It’s a split verdict for an American hot meal product tested by 16 nutrition students at the University of Saskatchewan.
Five of the students were neutral when asked if they liked the meal they sampled. And four each were slightly in favor or slightly negative to the green pepper steak with rice or homestyle chicken in noodles they tried.
Heater Meals is a convenience meal that can be served hot and requires no fridge or stove. The American manufacturer, which developed the meals for the army, says it is the perfect option for those far from a kitchen – farmers, hikers, truckers and hunters.
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The mobile hot meals were introduced this year at farm shows across the American MidWest, said company spokesperson Drew McLandrich.
The precooked, sealed meals of six different types can be stored without refrigeration for up to two years and are heated within 15 minutes once a saltwater solution is added to a chemical heater pack, all enclosed in the carton.
In other evaluation questions the students agreed both meals looked appetizing and were nutritious and low in fat. They also said the meat texture was firm, the flavors identifiable and the meal was hot.
However, many found the vegetables were not as numerous or as colorful as they could be. Those who tried the steak dinner were more complimentary. The chicken meal was criticized as less flavorful, mushy and containing too much gravy.
The American company does not have a Canadian distributor so contact it at 311 Northland Blvd., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. 45246 or www.heatermeals.com.
