Will I use them again? Packaroons yes. Entrees and meals...probably not. Love the company and their approach...it's not easy to do what they're doing and carve out a clearly different identity for their products. I think they'll succeed over the long haul and I wish them nothing but 100% success.

 

[mrgreen]

This reminds me, I want to try pods8 Macaroon/Packaroon recipe. Probably right after Thanksgiving.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

This reminds me, I want to try pods8 Macaroon/Packaroon recipe. Probably right after Thanksgiving.

It also reminds me I noticed I forgot to mention the almond flour in that recipe and have been meaning to dig out my notes and edit it!!!

 

[Ray]

I've had alot of it, its so, so so I decided to stick with mountain house. The favorite thing that I had that she offered was smoked salmon bites - they were excellent as daytime snacks but she doesnt seem to carry them anymore. (I think its the same smoked salmon used in the chowder)

It might be a seasonal issue. The salmon comes from a cannery in Nikiski. No fish being caught then none being smoked.

 

[WesternBounty]

We purchased a dinner sampler, breakfast sampler, and a packaroon sampler this year for our first time. To keep it short besides the packaroons it taste like shit.

 

[Squirrels]

Read your first post OP and none of the post after. My experience with Heathers Choice. I could not eat any of the breakfast meals, the packaroons are good, the 2 chilli dinners were tasty and filling, the salmon chowder was fair, the other dinners I could not choke down at all.

 

[S.Clancy]

None of the meals I tried appealed to me, plus the cost vs calorie ratio isn't acceptable. In my opinion just capitalizing on the "paleo", "organic", or "whatever you want to call it" movement. To each their own. Give me Starburst Jelly beans and Mountain House.